Share

Card is king in SA - survey

Cape Town - Using cash for purchases will soon be a thing of the past, according to a recent 11-country Connecting with the Millennials survey conducted by Visa.
 
Millennials, typically born between 1982 and 1995, make up 25% of the world’s population and grew up with the internet making them tech-savvy.
 
South Africans, along with Koreans, are the top cards over cash adopters in the world with 61% of Millennials in both countries preferring to use their cards instead of cash.
 
According to the survey, which features interviews with over 5 500 people aged between 18 and 28, 68% of Millennials said a cashless society was on the way.
 
And close to 80% said they expected that soon it would be possible to conduct all their shopping and pay all their bills online.
 
Seventy-three percent believe this will be possible with a cellphone.
 
“The ubiquity of the internet and mobile technology are helping to make electronic payment an intrinsic part of a Millennial’s purchasing behaviour,” said Paul Jung, head of Visa’s eCommerce division for Asia Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa.
 
Gadget dependence
 
South Africa’s Millennials see gadgets as an important part of their lives: 89% said it would be "impossible" to live without a computer. Eighty percent said they could not live without smartphones.
 
“The research also found that while South African Millennials are ardent users of technology, they are also security conscious. Ninety percent said card security is an important aspect to consider when venturing online,” said Jung.
 
Online habits
 
Eight out of 10 Millennials are online shoppers, half of whom shop online monthly.
 
South African Millennials use the internet for various activities, including emailing, searching for information and internet banking. Groceries, transport and rent/mortgage are the top three areas where South Africa’s Millennials funnel their online cash payments.
 
The propensity to save among South African Millennials is lower than average, with only 68% setting aside a part of their income each month for saving and a lower proportion (21%) of their total disposable income.

Shopping is the main activity they save for, followed by retirement and a home purchase.

 - Fin24

*Follow Fin24 on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.17
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.96
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.54
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.49
-0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.4%
Platinum
917.00
+0.5%
Palladium
1,006.00
+0.1%
Gold
2,320.94
+0.2%
Silver
27.27
+0.4%
Brent Crude
88.02
-0.5%
Top 40
68,840
+0.4%
All Share
74,736
+0.3%
Resource 10
61,957
+2.5%
Industrial 25
103,558
-0.4%
Financial 15
15,851
+0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders