By: Irene Auma - Regional Head of Fraud Risk Management for Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa

Visa, a world leader in digital payments, on Tuesday released the annual Stay Secure study in South Africa, which assesses consumer awareness and behaviors around digital commerce and fraud. This year’s edition, conducted by Wakefield Research, highlights how AI‑enabled shopping and social commerce are changing consumer behavior even as expectations around trust and protection remain firmly in place.

Consumers Embrace AI-Assisted Shopping 
Consumers are embracing artificial intelligence as part of their shopping journeys. 77% of consumers in South Africa have used AI tools to assist with shopping, including comparing prices (66%), checking reviews or product ratings (60%) and finding gift ideas (52%).

The appeal is clear: 92% feel new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before.  AI is also influencing discovery, with 73% typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online. 

However, consumers remain more cautious when it comes to AI handling transactions on their behalf. Today, only 23% would trust AI agents to complete checkout, reinforcing the importance of earning consumer trust in the age of agentic commerce. 

As AI adoption grows, consumers increasingly view the technology as part of the solution to fraud. 44% feel AI has made scams easier to recognize today and 72% believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future. 

Social Commerce is Growing but so are Scam Risks

Shopping through social platforms has become mainstream, with 60% of consumers in South Africa having purchased products directly through social media platforms. As commerce expands across new channels, fraud risks continue to follow consumers online. 37% have experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. 

Among those who have experienced a scam, 53% report the incident occurred on social media, more than those who encounter scams on other platforms such as websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps. 

Children are Increasingly Exposed to Scams While Shopping and Gaming Online

The study also highlights growing concern around how children encounter scams online, with 73% of consumers reporting that children in their lives struggle to recognize scams. A significant 52% have seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online. 

That concern comes as children gain greater access to digital commerce. 19% of South African parents have children who can access mobile payment apps or digital wallets.

Consumers Expect Institutions to Lead on Fraud Protection

When it comes to protecting against fraud while shopping online, consumers look first to institutions rather than themselves. 52% believe banks or financial institutions should be primarily responsible, followed by payment providers (35%) and retailers or online stores (28%). Only 13% believe consumers themselves should hold primary responsibility.

They also want more proactive reassurance. 76% would feel secure receiving real-time alerts from their bank or payment app when something looks suspicious, while 33% would feel more comfortable seeing a familiar, trusted logo at checkout. 

“Visa’s Stay Secure study shows that while online shopping and social commerce continue to grow, scams and fraud are evolving too. Consumers see fraud protection as a shared responsibility, but they expect financial institutions, governments, and payment providers to take the lead, underscoring the importance of secure-by-design payment systems,” said Irene Auma, Regional Head of Fraud Risk Management for Sub-Saharan Africa at Visa.

She continued, “As commerce moves toward more agentic, AI-powered experiences, the study shows that consumers are embracing the convenience AI can bring to shopping but remain cautious when it comes to AI completing purchases on their behalf. With Visa Intelligent Commerce, we are helping enable the next era of commerce built on trust, control and confidence.”