Best South African Betting Apps (2021)

Are you looking for the best sports betting apps that are legal for players from South Africa? You have come to the right place.

Betting apps are available for most of the best betting sites that are legal in South Africa, but, some are quite simply better than others. On this page, you can compare the best sports betting apps in SA on our list above and learn how to install betting apps on Android and iOS.

Long gone are the days when the only way to bet on sport was to go down to a racecourse in South Africa, or even to set foot inside a high street betting shop, thanks to the internet.

Online sports betting has revolutionised the gambling industry in South Africa and around the world, making it easier than ever for people to place a bet on the big game or race of the day.

Indeed, the march of new technology means that mobile sports betting is becoming the most common form of online gambling, letting people place bets while on the move or out and about.

To meet this rising demand, operators of sports betting sites in South Africa are increasingly developing mobile sports betting apps that can be downloaded for use on handheld devices.

They tend to be available for both Android and iOS, so most people who have a tablet computer or a smartphone will be able to get the app so they can place bets on a smaller screen.

Many may still be new to the idea of using sports betting apps, though, so read on for our complete guide to how these work and which are the best betting apps in South Africa right now.

Introduction to Sports Betting Apps in SA

Online sports betting has been around for a long time now, but it took a while for betting apps to start to be released by operators that are working in the gambling industry in South Africa.

In fact, with South Africa having some of the harshest laws surrounding the gambling industry, it is not actually that long ago since online sports betting was made fully legal in the country. It has been a few years now since the first online sports betting apps became available, taking advantage of the fact many people now own at least one smartphone or tablet computer.

Handheld devices continue to get more popular with research that was published recently showing that 95% of people in South Africa now have a smartphone. This means that in the palm of their hand, or in their pocket, sports fans have a device that can be used to place bets on the big game in a matter of moments, which is great for in-play betting in particular.

Betting apps often also have handy functionality such as offering live sports streams as well as allowing customers to make deposits and process a withdrawal. They typically provide extra gambling options such as a range of virtual sports and have customer support for users too.

Mobile betting sites remain popular, but plenty of South Africans prefer to use betting apps now. Nowadays, those sports betting companies in South Africa that have failed to produce a mobile betting app are at risk of being left behind by rivals in what is an increasingly competitive market.

But for many people who have never downloaded a betting app, what do they actually need to do? 

How to Download Android Betting Apps in South Africa

Google Play should be the first port of call to download betting apps on Android. However, many of the best betting apps in South Africa are not currently available to get through the Play Store.

This means that downloading betting apps on Android is a bit more complicated. But South African sports fans will soon get used to it and will be up and running in no time at all.

Firstly, users need to decide which South African sports betting app that they want to download. There is plenty of choices, but reading betting app reviews can help users make up their minds.

Android users will have to make a small tweak in their device settings to be able to get betting apps on their chosen handheld device, whether that is a tablet computer or a smartphone. To start, you will need to permit access to apps outside of the Google Play Store.

This is easily down by navigating to your devices Menu > Settings > Security > Unknown Sources

Once you have done this, you can download the APK of any betting app from the operator's website. Be sure to only download the betting app from a verified source, such as the operator's website.

Note: You will need to confirm the download of each betting app as Android categorises any apps downloaded outside of the Google Play Store as unknown.

1. Navigate to the operator of your choice
2. Find the betting app page, and click "Download"
3. A message will pop-up on your screen, accept and continue
4. Confirm and install the betting app
5. Open the app and start betting

How to Download Betting Apps on iOS (Apple)

Apple users will no doubt already be very familiar with the App Store and this is the best place to start the search for the best iOS betting apps in South Africa.

For example, Sportingbet is one of the South African betting apps that is listed on the App Store.

Downloading apps from the App Store is designed to be a rapid and easy process that should not take users more than a couple of minutes, depending on the size of the file.

This means sports fans in South Africa who download betting apps on iOS should be able to start placing live bets while on the move in a matter of moments.

Many different apps to bet on sports are offered on the App Store and there is no reason why sports fans should not download a few different ones to their devices to try them all out.

Betting sites in South Africa will usually have a link to their software on the App Store posted in a prominent position on their website, so finding iOS betting apps should be very easy.

But what are the top betting apps in South Africa for iOS and Android? Let's take a look.

South Africans who prefer to use a handheld device such as a tablet computer or a smartphone have plenty of options for software to download onto their devices. We have picked out some of the best betting apps in South Africa, with each of the below options fully recommended.

Betway - #1 Best Betting App in South Africa

The Betway betting app is a great place to start for players from South Africa. Betway's website hosts links where users can find the quickest way to get its iOS and Android apps. Among the unique selling points of the Betway betting app is the chance to go Data-Free.

The Betway Android betting app has a 4.0/5 rating with over 850 reviews on the Google Play store.

The Betway iOS betting app has a 4.5/5 rating with over 39.3k reviews on the App Store.

Pros:

1. Users can bet Data-Free using the Betway App 
2. Very user-friendly design and navigation 
3. Notifications about fixtures and fresh promotions 
4. Live Games also available to play in real-time 
5. Betway app has 24/7 customer service available 

Cons:

1. No live streaming on the Betway app for iOS or Android 
2. Some users find the app can sometimes be slow to load

Betway APK Android App Download

How to download the Betway Betting App APK for Android:

1. Simply navigate to the Betway website through our "Claim" link in the list above.
2. Scroll down until you see the "Betway App" in the footer and click the link
3. Then, click "Download Android App"
4. Confirm, install the app, and start playing

If you run into any problems, follow our "How to download Android betting apps in SA" guide above.

