South Africa’s Best Online Betting Apps

More punters in South Africa have turned to mobile betting than ever before. Luckily, there are some excellent online betting apps out there to choose from.

If you’re new to online betting apps, this is the perfect page for you. We explain how to install sport betting apps, which are the best betting apps in SA, and how to bet without paying for mobile data.

Quick Navigation

What Makes a Good Sport Betting App?

If you’ve looked at our list of South Africa’s best online betting apps, you might be wondering how it is we came up with it. Why these bookmakers and not others? Why are they in this order? Well, the answer is actually pretty simple. We look at the 4 most essential factors for South African punters.

• Low Data Usage
  We all know how expensive mobile data can be here in SA, which is why it’s so important that sport betting apps don’t eat up too much data.
  Even if you win 75% of the bets you make, if it costs you a lot in data fees just to place the bets, this will eat into your profits, or even cancel them out. This is why every mobile betting app and site on this page was specifically selected for being low bandwidth.
• Smooth User Interface
  If we’re being honest, a lot of the online bookmakers and sports betting apps in South Africa can look a little dated or user-unfriendly. In our opinion, a good mobile betting experience is one that’s easy to use and doesn’t have a massive learning curve.
  For example, Hollywoodbets is one of South Africa’s biggest and most popular bookmakers, but their desktop site looks like it hasn’t been updated since 2007. Luckily, though, the Hollywoodbets mobile site and online betting app is much more intuitive.
  If you’re looking into a sport betting app that isn’t featured on this page, then spend a few minutes on their site before registering. Can you find everything you need? How easy is it to place a bet? If you struggle to find what you’re looking for, look elsewhere.

• Safety & Security
  If you’ve seen our page on online betting in South Africa in general, then you already know that online betting is 100% legal in South Africa. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some shady sites and apps out there.
  For example, Hollywoodbets don’t have iOS or Android apps, but there are fake and scammy apps out there pretending to be official Hollywoodbets apps. As they aren’t actually connected to Hollywoodbets at all, there’s no guarantee that you’ll ever see any winnings or be able to get your money back.
  We recommend sticking to the sport betting apps and mobile bookmakers listed here on Sportsbetting24, as we only recommend safe, trustworthy bookmakers.

• Full Range of Features
  One of the biggest issues that punters have with mobile betting is that some bookmakers only offer a watered-down version of their product on mobile.
  This might not seem like a big deal to the few punters who bet almost exclusively on their laptop or desktop computer, but most of the world’s online betting happens on phones.
  Every sport betting app on this page has the same functionality and features as the bookmaker’s desktop site. Nowadays, there’s no reason to have to accept a subpar betting experience just because you’re using your phone.

How do I Place a Bet on a Sport Betting App?

Plenty of punters in South Africa have had to make the switch from using brick-and-mortar bet shops to online betting. The thing is, though, online betting works differently. So how do we actually place bets from our phones?

First of all, we recommend picking one of the top sport betting apps listed above and making an account. Once you’ve done that, place your first deposit. From here on, it’s extremely easy!

1. Open the online betting app or mobile site and log in
2. Tap on the sport of your choice
3. Tap on the match or race you want to bet on
4. Choose your bets
5. Enter your stake and tap ‘Submit’ or Place Bet’

As you can see, placing a bet on your phone just takes a few seconds. Instead of having to make time to go down to the bet shop, wait in the queue, and place your bet, you can do it all in a few taps from your phone!

A Closer Look at SA’s Top Online Betting Apps

We’ve said a lot about we made our list of South Africa’s best sport betting apps, but this is where we want to shine the spotlight on each of them. If you’re looking for a new betting app, we recommend choosing one of these:

Online Bookmaker	Android App	iPhone App	Mobile Site
Join Betfair	✅	✅	✅
Join 1xBet	✅	✅	✅
Join Mr. Play	❌	✅	✅
Join Hollywoodbets	❌	❌	✅
Join Bet.co.za	❌	❌	✅
Join Supabets	❌	❌	✅
Join Dafabet	❌	❌	✅

Betfair App

Betfair are one of the best and most popular online bookmakers in the world.  South African punters should make sure they don’t miss out on Betfair’s phenomenal online betting app experience.

Whether you’re using an iPhone, an Android device, the Betfair app is one of the best sport betting apps on the planet, and definitely South Africa’s finest.

Punters should be aware, though, Betfair isn’t the most economical app when it comes to bandwidth usage, though with their top-notch live-streaming service, their amazing betting exchange, and other features, it’s worth the data usage for many out there. 

1xBet App

Punters looking for premium features like live streaming, regular updates, and mobile-specific bonuses should definitely check out the 1xBet sport betting app.

While punters can’t deposit or withdraw using South African Rand, the premium features are worth the cost of currency exchange fees.

1xBet have iOS and Android apps, as well as a fully responsive mobile site. If data consumption is a concern, then we definitely recommend using their smartphone apps. 

Mr. Play App

Mr. Play made it to the top of our list for a few reasons, but the chief among them being their excellent Android app and mobile site. With so many punters in South Africa using Android devices and feature phones, Mr. Play are a great option to consider when looking for a sport betting app in South Africa.

iPhone users, however, are less lucky. There are no iPhone or iPad apps available at Mr. Play, though their mobile site is identical to their Android betting app.

Another reason Mr. Play ranks so high up on our list of SA’s best online betting apps is that Mr. Play accept South African Rand! Punters don’t need to waste any of their money on currency conversion fees. 

