South African shoppers already use big retail programs such as Clicks ClubCard, Checkers Xtra Savings and Pick n Pay Smart Shopper, so an independent loyalty program must give clear, quick value. Keep rewards near 5% of spend, link points to a phone number, and follow POPIA section 69 before you send marketing messages. TheCoins starts at about R1,315 a month.
This guide is written by TheCoins, which sells loyalty and commerce software. We use only facts we could confirm from public sources, listed at the end, and we say where another option may fit better.
Your customers already carry several loyalty cards
South Africa has some of the largest retail loyalty programs on the continent. Clicks reported 13.1 million active ClubCard members in October 2026, and members received R976 million in cashback rewards during the year. Shoprite and Checkers reported 17 million Xtra Savings members back in March 2021. Each big program works in a different way.
| Program | How it rewards (as described in October 2023) | What shoppers learn |
|---|---|---|
| Checkers Xtra Savings | Instant product deals and personal offers, no points; a paid Plus tier at R99 a month adds free Sixty60 delivery on larger orders and a capped in-store discount | Savings should show up at the till |
| Pick n Pay Smart Shopper | Points on purchases, personal deals and partner earning, redeemed for vouchers | Points are fine if they are easy to spend |
| Woolworths WRewards | Up to 10% off selected items at checkout, no points, VIP vouchers for high spenders | Top customers expect to be recognized |
| Clicks ClubCard | Cashback rewards for members | Cashback is easy to understand |
Check each retailer's current terms, as programs change. The lesson for an independent business is simple: you cannot outspend these retailers, so win on recognition and speed. A regular should see points after the first visit and a reward within a few weeks.
How South Africans pay at the counter
Cards and tap payments are common, and small merchants have several ways to accept them.
- Yoco says it serves over 200,000 small businesses. It brought Tap to Pay on iPhone to South Africa on 12 May 2026, so a merchant can accept contactless cards on a phone.
- SnapScan lets customers pay by scanning a QR code or opening a payment link. Standard Bank lists no monthly fee and 2.55% to 2.95% per transaction, excluding VAT.
- Zapper, Ozow and the card networks are also named among the main merchant acceptance options in May 2026.
- PayShap, the instant payment service launched in 2023, reported more than 6 million registered users and 905 million transactions, and its operator PayInc is now focusing on merchant payments.
For loyalty, this means the card or QR payment should not be the customer ID. Use the phone number, which works the same for card, QR and cash. TheCoins takes payment through the provider you connect; ask us which providers are live in your country before you launch.
See how payments work on TheCoins
Delivery apps in South Africa today
Restaurant delivery is led by Mr D, part of the Takealot Group, which grew revenue 18% to $138 million in its 2026 financial year, and Uber Eats, which marked 10 years in South Africa in October 2026 and operates in all nine provinces. Retailers run their own delivery apps, such as Checkers Sixty60, Pick n Pay asap! and Woolies Dash. Bolt Food closed its South African operations on 8 December 2023.
Delivery apps bring reach, but the customer belongs to the app. Put a card with a QR code in every bag that offers points on the next order through your own ordering link. Over time, more of your regulars order direct, and you keep their contact details.
POPIA: what it means for your loyalty program
The Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) is enforced by the Information Regulator, which published a guidance note on direct marketing in December 2024. Section 69 covers marketing by electronic communication such as SMS, email and automated calls. You need the person's prior consent, unless they are an existing customer and three conditions are met: you got their details during a sale, you market only your own similar products, and you offered an opt-out when you collected the details and in every message.
- Ask for consent at sign-up, in clear words. You may ask a person for consent only once if they have not already refused.
- Identify your business in every message and include an easy opt-out.
- When someone objects, stop at once and keep them on a suppression list.
- Keep only the data the program needs: name, phone number, visits, spend and points.
- Treat WhatsApp campaigns with the same care as SMS until you have advice on your case.
This is a plain summary, not legal advice. Check your own case with a South African lawyer.
A worked example for a Cape Town cafe
Example only, with assumed numbers. A cafe has 500 members. Each visits 2.5 times a month and spends R120 per visit. Members earn 1 point per R1, and 1,000 points buy an item worth R50 on the menu.
| Item | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Member spend per month | 500 x 2.5 x R120 | R150,000 |
| Reward value at menu price | R50 for R1,000 spent = 5% | R7,500 |
| Reward cost at 35% food cost (assumption) | R7,500 x 0.35 | R2,625 |
| TheCoins Basic plan | $79 x 16.64 | about R1,315 |
| Total monthly cost | R2,625 + R1,315 | R3,940 |
| Extra sales needed at 65% gross margin | R3,940 / 0.65 | about R6,060 |
| Extra visits needed | R6,060 / R120 | about 51 visits |
So the program pays for itself if about one member in ten makes one extra visit a month. Compare repeat rate and visit frequency for members and non-members over two to three months before you change the reward.
Where TheCoins fits, and what it costs in rand
If you already use Yoco and only want rewards at the till, Yoco Loyalty may be enough: Yoco says it is part of the Yoco Plus plan at R249 a month. TheCoins fits when you also want an online store, ordering links and QR codes, an Apple Wallet loyalty card, coins loyalty with tiers, referrals and rewards, and WhatsApp, SMS, email and push journeys, with no commission per order. The Pro plan adds a branded iOS and Android app.
| Plan | Price in USD | About in ZAR |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $79 a month | about R1,315 |
| Growth | $199 a month | about R3,310 |
| Pro | $349 a month | about R5,810 |
Plans are billed in US dollars. The rand figures use 1 USD = R16.64 (Wise mid-market rate, 9 November 2026) and will move with the rate.
Sources
- Clicks turnover exceeds R50bn for first time as retail footprint expands (EWN, October 2026)
- Xtra Savings rewards programme now 17 million members strong (Bizcommunity, March 2021)
- Checkers Xtra Savings vs Pick n Pay Smart Shopper and WRewards (Supermarket & Retailer, October 2023)
- Yoco brings Tap to Pay on iPhone to South Africa (Daily Maverick, sponsored by Yoco, May 2026)
- Why South Africa's small businesses are finally getting the loyalty tools they deserve (Daily Maverick, sponsored by Yoco, July 2026)
- SnapScan merchant solution (Standard Bank)
- Three years in, PayShap pivots to merchants (TechCentral, May 2026)
- Call to order: SA's delivery economy hits roadblocks (Daily Maverick, August 2025)
- Uber Eats adds R1.6bn in value for local restaurants over 10 years (TimesLIVE, October 2026)
- Profits arrive at Takealot, but Naspers stays cautious (TechCentral, June 2026)
- Bolt Food closes operations in Nigeria and South Africa (Food Business MEA, November 2023)
- Long-awaited POPIA guidance on direct marketing published by South Africa's Information Regulator (Covington, December 2024)
- POPIA section 69: electronic direct marketing (MJK Inc)
- US dollars to South African rand today (Wise, read 9 November 2026)
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