South Africa is one of the premier destinations for online sports betting on the continent. Home to a large number of excellent betting sites, people have the opportunity to test the latest and greatest in the industry.
The stats reveal that the revenue in the online sports betting market will reach $431M in 2025. This, combined with the fact that the average revenue per user is close to $251, makes South Africa one of the leading countries for wagering on sports. It’s no surprise that there are many different sites to choose from, so let’s see all of them and learn how to select the best option.
- Trusted brand with a license
- Various sports betting options
- Generous bonus offers
- Mobile app available
- High Odds
- Generous Bonus Offers
- Various Sports and Casino Games
- Mobile apps available
- Competitive odds
- Horse racing available
- Good selection of sports
- Licensed Betting Site
- High odds
- Cash out, Bet Builder and Other Features
- Generous Welcome Offer
- Legal is SA
- High horse racing odds
- 24/7 support
- Established operator in South Africa
- Wide range of betting markets
- Extensive catalogue with bonuses
- 24/7 Customer support
- High odds for in-play in SA
- Boosted rewards with lower margins
- Wide range of promotions
- Big selection of sports
- Mobile friendly
- Competitive odds
- Generous promos
- Reputable operator in South Africa
- Extensive sports coverage
- Great odds and a variety of markets
- Welcome bonus package of up to R5000
- Multi Bonus up to 30%
- Partial Cashout in place
- Bet Builder option
- Great range of sports
- Bet builder available
- Comprehensive statistics feature
- Greyhounds & Horse racing sections
- Licensed Online Bookmaker
- Extended coverage of betting markets
- Good odds
- Android App & Mobile version
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How to Choose the Best Sports Betting Site
Choosing between the best betting sites in South Africa requires you to analyze multiple components. Each factor you are about to see has a role in your overall experience. Some might be more important for certain people than others, but you should check everything before deciding which brand to trust.
Bonuses
When checking the different betting sites in South Africa, you should always look at the bonuses. The reason why these things are important is because they can provide additional opportunities. Furthermore, they make people’s overall experience more enjoyable.
Normally, each bookmaker uses a different tactic for its bonuses. Some will provide individual rewards for each popular sport, whereas others have offers that people can use for everything. As for the popular propositions, you should look for free bets, odds boosts, reload bonuses, and even cashback.
License & Security
All top-tier gambling sites in South Africa (and other countries) must have at least one license and many security features. The license shows that the bookmaker follows the rules set by a regulating body and meets specific criteria. As for the security features, they ensure that players will be as safe as possible while playing.
South Africa’s National Gambling Board is the country’s primary authority on gambling. Nevertheless, local players may find operators with licenses from the MGA and Curacao. In terms of security features, SSL certificates are the most common option, but companies may have many more. Some offer 2FA authentication and many innovative AI features.
Betting Markets
All sports betting sites in South Africa will try to provide as many markets as possible. However, having more markets doesn’t always mean a given site is better. The quality of the markets themselves is more important because some options work way better than others.
Since many sites may have thousands of options, it’s hard to point out everything to look for. Generally speaking, most SA bettors choose the likes of 1×2 (or FT Score), Double Chance, Handicap, Over/Under, and more.
User Interface & Design
When comparing different operators, you may notice that some of the new SA betting sites look much better than the rest. This is because companies finally started realizing the importance of good design. Aside from making the platform more appealing, the attractive design makes the site look more credible.
The same is true for the UI. Operators looking to attract new and experienced punters must have a modern, intuitive, and easy-to-use UI. If that’s not the case, clients will have a bad overall experience.
Odds
If you decide to bet on sports, checking the odds should be one of your main priorities. This is an incredibly important factor because it will determine your potential payouts. Moreover, you can analyze the company’s margins to see if it is competitive.
The easiest way to compare the odds of a given site is to check the same event and market on several other platforms. Once you do that a couple of times, you will get an idea of the given operator’s odds levels. Just remember that companies may often provide higher odds for specific sports.
