Deven Moodley, Pick n Pay executive head: VAS, FS and mobile, says monthly volumes have grown by over 44% since March, with an uptick in Q3 (August to October), aligning with seasonal retail behaviour, rather than crypto price volatility.

“Over 1 600 customers were recorded using Bitcoin at Pick n Pay tills last month,” notes Moodley.

“The majority fall between the 25 to 44 age range, representing digitally confident, working consumers. Interestingly, over 30% of customers are above 45 years old, signalling trust and mainstream adoption.

“Spending is concentrated in supermarket and hypermarket formats (over 40% of total value), with growing presence in clothing and BP Express outlets. Customers primarily use Bitcoin for grocery, airtime, travel and everyday value-added services, demonstrating that crypto is now a functional tender type within South African retail.”