In the last six years, there has been a huge increase in smartphone usage in South Africa, opening up enormous opportunities for the sport-loving population of the Rainbow Nation to gamble on the go using free betting apps on their phones. Many of the best online sportsbooks available to South African punters offer betting apps and we’re here to take you through the very best of them, focussing on all the things that matter such as functionality, layout, app-specific offers, general site features and much more!
- All
- Bet Boosts
- Free Bet
- Cashback
- Acca Bonus
- Acca Insurance
- betting tips
- Betting Stats
- Refer a Friend Bonus
- Live streaming
- Betting Guides
- Bet builder
- PSL Offers
- Mobile Only Deals
- Cashout
- VIP Programme
- Risk Free Bet
- Cash out
- Bet Boost
- New
- Price Boost
- Football Acca
- Racing Tips
- More Filters
Top Rated
200% Bonus Up To $130
22/04/22200% Bonus Up To $130
- Well-established global betting brand
- Huge selection of betting promotions
- Excellent mobile app
9.8
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Register with 1xBet. Fill in your personal profile in My Account and enable the function "Take part in bonus offers". Deposit any amount from 1$. The bonus is automatically credited to a customer's account after they make a deposit.
R25 Sign Up Offer
22/04/22R25 Sign Up Offer
- Betting guide with extensive statistics and betting tips
- Accumulator deals
- Refer a Friend offer
9.7
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Once you activate your Hollywoodbets account and you will receive a R25 Sign-up Bonus! For more information, contact our helpline on 087 353 7634. Terms and conditions apply.
100% Up To R1,000
27/04/22100% Up To R1,000
- Excellent in-play betting app
- Huge range of offers across a number of sports
- Generous welcome offer
9.6
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More0101
100% Bonus Up To R1,000
22/04/22100% Bonus Up To R1,000
- PSL football betting deals
- Mobile-exclusive football offer
- Excellent range of existing customer deals
9.5
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11The bonus amount must be wagered 6 times (Sports bets must be taken at single bet min odds of 7/10 or 0.70, Multiple Min Odds of 12/10 or 1.20 and each leg must be 2/10 or greater) prior to bonus funds and associated winnings becoming withdrawable.
100% Bonus Up To R10,000
22/04/22100% Bonus Up To R10,000
- Large number of sports covered on mobile
- Excellent multi-bet bonuses
- Refer a Friend deal
9.4
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11Make your first deposit. Rollover your first deposit 5 times with bets where the odds are greater than 7/10 (0.7). Only bets placed on pre-match and in-play sports will count to the Welcome Bonus rollover requirements. Once you have fulfilled the rollover requirements, we will then match your first deposit with a 100% bonus. The maximum bonus amount that can be claimed in this promotion is R10 000.Make your first deposit. Rollover your first deposit 5 times with bets where the odds are greater than 7/10 (0.7). Only bets placed on pre-match and in-play sports will count to the Welcome Bonus rollover requirements. Once you have fulfilled the rollover requirements, we will then match your first deposit with a 100% bonus. The maximum bonus amount that can be claimed in this promotion is R10 000.
100% First Deposit Bonus Up To R2,000
28/04/22100% First Deposit Bonus Up To R2,000
- Risk-free opening bet up to R2,000
- Variety of ongoing promotions
- Top app on all mobile devices
9.3
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More0101
100% Up To R1,000
04/05/22100% Up To R1,000
- Easy to use app
- Excellent selection of betting information and statistics
- Best selection of golf betting promos
9.2
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More0101
100% deposit match up to R1,000
27/04/22100% deposit match up to R1,000
- Quick-loading and data-free mobile app
- Generous welcome offer
- Horse racing accumulator bonus and price boosts
9.1
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More0101
R50 Sign Up Bonus
22/04/22R50 Sign Up Bonus
- Best welcome offer in SA
- Additional sign up bonus
- Great looking app
9.0
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim BonusLearn More11R50 Bonus to be rolled over 3 times at 11/10 or better before it can be withdrawn. Please note that stake will not be returned to your bonus wallet.
