Best Horse Racing Betting Sites in South Africa

In case you didn’t know, South Africans are big sports betting fans. Although betting was frowned upon, things have changed significantly in the past decade. Today, thousands of bettors in the country want to wager on popular sports.
While the game list is long, we want to focus on horse racing today. In this guide, we will go over the best horse racing betting sites in South Africa. We’ll also give you insights into how we select the sites and the most important aspects to consider.
Rank | Bookmaker | Rating | Bonus | Get bonus |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 888Starz | 4.3/5 | 100% Bonus on First Deposit up to 1,736 ZAR | PlayRead review |
2 | ![]() MegaPari | 5/5 | Welcome bonus for two deposits of up to 3900 ZAR | PlayRead review |
3 | ![]() Paripesa | 4.5/5 | 100% welcome bonus up to 1715 ZAR | PlayRead review |
4 | ![]() BetBeast | 4.5/5 | Welcome Bonus up to 18000 ZAR | PlayRead review |
5 | ![]() 22Bet | 4.5/5 | 100% WELCOME BONUS UP TO 122 EUR | PlayRead review |
6 | 1Bet | 4.8/5 | 100% Welcome Bonus up to €150 (approximately 2970.60 ZAR) and 100 FS | PlayRead review |
7 | ![]() 20Bet | 4.8/5 | 100% WELCOME BONUS UP TO 100 EUR | PlayRead review |
8 | ![]() ZetBet | 4.8/5 | PlayRead review | |
9 | ![]() Melbet | 4.8/5 | Welcome bonus on your 1st deposit up to 1828 ZAR | PlayRead review |
10 | ![]() Tonybet | 4.8/5 | 100% welcome bonus up to €100 | PlayRead review |
The purpose of this article is to recommend the best horse racing betting sites in South Africa. We’ll also talk about the important aspects. If you’re interested in learning about any topic in particular, use the links below to jump to that section directly.
The earliest traces of horse racing in South Africa were in the early 1800s when British settlers introduced it to the locals. The first race in the country was held in 1797 in Cape Town.
Seeing the sport's massive popularity, racing clubs were established. In 1897, Durban July was established as ZA's most anticipated horse racing event.
However, betting began with totalizator systems in the 20th century. The Gambling Act of 1965 allowed betting shops to accept wagers on horse racing, which led to the industry's significant growth.
After 2008, when South Africa opened its doors to online bookmakers, the online betting scene started flourishing for horse racing. Today, you can find the sport in almost every top betting site in South Africa.
With the history out of the way, let’s get right into the recommendations for the best horse racing betting sites in South Africa. Our team considered all the important factors to create the list of the best bookmakers for you to check out.
If you’re looking for a relatively new bookmaker with great features, then make sure to check out 888Starz. This bookmaker offers some of the best horse racing betting experiences with a straightforward user interface. Along with modern features, new and regular players can also enjoy a host of promotions waiting for them on the website.
🌐 Official Website | https://888starz.bet/en |
💰 Welcome Bonus | 100% first deposit bonus up to 1,736 ZAR |
⚽ Sports | 35+(Cricket, Football, Rugby, Horse Racing, Basketball, and more) |
💳 Payment Methods | Visa, SnapScan, MyBux, MiFinity |
💸Minimum Deposit | 11 ZAR |
💱Minimum Withdrawal | 22 ZAR |
Up next, we have Megapari, a licensed and trusted horse racing betting site for South African punters. With several bonuses to choose from and decent coverage of horse races every day, it’s a good choice. Along with the popular markets for horse racing events, you also get competitive odds.
🌐 Official Website | https://megapari.com/en/ |
💰 Welcome Bonus | 200% welcome package up to 3,900 ZAR |
⚽ Sports | 30+(Football, Basketball, Horse Racing, Ice Hockey, and more) |
💳 Payment Methods | Bank Transfer, Credit or Debit Card, Cryptocurrency, e-Wallets |
💸Minimum Deposit | 40 ZAR |
💱Minimum Withdrawal | 9 ZAR |
In many ways, the layout of Paripesa might feel similar to our previous two recommendations. But that also means it’s effective. When you select Horse Racing from the sidebar, you can view all the odds for the popular markets. You can also find the other markets when you click on the individual events with decent odds.