Self-Regulation Tools
Despite being fun, sports betting can also be dangerous because people can lose a lot of money and get into even bigger problems. Consequently, it’s important for your future betting site in South Africa to have self-regulation tools.
Most companies have their own policy regarding offering different regulation tools. Some will only deliver the essentials, such as self-exclusion and deposit limits, but others may provide much more. You can often come across self-assessment tests, links to different organizations aimed at helping people with gambling problems, and more.
Customer Support
The customer support department is one of the underrated aspects of betting sites in SA. Many do not check the available contact options and information they can get because they don’t think it is worth it. Sadly, this is not a good idea because the bookie’s support department reveals a lot of information about it.
If you decide to analyze the customer support section, start by checking all contact options. Test each one and ask different questions to see what happens. Most of the smaller operators are likely to outsource their customer support services, but bigger brands should have in-house employees.
Payment Options
All betting sites in South Africa will have some kind of payment option because customers need to deposit. Learning more about the deposit and withdrawal gateways is a must because you need to know the limits, processing time, and what’s available. Users who forget to check those departments often find themselves in a difficult situation.
The first and definitely most important step is to check the actual range of deposit and withdrawal methods. Most sites operating in South Africa will provide options that local punters use, but international brands may have different alternatives.
When analyzing the different payment gateways, it’s also a good idea to check whether you can use them alongside different bonuses. Some promotions will not be available if you transact with a specific option.
Features
All modern online betting sites have different features that people can use. They are essential because, besides making the overall experience more enjoyable, some can increase people’s betting success.
The number of features on South African betting sites depends entirely on the operator. The most common alternatives you’ll come across include Live Betting, Cash Out, and Live Streaming. Bet Builder is also becoming a lot more common, and so is Advancebet.
Generally speaking, it’s always better to find an operator with more features because this will allow you to choose the most suitable ones. Yet, not all options will be worth it, so choose carefully.
Mobile App
Modern betting sites in South Africa will always have a mobile site, but only a few companies will also provide an app. The mobile app is important for every operator because it allows punters to have the best possible mobile betting experience. Usually, sites have apps for both Android and iOS, but some brands may only focus on one of the two.
If the sports betting operator in question has an app, the first thing you should check is how to get it. The download steps can be different depending on whether the app is in the official stores or if there’s an apk file. Aside from that, people also need to check the app’s requirements.
Once downloaded, it is essential to review all the features, sections, and bonuses to ensure that everything works properly. It’s also advisable to check if the app gets any regular updates.
Nostrabet’s Betting Sites Evaluation Process
What’s different about Nostrabet is that the experts know exactly how to evaluate the different betting sites in South Africa. Local experts and passionate punters are aware of all the small things that make a given betting site worth it. The evaluation process usually consists of the following steps:
An overview of everything
It starts by checking for all the major options, features, and bonuses people expect to find. Since Nostrabet’s experts have extensive experience, they can tell whether a site has everything in minutes.
Testing all options
This is the key component of the evaluation process. To provide people with the information they need, the staff tests everything. Registering, depositing, betting, using features and bonuses – all of these processes take time, but once they are ready, people will know exactly what they will find.
Reading what others have to say
In addition to testing a given site’s services, experts also read people’s comments about it. Although the information there isn’t always accurate, it can provide an insight into what’s happening.
Comparing the operators to some of the best in the business
The last step of the evaluation process is to compare a given site to some of the really good companies. Every country has at least a few brands that stand out, including South Africa.
Most Popular Sports for Betting in South Africa
Despite their differences, all betting sites in South Africa will offer people the chance to punt on the popular sports in the country. Some will also try adding exotic options, but most punters opt for the classics. Let’s learn more about each one.
Football
All sports betting operators will allow people to bet on football because it’s one of the country’s most popular sports. Clients will find all the prominent European champions and tournaments. The list will include options like La Liga, the UEFA Champions League, Premier League, and more.
Of course, South African punters can also wager on the local competitions. Bookies will provide plenty of things for the South African Premiership, National First Division, and more. Football is usually the sport that has the most markets and special bonuses. Moreover, most of the features that the bookie has in stock should be available when wagering on football.
