Bitcoin Adoption Soars in South Africa's Garden Route

South Africa’s Garden Route, renowned for its lush forests, expansive beaches, and charming towns, has emerged as a pioneering region for Bitcoin adoption. From Mossel Bay to Witsand and Plettenberg Bay to Knysna, Bitcoin has gained popularity among both shop owners and travelers for various reasons. James Caw, founder of SimplB, a local crypto asset provider, noted that the region is witnessing the early signs of a parallel, permissionless economy. This economy benefits small businesses with faster, lower-cost digital payments and provides individuals with more options to earn, send, and receive sound money securely.

For tourists, the advantages are immediate: no currency exchange hassles, no international card fees, and the ability to pay instantly and securely. For locals, Bitcoin offers a hedge against inflation, protection from currency volatility, and new economic opportunities. The Garden Route, stretching roughly 300 kilometers from Mossel Bay in the west to the Storms River Mouth in the east, attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists yearly. Crypto adoption is escalating thanks to South Africa’s regulatory environment, which now recognizes Bitcoin as a financial product. Across the Garden Route, you can spend pre-acquired Bitcoin freely, with little concern for local tax or exchange controls.

This grassroots movement is particularly strong in towns like Witsand and Plettenberg Bay. National retailers like Pick n Pay provide a safety net for crypto spending along the way. Every Pick n Pay store, including supermarkets, clothing outlets, and Express convenience stores, accepts Bitcoin via the CryptoQR app. This guarantees that you can always buy daily goods with Bitcoin wherever you travel.

Witsand, located at the mouth of the Breede River, is a sleepy coastal town with a significant reputation in the Bitcoin world. Here, Bitcoin isn’t just accepted—it’s preferred. Thanks to the efforts of local champions like Edwin Jones, a software engineer and passionate supporter of Bitcoin adoption in the Garden Route, Witsand has become a functioning Bitcoin circular economy. Accommodation options, meals, groceries, gym memberships, boat services, petrol, surf lessons, and mini-golf can all be paid for using Bitcoin. The town’s small and close-knit community has enabled rapid adoption, with more than 45 establishments accepting Bitcoin as of early 2025. The town’s enthusiasm is infectious, as locals and visitors enjoy the ease and security of digital payments.

Witsand’s success as a Bitcoin hub is rooted in its community-driven approach. Jones outlines its growth by noting that although there have been many individual businesses over the years that started and stopped accepting Bitcoin for the Garden Route, the adoption really started kicking off in 2021. With the Lightning Network starting to reach maturity around that time, the first Spaza Shop in Mossel Bay, Bitcoin Ekasi, started accepting Bitcoin in August 2021, and the first restaurant in Witsand in December of the same year. Education has been central to the process, with local advocates focusing on teaching business owners the fundamentals of Bitcoin, warning against scams, and emphasizing the difference between Bitcoin and speculative altcoins.

Mossel Bay, the historical gateway to the Garden Route, is not just about beaches and maritime history. It is home to Bitcoin Ekasi, a pioneering project that brought Bitcoin to the township of JCC Camp. Bitcoin Ekasi empowers unbanked residents by enabling them to earn and spend Bitcoin locally. Coaches at The Surfer Kids nonprofit are paid in Bitcoin, and local spaza shops accept Bitcoin for daily necessities. For the Bitcoiner tourist, Mossel Bay offers a unique opportunity for “conscious crypto-tourism.” You can take surf lessons from instructors paid in Bitcoin, visit the Bitcoin Ekasi education center, or support the project with direct donations. The town also boasts a Pick n Pay that accepts Bitcoin.

Further east, Plettenberg Bay has witnessed an explosion in Bitcoin adoption. In just a few months, the number of Bitcoin-accepting merchants jumped from five to more than 75, making it one of Africa’s most dynamic crypto economies. Confirmed acceptors include Ferris Cars, Glow Lighting Design, and all local Pick n Pay branches. Adventure tourism companies, boutique retailers, and professional services are increasingly receptive to Bitcoin, especially if you ask. The rapid growth suggests an enthusiastic local scene, with businesses eager to tap into the spending power of Bitcoin tourists. Plettenberg Bay offers a vibrant mix of beach life, nature, and crypto-friendly commerce. The town’s energy is palpable, and visitors are encouraged to engage with merchants, share information about Lightning payments, and help grow the ecosystem.

Sedgefield, a tranquil town between Knysna and Wilderness, played a key role in the national rollout of Bitcoin payments at Pick n Pay. It was one of the trial sites for the innovative QR code converter from MoneyBadger, which enables Bitcoin spending at every Pick n Pay in South Africa. Sedgefield itself doesn’t have the same density of Bitcoin-accepting independent merchants as Witsand or Plettenberg Bay, but the presence of Pick n Pay ensures that crypto tourists can always pay for groceries and essentials with sats.

If you do make it out to the Garden Route, recommended wallets include Blink, Wallet of Satoshi, and Phoenix—all Lightning-enabled and widely used in the region. In larger towns like Knysna, George, Wilderness, and Oudtshoorn, the Bitcoin scene is still emerging. There aren’t yet established circular economies, but the nationwide acceptance of Bitcoin at Pick n Pay provides a reliable foundation for spending. For accommodation, activities, and dining, direct inquiry remains key. Many guesthouses and tour operators are open to Bitcoin payments, especially as awareness grows. Online platforms like Bitrefill enable you to buy gift vouchers for major retailers using Bitcoin, providing a workaround for places that don’t yet accept crypto directly.