Betway iOS Betting App Download

Simply navigate to the App Store on your Apple device, and search for "Betway Sports".

Download and install the Betway sports betting app and start playing.

Hollywoodbets - #2 Best Betting App in South Africa

The Hollywoodbets betting app is a little basic compared to other top South African betting apps.

However, as one of the country's dominant betting brands, many sports fans in South Africa will still want to download the Hollywoodbets app onto their iOS and Android devices.

Pros:

1. Full access to Hollywoodbets betting markets 
2. Quick and responsive to load for users 
3. Live in-play markets among those offered 
4. Virtual sports available on the app as well 
5. Live games can be tried out here too

Cons:

1. Essentially a port of the Hollywoodbets mobile site 
2. Lack of functionality compared to other betting apps 

Hollywoodbets APK Android App Download

The Hollywoodbets Android app is easy to download directly off the website.

1. Simply click through our claim link in the list and head to the mobile section
2. Click through their link, register, and begin playing

Sportingbet - #3 Best Betting App in South Africa

Global betting brand Sportingbet has a top betting app for South Africans to download on either iOS or Android.

This is one of the betting apps to provide free live match streaming, which will be a big tick in the box for a lot of sports fans across the country.

More than 1,000 sports betting markets are offered on the Sportingbet betting app in SA, so users have lots of choices.

1. The Sportingbet Android betting app has a 4.2/5 rating with over 45 reviews on the Google Play store. 
2. The Sportingbet iOS betting app has a 4.7/5 rating with over 5700 reviews on the App Store.

Pros:

1. Live streaming for plenty of different sports is available 
2. Cash-out is among the features offered on this app 
3. Price boosts and enhanced multiples are available 
4. Exclusive offers, rewards, bonuses and free bets 
5. Quick and easy to use for mobile betting in SA

Cons:

1. Some users experience slow FICA authentication 
2. Users need to log in to their account every time on the app

Supabets Betting App - #4 Best Betting App in South Africa

One of the most famous betting brands in South Africa, Supabets has one of the top apps for sports betting on the go too. Live scores are easy to find on the Supabets app, making it a good choice for either iOS or Android users who want to keep up with all the latest sporting action.

Pros:

• Quick and easy to use for live bets
• Plenty of payment options can be used
• Supabets blog is a great read for customers
• One of SA's most trusted online betting brands
• Live scores can be found for various sports

Cons:

• Users have experienced issues logging in
• Betting app is a little basic compared to others

World Sports Betting - #5 Best Betting App in South Africa

As one of the most recognised betting brands in South Africa, a lot will be expected of the World Sports Betting app. However, it is only currently offered on Android, meaning iOS users miss out. The plus point is that the WSB app for Android is available data-free, just like Betway's app.

Pros:

1. WSB mobile betting app is data-free for Android users 
2. Both national and international sports are available 
3. WSB is one of South Africa's top online bookmakers 
4. Over 250,000 pre-match betting events every month 
5. Lots of live in-play markets to pick from at WSB too

Cons:

1. WSB app is not offered through Google Play 
2. Not currently available for iOS users

SunBet - #6 Best Betting App in South Africa

Sun International is one of the most dominant companies in South Africa's gambling industry, so it is no surprise that the SunBet betting app is one of the best around in the country.

Apple users can get the app directly from the App Store, but Android users will need the APK file, which makes the process of downloading the SunBet betting app a bit longer for them.

Pros:  

1.  100,000 live in-play events on the SunBet betting app 
2. Features on the SunBet app include cash out 
3. BetGames and Live Games offered on the app too 
4. The latest online security protocols are used 
5. Lucky Numbers offering is also included

Cons:

1. Android users need to download the APK file to get the app 
2. Withdrawals can be slow to be processed on the SunBet app 

A wide range of factors are taken into account when we pick the best betting apps for South African sports fans. Here are some of the key areas we look at when compiling our reviews:

Design: If a sports betting app is horrible to look at, nobody is likely to want to use it. A crisp, clean look is ideal for South African sports betting app, which also needs to be easy to read. Fonts that are legible on smaller screens are all part of the design assessment of betting apps.

Sports: Naturally, the range of sports offered on a betting app is of paramount importance. A betting site's full sportsbook will normally be offered on its mobile app, but this is not always the case. Our reviews will check out if there are any big omissions, like horse racing or esports.

Betting markets: Following on from the number of sports offered is the range of betting markets. Usually, the more markets are available to pick from, the better. However, sometimes it is fine if the range of betting markets is smaller but more focused, with great odds available.

Usability: Tied into the design is how user-friendly South African sports betting apps are for customers. Navigation should be straightforward with users able to tap their way through different sports and markets in a matter of moments. We look into how quick it is to place bets, for example, in-play wagers, where the speed pages load is clearly of paramount importance.

Offers: Betting apps in South Africa normally have a generous welcome bonus - such as a deposit bonus - but they need to have decent promotions for existing customers as well as new users. Some of the top sports betting apps in South Africa may even have some mobile-specific deals such as no deposit free bets to try to tempt players to sign up and play on handheld devices.

Live streaming: Nowadays, sports fans do not just want to be able to place wagers through a betting account, they would also ideally like to be able to watch the action live in the same place. Top betting apps in South Africa have this option, giving people the ideal opportunity to watch live sports like horse racing via live streams that can be watched on mobile devices while on the go.

Customer support: It is likely users of betting apps will have a problem with their account or a question that needs to be answered, at some point. Betting apps in South Africa, therefore, need to have solid customer support options, which will hopefully include a live chat option as well as an FAQ page and listed details for email and telephone customer support. Ideally, it will be 24/7.