How to Download Sport Betting Apps

If you’ve never used sport betting apps before, then you might not know where to find them or even how to install them. Don’t worry, though, it’s exceptionally easy!

There are two main ways to do this, and this will depend on what your online bookmaker of choice offers. We’re going to start with the easiest method, which works on both iOS and Android phones and tablets.

How to Install Online Betting Apps from the App Store

The easiest way to do this is when the sport betting app you’re looking for is listed on either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. If it’s listed in the official app store on your phone, then installing the sport betting app is the same as installing any other app.

1. Open the App Store or Google Play Store
2. Search for the bookmaker of your choice
3. Tap on the app icon and then on “Install”
4. When the app is downloaded and ready, tap “Open” and start betting!

How do I Install a Sport Betting App with a .apk File?

The second option is only available on Android devices. Because Android is an open-source, customizable OS, you can install apps that aren’t listed on the Google Play Store!

This might sound really complicated, but it can be done in just 4 simple steps.

1. Go the bookmaker’s website on your phone and download the application file (this ends with “.apk”)
   
2. Go to your phone or tablet’s “Settings” menu and scroll down to either “Security” or “Privacy Protection”, depending on your device.
   
3. From here, open the “Other Permissions” tab, and then tap on “Install Unknown Apps”. This will let you install apps from application files like the one we just downloaded.
   
4. Open the downloaded application file and tap on “Install”. Now open the app, log in, and start using your sport betting app!
   

Do I Need a Smartphone to Bet on my Mobile?

No, you can also place bets on mobile betting sites. These work on almost all devices that have a web browser, including feature phones and older smartphones.

Of course, a newer smartphone is guaranteed to give you a good online betting experience if you pick the right online bookmaker or sport betting app. However, you don’t need to have expensive electronics to enjoy betting, whether it’s through a browser or an online betting app.

If you’re using a feature phone, then we recommend sticking to the mobile site, as sport betting apps for feature phones are extremely rare.

Mobile Betting Site vs. Online Betting App

You’ve probably noticed by now that not every online bookmaker has a sport betting app. Some betting sites choose to focus on having a top-notch mobile site rather than working on apps for specific ecosystems like iOS or Android.

For punters who are looking to place bets on their phones, the question remains: Which is better, a mobile site or an online betting app?

The truth is, it depends on the bookmaker and on what device you’re using. Realistically speaking, there isn’t a massive difference between them, but they still each have their own pros and cons.

For example, sport betting apps take up space on your device, and all apps have device requirements. If an online betting app requires a specific version of Android, but your phone or tablet is running an older version of the operating system, you won’t be able to download the betting app.

To make things easier for you, we’ve put everything in a handy table:

South Africa’s Best Mobile Betting Sites

As we mentioned when taking a closer look at the best sport betting apps, there are plenty of excellent mobile betting experiences out there that can be found on your phone’s browser.

The three best options for South African punters are undoubtedly the ones provided by our top, local bookmakers. This isn’t a patriotic sentiment, but we believe that these three mobile betting sites know how to serve South African punters better than anyone else out there.

Hollywoodbets

You may know Hollywoodbets as a high street bet shop, but they’re much more than just that. Hollywoodbets have South Africa’s best and most unique sport betting app.

You may not be able to install the Hollywoodbets app on your iPhone or Android, but Hollywodbets are the only bookmaker we know of that continue to support an online betting app for feature phones!

Their mobile site is exceptionally easy to use, so Android and iPhone users are still better off than punters who stick to their desktop site. It’s faster, smoother, and everything is a lot easier to find on their mobile site.

Like we mentioned in our Hollywoodbets review, this is an obvious choice for South African punters.

Bet.co.za

Bet.co.za may not have any native smartphone apps, but that hasn’t stopped them from creating a first-class mobile betting site. In fact, we recommend using their mobile site over their desktop site for a number of reasons.

For starters, Bet.co.za has some betting features that are only available on mobile, like their Build-A-Bet tool. Also, it’s much easier to navigate Bet.co.za’s mobile site, as the UI is drastically different to that on their desktop site.

If that isn’t enough to sway you, not only do they accept popular payment methods like SiD Instant EFT, but they also have a huge selection of bonuses and promotions to give punters plenty of added value.

Supabets

We saved the best for last with Supabets. While bookmakers like Hollywoodbets and Betfair may be household names in South Africa, Supabets have a completely unique feature that makes their web betting app more accessible than anyone else’s.

Supabets have a Data-Free mobile site. What this means is that punters don’t need to worry about their data limits, or much using the mobile site will cost them. It’s completely free.

On top of that, Supabets have excellent betting features, and very well-priced odds. If you’re a punter who wants value for money and free mobile data, Supabets is the only real choice.

Betting Apps Outside South Africa

As we mentioned above, the more international betting companies tend to provide the best betting apps. If you're in either Asia or Europe, we recommend taking a look at the following pages to help you find the best betting apps available in your region:

Betting Apps in the UK

Betting Apps in India

Using Betting Apps in South Africa

Now that you know all the ins and outs of mobile betting in South Africa, all that's left to do is actually start betting on your phone. For those readers who still aren't sure which bookmaker to go for, we recommend just taking your pick from our list of the best betting apps in South Africa.

Each of those bookmakers was hand-picked by our experts, and chosen because we believe they're the safest and most reliable bookmakers out there who also offer great betting apps.

If you're brand new to using betting apps, then you should definitely take a look at our guide to placing bets on your phone above. This will have you up and running in just a few minutes!

SA Online Betting App FAQs