🌐 Official Website | https://paripesa.com/en/ |
💰 Welcome Bonus | 100% first deposit bonus up to 2,000 ZAR |
⚽ Sports | 35+(Football, Basketball, eSports, Volleyball, Table Tennis, and more) |
💳 Payment Methods | Credit/debit cards, Bank transfers, e-wallets, Prepaid cards, e-vouchers |
💸Minimum Deposit | 12 ZAR |
💱Minimum Withdrawal | 100 ZAR |
Another great choice for sports bettor fans is 1Bet. You get a decent offering of sports events and betting markets on an attractive user interface. There’s a generous welcome offer for sports bettors, which rewards newcomers with up to 1,500 ZAR on the first deposit. This bookmaker offers various markets for horse racing, including Winner of the Race, Forecast, Swinger, Exacta, and Trifecta.
🌐 Official Website | 1bet.com |
💰 Welcome Bonus | 100% first deposit bonus of up to 1,500 ZAR |
⚽ Sports | 20+ (Football, Basketball, Horse Racing, eSports and more) |
💳 Payment Methods | Skrill, Neteller, ecoPayz, MuchBetter |
💸Minimum Deposit | 191 ZAR |
💱Minimum Withdrawal | 191 ZAR |
Lastly, we have 22Bet. It’s a bookmaker with a few years in the industry. That’s why you can expect it to offer you the popular betting markets with the best possible odds. You can place bets on horse races in both pre-match and in-play betting markets. Also, new players can benefit from the 100% first deposit bonus of up to 2,100 ZAR.
🌐 Official Website | https://22bet.com |
💰 Welcome Bonus | 100% first deposit bonus up to 2,100 ZAR |
⚽ Sports | Bank Transfer, Credit or Debit Card, Cryptocurrency, e-Wallets |
💳 Payment Methods | Bank transfers, e-wallets, Internet banking |
💸Minimum Deposit | 19 ZAR |
💱Minimum Withdrawal | 19 ZAR |
So, how did we come up with the recommendations? Here are the main factors we considered.
The first thing we consider during our review process is the bookmaker's license. It needs to be licensed by the National Gambling Board. At the same time, we look for offshore licenses (Curacao, MGA, UKGC, etc.) and security measures like SSL.
Horse racing is nothing if you don’t have betting markets to bet on. While we focus on the variety, we also consider the odds that you get with these markets for payouts.
Bonuses are the main way how the best horse racing betting sites in South Africa differentiate themselves. We check all the available promotional offers and their terms before recommending the sportsbook.
To help keep it all together, we choose sports betting sites that offer good customer support options. We check all the ways you can get in touch, the support hours, and its effectiveness.
Online betting has been regulated in South Africa since 2004. Sites operating in the country must get a license from the National Gambling Board. This regulatory body also oversees all betting and gambling operations to ensure players can play casino games and bet on sports safely.
However, if you’re thinking about playing in an offshore casino that didn’t receive permission from the National Gambling Board, it’s illegal to engage in it. Whether it’s a casino or a bookmaker, playing on unlicensed sites is as illegal as it is unsafe.
As the popularity of the sports is quite good in South Africa, bookmakers offer better odds for local punters. If you compare it against other offshore sportsbooks, you’ll know what we mean. However, like the benefits, there are drawbacks to this as well. You can learn more about them in the table below:
New to the betting scene? Not sure where to begin? Here’s a simple horse racing guide for beginners with all the steps discussing what you need to do:
To start betting on horse races, start by choosing a trusted betting site (on your own or from our recommendations) and sign up as a new user.
After creating and verifying your account, deposit funds to your account from the Cashier/Wallet section. The best horse racing betting sites in South Africa will offer several payment methods for this.
On the horse racing section, select an event and browse through the betting markets. Consider the odds for the markets and decide upon one. Once you’ve decided, go ahead and place a bet.
Once the match ends and the bookmaker settles the market, they’ll pay out winnings to all punters who predicted the outcomes correctly.
With the basics out of the way, let’s talk about some markets you should check to be able to bet on horse racing. Based on our team’s research, here are some of the popular horse racing betting markets in South Africa.
