South Africa Alternative Data Market

South Africa Alternative Data Market Overview: 

The South Africa alternative data market size reached USD 39.87 Million in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 598.95 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 35.13% during 2025-2033. Financial exclusion, reliance on informal trade, digital transformation, and regulatory push for Open Finance are key drivers of the market growth. These forces enable credit scoring for underserved SMEs and individuals, further helping expand the South Africa alternative data market share.

South Africa Alternative Data Market Trends: 

Enhancing Credit Access for SMEs through Telecom Data

South Africa’s financial system has long excluded informal and ‘thin-file’ small businesses—comprising 98% of enterprises and employing half the workforce—from formal credit. As a result, many lack standard financial documentation and remain invisible to traditional lending systems. Alternative data—such as mobile payments, geolocation, device metadata, and transaction patterns—provides lenders with a proxy for business activity and repayment capacity. In one case, such solutions generated 107.8 million additional credit inquiries and enabled 7.2 million new consumer accounts, including 62,000 new business credit applications. These developments underscore how South Africa alternative data market growth is unlocking financial access and inclusion.

Regulatory Evolution Supporting Open Finance and Data Sharing

The South African regulatory environment is evolving to support broader use of alternative data through frameworks like Open Finance. For example, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) released Open Finance Policy recommendations in 2024 to promote greater transparency and data sharing within the financial ecosystem. Parallel efforts under the Conduct of Financial Institutions Bill aim to formalize regulations that govern fair treatment and protection of consumers, benefiting alternative lenders. These shifts enhance the architecture that enables safe and compliant usage of alternative data, thereby further fueling South Africa alternative data market growth.

South Africa Alternative Data Market Segmentation: 

IMARC Group provides an analysis of the key trends in each segment of the market, along with forecasts at the country and regional levels for 2025-2033. Our report has categorized the market based on data type, industry, and end user.

Data Type Insights: 

• Credit and Debit Card Transactions 
• Email Receipts 
• Geo-location (Foot Traffic) Records 
• Mobile Application Usage 
• Satellite and Weather Data 
• Social and Sentiment Data 
• Web Scraped Data 
• Web Traffic 
• Others

The report has provided a detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the data type. This includes credit and debit card transactions, email receipts, geo-location (foot traffic) records, mobile application usage, satellite and weather data, social and sentiment data, web scraped data, web traffic, and others.

Industry Insights: 

• Automotive 
• BFSI 
• Energy 
• Industrial 
• IT and Telecommunications 
• Media and Entertainment 
• Real Estate and Construction 
• Retail 
• Transportation and Logistics 
• Other

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the industry have also been provided in the report. This includes automotive, BFSI, energy, industrial, IT and telecommunications, media and entertainment, real estate and construction, retail, transportation and logistics, and others.

End User Insights: 

• Hedge Fund Operators
• Investment Institutions
• Retail Companies
• Others

A detailed breakup and analysis of the market based on the end user have also been provided in the report. This includes hedge fund operators, investment institutions, retail companies, and others.

 Regional Insights:

• Gauteng
• KwaZulu-Natal
• Western Cape
• Mpumalanga
• Eastern Cape 
• Others

The report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of all the major provinces, which include Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, and others. 

Competitive Landscape: 

The market research report has also provided a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape. Competitive analysis such as market structure, key player positioning, top winning strategies, competitive dashboard, and company evaluation quadrant has been covered in the report. Also, detailed profiles of all major companies have been provided. 

South Africa Alternative Data Market News:

• In June 2025, TransUnion announced a minority investment and strategic partnership with South African-founded FinTech Omnisient to boost alternative data adoption. Omnisient’s privacy-preserving platform enables secure access to diverse consumer data for improved credit decision-making. The collaboration aims to enhance financial inclusion in Africa by integrating alternative data with traditional credit, expanding credit access for underserved populations and supporting TransUnion’s goal to bring millions into the formal financial system.

South Africa Alternative Data Market Report Coverage: 

Key Questions Answered in This Report: 

• How has the South Africa alternative data market performed so far and how will it perform in the coming years? 
• What is the breakup of the South Africa alternative data market on the basis of data type? 
• What is the breakup of the South Africa alternative data market on the basis of industry? 
• What is the breakup of the South Africa alternative data market on the basis of end user? 
• What is the breakup of the South Africa alternative data market on the basis of region?
• What are the various stages in the value chain of the South Africa alternative data market?
• What are the key driving factors and challenges in the South Africa alternative data market?
• What is the structure of the South Africa alternative data market and who are the key players?
• What is the degree of competition in the South Africa alternative data market?

Key Benefits for Stakeholders: 

• IMARC’s industry report offers a comprehensive quantitative analysis of various market segments, historical and current market trends, market forecasts, and dynamics of the South Africa alternative data market from 2019-2033.
• The research report provides the latest information on the market drivers, challenges, and opportunities in the South Africa alternative data market. 
• Porter's five forces analysis assist stakeholders in assessing the impact of new entrants, competitive rivalry, supplier power, buyer power, and the threat of substitution. It helps stakeholders to analyze the level of competition within the South Africa alternative data industry and its attractiveness.
• Competitive landscape allows stakeholders to understand their competitive environment and provides an insight into the current positions of key players in the market.