As part of the mooted Cash Smart Strategy, a national programme led by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), aims to roll out white-label ATMs.
In a position paper released on Monday, 19 October 2026, the SARB notes that South Africa’s payment system was undergoing rapid transformation as digital and mobile payment methods expanded.
Yet, cash remains a foundational component of the economy, particularly for everyday transactions, informal markets and cash‑reliant households.
Cash continues to provide immediacy, universal acceptance and operational resilience when digital systems are unavailable.
In the position paper, the SARB said it recognises that cash and digital payments were not pure substitutes, but complementary instruments within a hybrid payment ecosystem.
The Cash Smart Strategy is a national programme led by the SARB.
The goal is to ensure that cash remains affordable, accessible and ethically handled as South Africa moves into a world where people use both cash and digital payments.
Transition to and roll out white-label ATMs.
- Establish white-label ATMs as a shared national cash access layer within the Cash Smart Strategy.
- Improve access to cash: Preserve and enhance equitable access to cash, particularly in underserved locations.
- Implement cost optimisation: Reduce structural inefficiencies and cost duplication in ATM deployment, operations, and cash logistics.
- Manage the transition to white-label ATMs: Lay the foundation for a long‑term industry utility model without disrupting near‑term access to cash.
- Ensure the customer experience is not compromised during the transition and that customer trust in white-label ATMs remains high.
