Top 10 Most Common Gift Card Types In South Africa 2024

The popularity of gift cards in South Africa has grown significantly over the years. I will be addressing the top 10 common gift card types in South Africa in this article. 

The gift card market in South Africa is huge, comprising two main types of gift cards, which is physical and E-gift card. They are provided for both individual use and also companies for employee benefits and others.

They can be purchased at physical stores or online. Regardless of the type of gift card or mode of purchase, let’s look at the most types of gift cards in South Africa. 

Types Of Gift Cards In South Africa

Below are the types of gift cards available in South Africa.

1. Retailer Gift Card

There are a great number of retail gift cards in South Africa. This can be attributed to the benefits it offers. First, they are a great way to compensate staff in the business world.

They could also be gifted to friends or any loved one. Retailer gift cards are generally issued by a retail store as an acceptable payment method at the issuing store or at other approved stores as well. This type of gift card offers you access to a variety of items at the issuing store.

Popular issuing retail stores you can find in South Africa include Edgars, Pick n Pay, Spree, Woolworths, and Checkers.

2. Restaurant Gift Card

This type of gift card is mostly used by those in the group chat of people who prefer eating out. Any holder of this gift card can use it to make payment for any cuisine at the issuing restaurant. You can agree with me that it’s an ideal gift idea for a foodie friend.

They can use it to buy any meal of their choice without necessarily spending money. For example, KFC chicken is the key to some people’s heart. I’m unapologetically part of the people.

It’s a great way to put a smile on the faces of loved ones. The most common gift card-issuing restaurants in South Africa include KFC, Spur, Nando’s, and Wimpy.

3. Entertainment Gift Card

Entertainment gift cards are basically used to access content like TV shows, movies, music, games, etc. Netflix and Showmax, for example, provide gift cards so their customers can use them to make payments.

Once you redeem this gift card, you can stream or watch from the vast library of movies and TV shows. PlayStation gift cards are used to access the wide variety of video games available on the platform.

4. Travel Gift Card

Another common gift card type in South Africa is the Travel gift card. The most common ones are Uber and Booking.com. They are great assets for travel, hotels, and resorts. That makes them an ideal gift for loved ones who love adventure.

5. Prepaid Gift Card

Prepaid gift cards are widely known because of their usage flexibility. They are accepted by many retail stores, e-commerce, and convenience stores.

The most common examples include Visa, American Express Gift Card, and MasterCard. You can use them to purchase various items like groceries, kitchen equipment, electronics, and many more.

10 Best Gift Cards In South Africa

Let’s look at the top 10 best gift cards in South Africa.

1. GiftBucks Gift Card

GiftBucks gift card is a shopping gift card that’s acceptable as a payment option everywhere in South Africa. Just walk into any store in SA, purchase items, and present the gift card to make payment. Your purchased items’ total amount value will be deducted from the GiftBucks balance.

That explains why it’s popular and one of the best gift cards in the country. Another interesting thing is that the gift card is reloadable. If you ask me, It’s a perfect gift to give a friend that’s based in SA.

2. Amazon Gift Card

Amazon gift card is one of the most common gift cards in South Africa because of the brand’s popularity. You can use the gift card to purchase any item or service offered by Amazon.

They are issued in two major forms which is the physical and digital forms. Digital Amazon gift cards can be purchased online and they will be delivered to your email address.

Due to the convenience of purchase, most South Africans go for digital gift cards. Note that you can use both forms to make payments.

3. Cardies Gift Card

Cardies gift cards can be used to purchase greeting cards, balloons, toys, and other items provided by the issuing store. Note that Cardies gift cards have an expiry date.

So, you are expected to use the gift card before it expires. Take this into consideration in case you are planning to get someone.

4. iTunes Gift Card

iTunes gift cards can be used to access items and content on iTunes which is Apple’s media marketplace. With a South Africa iTunes gift card, you can buy music, movies, games, and apps available in the country’s iTunes store.

It is a popular gift option for recipients who love music or movies. Just like an Amazon gift card, you can also get the physical or digital type. However, people tend to buy more of the iTunes Ecode which can easily purchased online.

5. CNA Cresta Gift Card

Cresta gift cards are used to shop in South Africa. You can purchase them with cash, debit cards, and credit cards except for Amex cards. They are great gifting options for anyone. The maximum monetary value you can load on this gift card is R5000.

6. Netflix Gift Card

Due to the popularity of the Netflix brand, their issued gift card is automatically one of the best gift cards. Many South Africans are proud users of Netflix and with the card, they can make subscriptions. Instead of using your money to pay for the monthly subscription, you can redeem the Netflix gift card instead.

7. Spotify Gift Card

Spotify hosts various songs around the world and South Africa is not left behind. You can use a Spotify gift card to pay for the platform’s subscription. This grants you the opportunity to stream and download music within South Africa and beyond.

8. NetFlorist Gift Card

NetFlorist gift card is in the form of a voucher that carries a certain amount of value. To redeem the gift card, you will need to create an account on the NetFlorist website.

With a NetFlorist gift card, you can buy or send flowers to anyone anywhere in South Africa.

9. Steam Gift Card

Steam gift card is one of the best gift cards you will find in South Africa. On the South Africa Steam store, the gift card can be used to purchase games and related items available.

10. PNA Mall of Africa Gift Card

This gift card is used as a payment option at every PNA Mall of Africa in South Africa. It’s a store that sells everything stationery including books, pens, cards, art materials, and many more. You could probably get it for your married friend with kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are There Gift Cards In South Africa?

Yes, there are several gift cards including both international and local gift cards in South Africa.

2. Where To Buy Gift Cards In South Africa

There are various options where you can buy gift cards in South Africa. You can buy gift cards from the issuing stores, general department stores, and supermarkets.

3. Can I Use a South African Gift Card for International Purchases?

There are certain South African gift cards that you can use for international purchases. Although, most are not. So, it’s better you read the terms and conditions of a gift card before making a purchase.

Conclusion

We’ve considered the top 10 common gift card types in South Africa. We have 5 main types of gift cards in SA which include retailer, prepaid, travel, restaurant, and entertainment gift cards.

The top 10 most common gift cards addressed include Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, Spotify, Steam, Cardies, GiftBucks, Cresta, PNA, and NetFlorist. Feel free to make any choice among these top gift cards.