Rugby
South Africa is one of the countries where rugby union has many fans. Since the sport is played nationwide, millions of people love watching and betting on it. This is why bookies will always provide more options.
Those who decide to bet on this sport will find things like the Currie Cup, SA Cup, Varsity Cup, Gold Cup, and more. Of course, punters will also have access to all international events, such as the Rugby Championship, the Rugby World Cup, and more.
Golf
Although golf may not be the go-to option for most European bettors, the sport is big in South Africa. Consequently, you can find many golf events and markets to choose from.
The African country has many world-class golf courses, and local punters can often find different options to bet on them. Places like the Leopard Creek Country Club often host various kinds of events, and bookies will include them in their platforms.
Cricket
South Africa is one of the go-to places for cricket. Often regarded as the third-most popular sport, people from all over the country watch and bet on cricket matches. This is especially true when the South African national team is playing because it is among the best in the world.
Regarding the leagues and competitions you can wager on, SA bettors have access to things like the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the SA20, and more. It is common to find special bonuses during a big cricket event, so always check the promo section.
Horse Racing
Lastly, we have horse racing, one of the go-to sports in South Africa. There are many world-class SA jockeys and purebred horses, so it’s no surprise that the sport is huge in the country.
If you want to wager on horse racing, all leading South African betting sites will give you access to plenty of options. Some popular local events include the Gauteng Summer Cup, Cape Guineas, Sun Met, Majorca Stakes, and more. Punters can also find all big races in the UK, the US, the Middle East, Australia, and more.
Most Sought After Sports Betting Markets in SA
As mentioned earlier, betting sites in South Africa will try to offer local players plenty of markets across all sports. Some will have more than others, but players should find the essential options. Speaking of the devil, here are some of the most sought-after alternatives:
- Match Result – You can also find this market as 1×2, FT Score, or something similar, but it does the same thing. When you choose it, you must pick which team or player will win or whether the game will be a draw.
- Double Chance – This market works almost like Match Result, but instead of punting on one outcome, you wager on two. You can either choose that one of the teams will win and the game will be a draw or that either team will win. The latter means you only lose your bet if the match ends in a draw.
- Total – This is the faмous Over/Under market and South African bettors can find it in many sports. Those who punt on football usually find it with goals, yellow/red cards, corners, etc., whereas players interested in other sports will come across slightly different options.
- Both Teams to Score – Although it’s most popular among football bettors, people may find BTTS across other sports.
It’s worth knowing that each of the most popular sports in South Africa has its unique markets. If you take a look at cricket, for example, you will find options like “Highest Opening Partnership, “1st Over – Wicket”, and more.
Responsible Gambling
Like in other parts of the world, thousands of bettors in South Africa have different gambling-related problems. Therefore, it is incredibly important to learn more about how to bet responsibly and use the different tools to your advantage.
People who believe they may have betting problems should try to take the self-assessment test when available. If that’s not an option, users can always turn on some features, such as adding a deposit limit. If that does not work, they can use self-exclusion, contact the customer support department for help, and much more.
It’s worth noting that most bookies in SA have different policies regarding offering responsible gambling tools. Consequently, some operators will provide more than others.
FAQ
How many hours of testing go into assessing betting sites at Nostrabet?
Although this largely depends on the iGaming site’s size and options, most tests take at least a few days. Nostrabet’s experts have to make sure they check everything.
What betting features are the most useful and sought-after?
Cash Out and Bet Builder are usually the most sought-after and valuable betting features. With that said, a lot of people also love Live Streaming because they can watch the events they punt on.
Is it legal to bet on sports in South Africa?
Yes, sports betting is legal in South Africa, assuming you use a licensed operator.
Do you add any new SA betting sites to this list?
Yes! Nostrabet constantly updates its list of top-tier SA betting sites because new operators join the market regularly, and some are good.
Should I create accounts on multiple betting sites?
This depends on what you are looking for. Some people do this to ensure they use the best options from each operator.