Nearly two-thirds of South African consumers have used artificial intelligence to assist with shopping-related tasks, according to new survey data from Visa that points to a rapid shift in how locals interact with digital payment technologies.

The Visa Spending Shift Survey, conducted by Morning Consult among a thousand South African adults in October 2025, found that 63% of respondents have used AI tools for tasks including product research, brainstorming gift ideas and communicating with customer service.

Almost 45% believe AI-powered tools are more likely to find the best possible price. However, the data reveals a clear trust gap: 63% still prefer speaking with a human customer service representative over an AI chatbot.

The survey also highlights growing comfort with biometric authentication, with 66% of respondents saying they already use fingerprint or facial recognition to authorise payments. Digital wallets are gaining ground, too — 39% of South Africans say they are the fastest payment option.

Perhaps the most striking finding for cross-border payments is that 57% of those who have sent money abroad said they would consider using stablecoins as a form of payment, suggesting an appetite for blockchain-based alternatives in the remittance market.

Security remains the dominant concern, with 88% of respondents rating it “extremely important” when choosing a payment method. While consumers view banks (76%) and payment networks (71%) as the primary line of defence against emerging threats, 67% believe they themselves bear significant responsibility for detecting fraud.

New payment methods

On the AI front, 60% expressed concern about how their personal data is being used by AI-powered shopping and payment tools — even as adoption climbs.

“South Africans are showing that trust and technology can go hand in hand, with consumers increasingly willing to adopt new payment solutions when they deliver both convenience and peace of mind,” said Lineshree Moodley, Visa South Africa’s country manager, in a statement on Wednesday.