Bet $10 Get $40
22/04/22Bet $10 Get $40
- Excellent range of betting offers
- Live streaming
- Android and iOS apps
8.8
NO CODE REQUIREDClaim Bonus11T&Cs apply. 18+Top 10 Sport Betting Apps in South Africa for 2023
Based on perormance, live feed speed, functionality and customer reviews here’s a list of the best betting apps in South Africa:
- 1xBet – The best betting app for South Africa
- Betway – Build a Bet soccer feature
- bet.co.za– Leading betting app in South Africa for promotions
- HollywoodBets – One of the top betting apps for horse racing
- Supabets – Industry-leading welcome bonus
- BoyleSports – International betting giant
- SportingBet – Risk-free bet welcome bonus
- Playabets – Best for statistics
- SunBet – One of best sites in South Africa for in-play betting
- Gbets – Esports betting specialist
Top 10 Sports Betting Apps in South Africa reviewed
Whether you’re into soccer, horse racing, or one of the many other sports that are popular in South Africa, the following betting apps will certainly fit the bill, whether you’re looking to try out betting apps for the first time or simply try a new one on for size!
1. 1xBet – The Best Betting App For South Africa ($100 Deposit Bonus)
1xBet are well-named because they provide one of the very best betting apps for sports bettors in South Africa and they top our list of sports betting apps. Whether you own an iPhone or an Android-based smartphone or tablet, 1xBet has mobile betting apps for both, and punters can enjoy a huge range of worldwide markets, deposits in Rand, plus a generous welcome bonus.
What we like:
- The user-friendly app reflects the desktop site very well
- Rand deposits available
- Excellent range of worldwide sporting markets
- Ante-post bets on future horse races
- VIP Programme
- Multi-sport existing customer offers
What we don’t:
- Bonus amounts are in USD, not ZAR
2. Betway – International Betting Giants (R1,000 Deposit Bonus)
While you can be absolutely sure that any sport betting apps featured in this article are completely legitimate and trustworthy, many punters prefer to give their betting business to established brands that they have seen before. And this familiarity is certainly part of the appeal of Betway, who will be well-known to any fans of the English Premier League in South Africa, thanks to their shirt sponsorship of West Ham United and regular appearances on the billboards at many other Premier League grounds.
What we like:
- Quick loading app with no data usage
- One of the most trusted betting brands in the world
- Strong new customer deal
- Excellent soccer offering including Bet Builder and accumulator bonuses
- R10,000 daily betting jackpot prize up for grabs
- Wide range of Esports markets
What we don’t:
- Very few existing customer deals
3. bet.co.za – Leading Betting App In South Africa For Promotions (Up To R1,000 Bonus)
They’re unlikely to win any awards for their name but we don’t care as bet.co.za is hugely impressive in the areas that matter most to South African bettors. Downloading the bet.co.za betting app will open up a world of multi-sport betting offers, sports information, free bets and even a mobile-exclusive offer that could net you R50. And they are one of the few sports betting sites we have seen to offer existing customer offers relating to the most popular domestic soccer league in South Africa, the PSL.
What we like:
- Excellent new customer offer
- Accumulator bonus and insurance offers
- Mobile-specific offer
- PSL existing customer deal
- Bet Central betting blog with betting guide and tips
- Huge range of multi-sport existing customer deals
What we don’t:
- No live streaming
4. Hollywoodbets – One Of The Top Horse Racing Betting Apps (R25 Sign Up Bonus)
If you’re a fan of horse racing in South Africa then Hollywoodbets will probably be a familiar name, due to their sponsorship of Greyville and Scottsville racecourses, along with the entire Durban July meeting. There is a huge amount to like about the Hollywoodbets sportsbook, including a fantastic range of worldwide racing markets, live streaming options and their extensive horse racing gambling guide.
And all of those features are also available through the Hollywoodbets betting app, all packaged up in one of the quickest and most user-friendly online betting apps out there and one of the best horse racing betting apps we have found.
What we like:
- Extensive betting guide with statistics and worldwide tips
- Huge range of horse races to wager on
- Rand deposits allowed
- Refer a Friend bonus
- Free live streaming available through Gallop TV
What we don’t:
- Underwhelming welcome offer
- The huge amount of betting and gaming content on the app could be confusing
5.Supabets – Industry-Leading Welcome Deal (R5,000 Welcome Bonus)
Another well-established member of the South African betting fraternity is Supabets, who are a familiar name thanks to their bricks and mortar betting shops, sports betting site and Android betting app. And new customers can look forward to “Mzansi’s biggest first deposit bonus”, which is a bold statement for Supabets to make, but not one we are able to dispute as new users will have their first deposit matched up to a massive R5,000! They also claim to be one of the best betting apps with cashout, which should also be extremely appealing to SA punters.