As the sport's history runs deep in the country, different horse racing events are popular for betting. Players can enjoy a mix of local and international tournaments for sports wagering. Bookmakers do a great job covering the markets while offering above-average odds.
This is the most anticipated annual horse racing event. Along with thousands of spectators from South Africa and all over the world, this is a betting event that you cannot miss. Keep an eye out whenever the best horse racing betting sites in South Africa offer the markets.
This Australian race is incredibly popular all over the world. Dubbed “the race that stops a nation,” the Melbourne Cup features some of the highest betting odds of any horse racing event anywhere.
If you’re looking for an upcoming event to wager on, we recommend the National Currency Sprint. This grade 3 race is usually held at Turffontein Racecourse in Johannesburg. Make sure to keep an eye on the next calendar year to wager on this race.
Don’t forget about the bonus offers on the best horse racing betting sites in South Africa. They can boost your initial bankroll to help you place larger bets for better payouts. Based on our reviews of the best betting sites, here are the best ones:
The welcome bonus is a common offer at all sportsbooks in South Africa. There are many variations regarding rewards, such as bonus funds, free bets, risk-free bets, and more.
You can also get a no-deposit bonus on the South African horse racing betting sites. As the name implies, these bonuses don’t require any deposits to get the rewards.
If you want to get the most value from your wagers, enhanced odds for certain betting markets are the way to go. For certain markets, the bookmaker will boost the odds so players get better value for their wagers.
Risk-free bets are among the best offers after the welcome bonus. They allow players to wager on different sports confidently. Even if you lose the wager, you will get your wagers back, making it perfect to try out new sports and markets
Bookmaker | Bonus Offer | Advantages | Find out more |
![]() | 100% first deposit bonus up to 1,736 ZAR |
| Get bonus |
![]() | 200% welcome package up to 3,900 ZAR |
| Get bonus |
![]() | 100% first deposit bonus up to 2,000 ZAR |
| Get bonus |
![]() | 100% first deposit bonus of up to 1,500 ZAR |
| Get bonus |
![]() | 100% first deposit bonus up to 2,100 ZAR |
| Get bonus |
You should already know by now, but betting on in-play betting markets is more exciting than the regular markets. Luckily, you can get live betting options for horse races on the top horse racing betting sites in South Africa.
Some races will even have live-streaming options as well. However, you must to check if the sportsbook offers such a feature. For the best live betting experience, we recommend 888Starz and Megapari.
At the best horse racing betting sites, you can also find the option to bet with your mobile phone. Some sportsbooks have dedicated mobile apps, while others have optimized sites for betting.
In most cases, you’ll find an Android app because it is easy to put apps out there. That said, you can also find iOS apps from certain bookmakers like 888Starz and Megapari. These apps allow players to keep track of bets and place them no matter where they are.
The option to download the apps is on the official website. If you can’t find it, it should be in the footer section.
Bookmaker | Bonus | Key App Features |
100% first deposit bonus up to 1,736 ZAR | Impressive welcome bonus More than 30+ sports Live streaming available | |
200% welcome package up to 3,900 ZAR | Low wagering requirements Wide range of promotions Supports different cryptocurrencies | |
![]() | 100% first deposit bonus of up to 1,500 ZAR | Several promotional offers Live streaming available Supports local payment methods |
Bookmaker | Bonus | Key App Features |
100% first deposit bonus up to 2,000 ZAR | 5,000+ events available Secure sports betting Some games can be streamed live | |
![]() | 100% first deposit bonus up to 2,100 ZAR | Simplified layout Several bonuses Live chat support is accessible |
100% first deposit bonus up to 1,736 ZAR | Impressive welcome bonus More than 30+ sports Live streaming available |
Horse racing betting isn’t like traditional sports betting. Here, you need to consider some unique factors affecting the match's outcome. Here are some strategies that can be used by beginners and veterans alike:
The National Gambling Board regulates the online betting industry. They’re responsible for issuing licenses and overseeing all betting operations in the country.
The most important aspect of horse race betting is the condition of the horse and jockey, which plays an important role in determining the outcome of the match.
Horse racing is deeply rooted in South African culture and remains one of the country's most popular sports.
You can look for the best odds on common markets and compare them to find the best ones.