Key Takeaways:

• Discovery Bank and Visa report that 7.8 million South Africans now treat crypto as a mainstream asset class.
• Middle-income trading grew 26% in 2024, shifting the industry from speculation to disciplined investing.
• National Treasury’s 2026 regulations may soon require residents to declare or sell digital asset holdings.

A Mainstream Milestone

The landscape of digital finance in South Africa has reached a significant turning point, moving away from the volatile speculation of the past toward a more measured, institutionalized approach. According to the latest Spendtrend26 report by Discovery Bank and Visa, cryptocurrency has officially transitioned from a niche tech interest into a mainstream investment class, with one…