What we like:
- The best welcome bonus in South Africa
- R50,000 EPL Predictor Game
- Accumulator bonuses
- Rugby betting offer
- Good range of soccer goalscorer markets
What we don’t:
- Hard to find the promotions as they’re included in the support section
6. BoyleSports – Irish Betting Giant
The beauty of established sportsbooks such as BoyleSports, who cater primarily to UK and Ireland customers who demand the very best in their betting sites, is that if you can access them in South Africa you know you are in for a top-notch betting experience. And that is certainly the case with BoyleSports, particularly when it comes to their racing and soccer offerings, as well as their betting app.
What we like:
- User-friendly and good looking app
- Multi-sport accumulator bonus and insurance
- Accumulator loyalty bonus
- Excellent racing offers including extra place races and best odds guaranteed
- Live streaming
- Bet calculator
What we don’t:
- No new customer deal for SA customers
7. SportingBet – Unique Welcome Offer (R2,000 Risk-Free Bet)
The primary weapon in a bookmaker’s arsenal when it comes to the battle to attract new customers is undoubtedly the new customer offer. Most of these deals take the form of a deposit match, where an initial payment into your betting account will be matched to a certain degree. However, being able to withdraw your bonus funds is not so easy, thanks to the huge amount of betting conditions that are often attached.
Which is exactly why we love SportingBet’s simple welcome deal, where your first bet will be refunded if it’s a loser as a free bet, which can then be wagered with minimal conditions attached, on their desktop site or mobile app!
What we like:
- Strong welcome bonus with favourable T’s & C’s
- Eye-catching app colour scheme
- Soccer accumulator bonus
- Build a Bet soccer feature
- Tennis accumulator insurance
- Auto Cashout available
What we don’t:
- No football accumulator insurance
8. Playa Bets – The Statistic Kings (R1,000 Welcome Bonus)
If there’s one thing we truly believe at Sportslens it’s that knowledge is power when it comes to betting, and when it comes to statistics that you can use to make the best betting decisions possible, Playa Bets is one of the best sites we have come across. And with American football and basketball growing in popularity in South Africa, fans of stateside sports, in particular, can put their newfound knowledge to good use by betting on the huge amount of USA sporting markets on offer.
What we like:
- American sports specialist
- Dedicated statistics section
- EFT payments accepted
- Multi-bet bonuses
- Cashback offers
- VIP Club
What we don’t:
- The predominantly green and white app colour scheme may not be to everyone’s tastes!
9. SunBet – In-Play Experts (R1,000 Welcome Bonus)
Sun International are one of the biggest names in the South Africa gambling business, with 13 casinos throughout the country, from Limpopo to the Western Cape. So when the Sunbet online sportsbook and app was launched, punters certainly took notice! And the desktop site and betting app are certainly worthy additions to the Sun International family, with some eye-catching offers and a huge range of betting markets.
What we like:
- Rewards can be earned through the Sunbet betting site, app and casinos
- Huge range of offers across a number of sports
- Betting blog with previews and statistics
- Soccer accumulator bonuses
- Enhanced odds available
- Non-sporting bets available including WWE, Politics and TV
What we don’t:
- Feels like casino games are more of a priority
10. Gbets – (R1,000 Welcome Bonus)
Gbets are the online betting arm of the Goldrush Gaming Group, who are a hugely influential name in the SA gambling scene. And for the most part, they are a worthy addition to the family, particularly as they are one of the few betting apps with a free bonus, which is in this case an opportunity to earn an R25 free bet. The Gbets welcome deal is also a good one and their statistics section leaves many of their more illustrious rivals lagging behind!
