End of cash in South Africa is not happening

• The South African Reserve Bank's Cash Smart Strategy acknowledges that cash and digital payments are not direct substitutes and will continue to coexist.
• The strategy aims to balance efficiency, competition, resilience, and financial inclusion, particularly for informal businesses, rural communities, and lower-income households.
• The approach is part of the central bank's wider payments agenda, including its Payments Ecosystem Modernisation Programme, which aims to provide fast, affordable, and widely available digital payment options.