Ticketing is one of the value-added services that has shown the highest growth in usage by South Africans between 2022 and 2024, providing a significant opportunity to both banks and retailers offering this value-added service (VAS).

Interestingly, recent consumer research has shown that only 18% of tickets were bought through banks, compared to an overwhelming 58% of purchases being made in-store at retailers.

This can be attributed to the finding that 40% of buyers live in townships, where access to retailers and merchants makes it more convenient to purchase this VAS in-store than at a bank or via digital channels.

Electrum Software conducted research into how South Africans purchase value-added services such as prepaid airtime and data, prepaid electricity, and betting vouchers in November last year. Fieldwork took place across all nine provinces, in both urban and peri-urban areas.

• Electrum is the next-generation payments software company, powering payments for banks and retailers.