What we like:
- R25 free bet offer
- Soccer odds boosts on single and multiple bets
- Excellent statistics centre
- Cricket betting deal
- Withdraw winnings instantly with 1Voucher
What we don’t:
- Shortage of existing customer offers
- Basic colour scheme
Key Features of the Best Betting Apps
Bookie In-play Betting Betting Tips Live Streaming Enhanced Odds Accumulator Offers 
How we Rank the Best Free Betting Apps
South African bettors are blessed with a solid list of sports betting apps to pick from, and with so much going for all of them it can be hard to select which is most worthy of your custom! So we thought it might be useful to share below the criteria we use when formulating any list of sports betting apps:
- Platforms – Android is by far the more popular mobile operating system in South Africa, but we have tried to list sites that have apps available for both iOS and Android, such as 1xBet, who have apps for both platforms.
- Security – Our number one rule is that any betting site and app we endorse must be safe and reliable and licensed by a top-tier licensing authority such as Malta, the UK Gambling Commission, or the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board in South Africa. And Betway is one of the most well-known and well-trusted sites and apps out there.
- Coverage – Sports betting in South Africa tends to be dominated by horse racing, cricket and soccer. However, we also champion sport betting apps that go beyond these popular activities, such as Playa Bets, who have extensive sporting markets in the USA.
- Odds – No bookmaker could ever claim to have the best odds across the board, but we still compare prices between all the apps we feature, to make sure their prices are generally fair.
- Welcome Bonuses – Many South African bookies, such as SportingBet, do offer very nice welcome bonuses and ongoing promotions. However, the best new customer deal belongs to Supabets, where punters can potentially land an R5,000 bonus!
- Existing Customer Promotions – Once they have attracted a new customer with a welcome offer, the next aim for an online betting site is to keep punters playing with a host of multi-sport betting promotions. Betting apps with a free bonus are rare but those with special deals relating to specific sports are more common. And bet.co.za are the best example of this, thanks to a huge range of deals on their website and app.
- Usability – Convenience is a key attribute of a sports betting app, so any bookie on your phone that has an app that constantly crashes, or is hard to navigate will certainly lose points with SA bettors. However, we reckon that even the hardest to please punters will enjoy the BoyleSports app!
- Customer support – You may never need to contact customer support at an online sportsbook, but if you do, the support team should respond quickly and with pertinent, useful advice. Just like they do at SportingBet.
How To Use a Betting App
Step 1: Pick Your App
We’re confident that we have given you all the tools to pick out the betting app that works best for you, so once you’ve made your choice you just need to download the app of your choice from the App Store, Google Play, or directly from the site itself.
Step 2: Open An Account
Of course, you’ll need to create an account in order to place some bets, which you can do either by clicking on “Join”, or “Create Account”, either on the app itself or the desktop site. Then it’s just a case of inputting some personal details and setting a username and password. Many bettors prefer to input their details on a desktop computer as it’s easier to type, although we imagine the text-savvy WhatsApp fans will have no problem typing in their details on the phone!
Step 4: Make a Deposit
You will need to fund your betting account to qualify for your welcome bonus and place those all-important bets. The cashier button is usually prominent on all apps and once you’ve clicked through you can use a number of payment systems in South African sports betting apps, including credit and debit cards, EasyEFT, PayPal, Instant EFT, Skrill, Neteller, ecoPayz and Bitcoin.
Step 5: Get Betting!
Once your account is funded you can start placing bets. Usually, once you have found the event you want to bet you just press on the price of the outcome you want to back. This should transfer the bet to your virtual bet slip. Set your stake, confirm your bet then hope that your wager is a winning one!
Best Betting App Sign Up Offers in South Africa
None of the betting online apps featured here offers a mobile-specific welcome offer, although we should give kudos to bet.co.za for their mobile-only existing customer deal. However, betting apps with a sign up bonus that is also available on desktop are far more common. So here are the best welcome deals available at SA betting apps.
Top 3 SA Betting Apps Sign Up Offers
- Supabets – R5,000 welcome offer
- Sportingbet – R2,000 risk-free bet welcome offer
- Betway – R1,000 welcome offer
Dedicated South Africa Betting Online Apps v Mobile Browsers
Almost all of the betting sites we have encountered are optimised for use on smartphones and tablets, which means that if you access them using the internet browser on your phone, they will fit nicely into the portrait phone screen rather than remaining in the horizontal computer screen format.
