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GoTyme confirms Apple Pay launch for South African iPhone users
For years, South African iPhone users banking with TymeBank have watched from the sidelines while Android customers tapped and paid with ease. Now, that long wait is almost over.
GoTyme Bank, formerly TymeBank, has confirmed that Apple Pay will be available to its South African customers within the next few weeks. For many iOS users, this is the feature they have been asking for since digital wallets first gained traction locally.
The bank’s newly launched app, which went live on 22 January 2026, is rolling out features in phases. According to GoTyme, this staggered approach allows it to prioritise security, stability, and performance while thoroughly testing each new function before it reaches customers. Apple Pay is next in line, and iOS users will be notified as soon as it is live.
Why this matters in 2026
South Africa’s payment landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. More people are leaving their wallets at home and relying on their smartphones instead. For many households, a mobile phone is not just a communication device. It is the gateway to banking, shopping, and even public services.
Digital wallets have surged in popularity because they are convenient and, importantly, more secure. While physical bank cards require a PIN for tap payments over a certain amount, smaller repeated taps can still go through if a card falls into the wrong hands. Digital wallets add another layer of protection through fingerprint scans or facial recognition before a payment is approved.
Local banks are already seeing explosive growth in this space. Capitec reported a 159 percent increase in digital wallet transaction volumes, with transaction values rising from R13.1 billion to R34.2 billion. Discovery Bank has also seen digital wallet usage outpace its customer base growth, with mobile phones leading the way as the preferred payment method.
Until now, GoTyme customers using iPhones could not link their cards to Apple Pay, even though the bank already supports Samsung Pay, Google Wallet, and Garmin Pay. That gap is about to close.
From TymeBank to GoTyme
The Apple Pay announcement lands at a pivotal moment for the bank. In October 2025, TymeBank revealed plans to rebrand as GoTyme during the first half of 2026. The change is already visible locally, with its website now carrying the name “GoTyme Bank | Formerly TymeBank.”
Corporate communications head Pontsho Ramontsha confirmed that the rebrand reflects the bank’s growth and its focus on customers across the economic spectrum. The move aligns with its international expansion, where it already operates under the GoTyme name in markets such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam.
The numbers behind the brand evolution are significant. Since launching in South Africa in February 2019, the digital-only bank reached profitability in 2023, becoming the first digital bank in the country to break even. It surpassed 10 million customers in under six years, an impressive feat in a competitive banking market.
Globally, profitability among neobanks remains rare. Former CEO Coenraad Jonker previously highlighted that less than half of the top 100 digital banks worldwide are profitable, and only a small fraction of all neobanks have reached that milestone. Against that backdrop, GoTyme’s trajectory stands out.
Social buzz and the iPhone factor
On local tech forums and social media, Apple Pay support has long been a recurring request from TymeBank customers. The lack of compatibility was often cited as the one drawback in an otherwise appealing digital banking offering.
With Apple Pay now confirmed, GoTyme removes one of the last major friction points for iPhone users. In a country where smartphone penetration continues to grow and contactless payments are becoming the norm in supermarkets, fuel stations, and coffee shops, that is no small upgrade.
As the feature rolls out in the coming weeks, it signals more than just another app update. It is a reminder of how quickly South Africa’s banking habits are evolving and how digital-only banks are racing to meet customers exactly where they are: on their phones.
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Source: MyBroadband
Featured Image: NewsNation
