South Africa's Under-35s Lead a Shift to Digital Payments

By almost any measure, South Africa's under-35s are leading a profound shift in how money moves through the economy. The 2026 Standard Bank Youth Barometer shows that they have embraced digital payments at a pace that far exceeds older generations. They are more likely to use digital wallets, virtual cards, and QR code payments.

For this generation, tap-to-pay isn't an alternative payment method; it's the default. But this isn't just a story about technology. It is a story about two generations shaped by different worlds.

The world that shaped their relationship with money. The way people think about money is often shaped by the world they grow up in. For many South Africans born before 2000, financial life developed in an era where cash dominated, bank cards were physical, banking happened in branches, and trust in financial institutions was built through face-to-face interactions.

Managing money often meant visiting a branch, withdrawing cash, keeping paper records, and planning around banking hours. For younger South Africans, the experience has been very different.