Which does beg the question, “Why download an app at all”? And that is certainly a sensible question to ask, which is why we have put together a pros and cons list when it comes to betting via an app, instead of a mobile browser. Below are the main pros and cons of mobile apps:
Pros
- More people are likely to own smartphones than desktop computers
- Betting apps download quickly and you can be up and running in seconds
- Apps also download pages faster than a mobile browser on average
- There are far less pop-ups and ads
- Push notifications can be enabled when using an app, which will inform you of new events and offers
- Your ISP may know precisely what you are doing if using a browser
Cons
- You need an app for every sportsbook you use
- You will more than likely have to update your app every few weeks.
- Takes up space on your device
Best South Africa Online Betting Apps For iPhone And iPad
While most smartphones in South Africa feature the Android operating system, many online sportsbooks in South Africa that have issued a sports betting app have issued one for iOS as well as Android. Below you’ll find our top three picks for the best sporting betting apps for iPhones and iPads:
| Bookmaker | Bonus | Key App features | Visit Site |
 |
R1,000 Deposit Match Bonus |
|
Check Out Betway |
 |
200% Bonus up to $130 |
|
Check Out 1xBet |
 |
100% up to R5,000 |
|
Check Out Playa Bets |
Top Betting Apps For Android Phones In South Africa
If you have a mobile phone or device in South Africa then the chances are it’s powered by Android. Google’s operating system rules in the country and Android-powered phones and tablets are far more common that iPhones and iPads. Every one of the apps we’ve so far mentioned on this page has an Android app, and below we list three of the very best.
| Bookmaker | Bonus | Key App features | Visit Site |
 |
100% First Deposit Bonus up to R2,000 |
|
Visit SportingBet |
 |
100% First Deposit Bonus up to R5,000 |
|
Visit Supabets |
 |
R25 Sign Up Offer |
|
Visit Hollywoodbets |
Best South African Betting Apps With Live Streaming
Live betting is becoming hugely popular in South Africa, as savvy punters realise the benefits of placing a wager when a sporting event has started and you have more information to base your bet on! All SA betting apps feature in play betting but only a select few can offer live streaming, to enhance your betting experience even more. And here are the best three:
| Bookmaker | Key App feature | Android | iOS | Visit Site |
|
Fantastic live betting platform | ![The Best Betting Apps in South Africa for [cur_year]](https://sportslens.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/fa_shield.svg){kind=small} |
|
Visit 1xBet |
|
Unrivalled live racing coverage | |
|
Visit Hollywoodbets |
 |
Excellent soccer coverage | |
|
Visit BoyleSports |
The Best Soccer Betting Apps In South Africa
Soccer is a hugely popular sport in South Africa, second only to racing in terms of betting revenue. And so it follows that betting on soccer both at home and abroad is hugely popular as well! And we have listed below what we feel to be the three best soccer betting apps in South Africa.
| Bookmaker | Key App feature | Android | iOS | Visit Site |
 |
Wide range of soccer features | |
|
Visit bet.co.za |
 |
Excellent selection of soccer stats | |
|
Vist Sunbet |
|
Worldwide markets including PSL | |
|
Visit Playa Bets |
Why Should You Use South Africa Sports Betting Apps?
With internet availability and quality in South Africa at a high level and with more people than ever owning smartphones and tablets, this is the perfect time to enjoy betting on the go through the best betting apps in South Africa. And not only does mobile betting open up a whole new world to people that want to place a wager but don’t own a desktop computer, the ability to bet wherever you are means that you will never miss a wager you want to place again!
Bottom Line On South African Betting Apps
The betting options for punters throughout South Africa are the best they have ever been, with a host of international big hitters vying with SA-based bookies to attract new players with attractive welcome offers, generous existing new customer deals and apps that make betting on the go a breeze.
The only issue, and it’s certainly a nice problem to have, is who do you choose? And thanks to this article you are now equipped not only with the knowledge needed to ask yourself what matters to you when selecting a betting app, but the information required to effectively select one of the 10 excellent betting apps included here.
And of course, we wish you the best of luck with your bets!
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200% Bonus Up To $130
200% Bonus Up To $130
- Well-established global betting brand
- Huge selection of betting promotions
- Excellent mobile app
FAQs
What makes a good betting app?
Are all of the same markets available on betting apps?
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Lee Bassin
Lee Bassin
