Tap to Pay on iPhone launches in South Africa
Apple has announced that Tap to Pay on the iPhone is now available in South Africa. Merchants can accept contactless payments simply by using their iPhone and a partner iOS app.
Tap to Pay enables businesses of all sizes to accept contactless payments at the checkout using credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets. Merchants ask their customers to hold their card, iPhone, Apple Watch, or digital wallet to the merchant’s device. The payment is then completed using NFC technology. No additional hardware or payment terminal is required.
iStore Pay and Yoco support Tap to Pay
iStore Pay and Yoco are the first payment platforms in South Africa to support this feature. Mastercard and Visa are supported at launch, with American Express support to follow shortly.
The “Contactless Payment” feature on iPhone was launched in the US in February 2022 and has grown steadily since then. Throughout 2025, the feature was rolled out to dozens of new markets, including 18 new countries in May, five more European countries in September, and Singapore and Hong Kong in December. Malaysia followed in April 2026, and Apple confirmed earlier this year that the feature is available in 50 countries worldwide.
As with all contactless payments on the iPhone, data privacy is built in. Transactions are encrypted and processed via the device’s Secure Element. Apple states that it has no knowledge of what is being purchased or who is purchasing it. Card numbers and transaction data are neither stored on the device nor on Apple’s servers.
Tap to pay on iPhone requires an iPhone Xs or newer with the latest iOS version.
