Blackjack is one of the most popular gambling games in the world, both at online casinos and in land-based establishments. The team of Which Casino has prepared this guide to South African blackjack to cover all popular variations of the game, the best software providers, and the best bonuses available in the region.
Much like any popular table game, blackjack comes in a wide range of variants with different rules, betting options, or additional features. In this section, we will cover all popular variations of the game to help you easier navigate blackjack casino lobbies in South Africa.
Classic Blackjack
As the name suggests, classic blackjack is the standard variation of the game that we went through in the previous section.
Almost every software provider that develops RNG-based table games has its own version of classic blackjack, allowing you to choose among a large assortment of similar games and find one with the most appealing graphics and the best Quality of Life features.
Multi Hand Blackjack
Multi hand blackjack is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, as this variation of the game is played by the same original rules, the only difference being that you can manage multiple hands at once.
Even though this version of the game does not add a new layer of strategic complexity, it is still a great option for players who find the classic variant too slow-paced for their taste.
Blackjack Perfect Pair
Blackjack perfect pair, in contrast, changes the original concept of the classic game by adding a new side bet option. When placed correctly, this side bet can generate multipliers higher than those in basic blackjack.
Progressive Blackjack
Speaking of high multipliers, some variations of the game come with built-in progressive jackpots. Their prize pools are increased by an increment of every player’s bet, allowing the luckiest gamblers to claim thousands or even millions of rands in one go.
Live Dealer Blackjack
Blackjack is also quite popular in live dealer lobbies, as these immersive games do a great job of recreating the atmosphere and mood of a real land-based casino. This version of the game has slightly changed rules to better fit the live dealer format, but it still has the same tactical depth of original blackjack.
Lightning Blackjack
Inspired by the success of Lightning Roulette, Evolution Gaming has also introduced a Lightning Blackjack table that works in a similar fashion.
Every round, random cards and their combinations are highlighted on the board behind the dealer, and collecting them in a winning hand will grant additional multipliers to your final payout.
Hi Lo Blackjack
Last in the list we have Hi Lo Blackjack, which is an interesting combination of two popular table games. The main twist here is that you have to not only beat the dealer by getting closer to 21 points, but also guess whether the next card you draw will be higher or lower than the last one.
Such functionality adds an additional thrill to the classic experience, allowing you to opt-in for a higher risk in pursuit of a larger reward.
The Best Blackjack Software Providers at SA Online Casinos
Software providers are companies that develop and release games at South African online casinos, and even though their variations of blackjack might be similar to one another, some studios simply offer better user experience than others.
Evolution Gaming
Evolution Gaming is the world’s leading provider of live casino games, so there is no surprise it also dominates the live blackjack niche.
Its games come with an exceptional level of quality and are available around the clock, meaning you can hop in for a couple of hands at any time of day.
Evolution has also expanded its portfolio far beyond classic blackjack, delivering five other advanced variations of the game to its partnered South African online casinos.
RealTime Gaming
In contrast to the previous studio, RTG is a prominent software provider in the RNG-based table games niche. Even though it does not create live experiences, its single-player blackjack titles are very popular among South African gamblers.
Playtech
The last blackjack software provider we would like to highlight is Playtech, an iconic studio that works both in the RNG-based and live dealer segments, offering you all the possible ways to experience this game. It is a fairly rare phenomenon, as most other developers only operate in one niche, while Playtech allows you to get the same level of quality with both formats.
Blackjack Rules for SA Casino Players
The only appropriate way to start a guide to blackjack casino games in South Africa is by covering the basic rules of the game itself. A round of blackjack starts with the player submitting a bet and two cards subsequently being drawn by the player and the dealer.
One of the dealer’s cards remains hidden, while you as a player can see all other cards on the table. Your goal in the game is to beat the dealer which implies getting closer than them to 21 points without going over this number.
The points, in turn, are calculated by summing the value of all your cards, where number cards give you their respective number of points, face cards are worth ten points each, and aces are worth one or eleven points.
After the cards have been dealt, you can make several in-game decisions to reach your end goal, which includes drawing more cards, skipping, or ending your turn, while the dealer is capable of doing the same. At South African online casinos, you will be able to play both RNG versions of the game against the computer or live dealer variants of the game against human dealers in real-time.
How to Play Blackjack on South African Gambling Sites
Playing blackjack at South African online casinos is fairly intuitive as long as you know the game’s rules. Nevertheless, let us walk you through the process of playing your first hand in this one-minute step-by-step guide.
Step 1: Choose and Visit
Choose one of the blackjack gambling sites suggested by Which Casino and visit it. We will use YesPlay Casino for this example, but you can perform the same steps on any other platform, as this guide is universal.
Step 2: Register
Click on the Sign Up button in the top-left corner of the website and follow the instructions to fill out the registration form and create your profile at the casino. Note that other SA gambling sites might have the registration button located in the top-right corners of their layouts.
Step 3: Deposit
Launch the site’s cashier by clicking the Deposit button. Then, pick one of the accepted banking options and finish your transaction to top up your casino balance.
Step 4: Play
Visit the lobby, find the blackjack category there, and start playing any variation of the game according to your preferences.
Blackjack Bonuses at South African Online Casinos
South African online casinos often encourage their players to try blackjack by offering a variety of promotions compatible with the game. Let us go through the main types of bonuses you may claim in order to spice up your sessions in both RNG-based and live dealer versions of blackjack.
Welcome Bonus
Welcome bonuses are available at almost any SA online casino, and most of them are also compatible with blackjack. The most common approach to such promotions is for the operators to offer you a boost on your first deposit after setting up an account on the website, allowing you to then use the free funds in any games including BJ.
It is worth pointing out, however, that blackjack often comes with a reduced contribution percentage towards wagering requirements. Depending on the casino, it may range from 10% to 50%, meaning you will need to play more hands before you can redeem your bonus money.
Cash Back
Cash back offers are also usually available for blackjack games. You can both increase the recoupled amount by playing them and use the refunded chips to try your luck with some more hands in any variation of the game.
Loyalty Bonus
Loyalty programs and VIP clubs tend to have some perks for blackjack players as well. Depending on the SA online casino you choose, it might include free chips, cash back offers, access to limited promotions, and other perks and instant prizes that you can unlock by progressing through the tiers.
Tournaments
On many gambling sites in South Africa, you can also compete against fellow gamblers in tournaments, where you can earn leaderboard points by playing blackjack with real money bets.
Of course, the prize pools and participation rules are different at every online casino, so we recommend checking the page of each individual competition before joining to make sure BJ is on the list of eligible games.
Progressive Jackpots
As we have previously mentioned, some variations of blackjack come with built-in progressive jackpots. On top of that, some operators have their own progressive prize pool networks exclusively available on their sites rather than across all copies of the game by the same software provider.
Reload Bonuses
Reload bonuses are weekly or monthly promotions that you can claim at some South African online casinos. These offers might include free chips, cash back funds, or other types of freebies, as the main defining quality of these bonuses is the regularity at which you can activate them.
High Roller Bonuses
Last but not least, high roller bonuses are special promotions tailored to players with large budgets. The vast majority of such deals are match bonuses, meaning you will be able to use the freebies in any blackjack variant you like.
High roller promos come with significantly larger maximum bonus values, but they also require larger deposits to be activated, making these offers unreachable for low-budget gamblers.
Tips for Playing Blackjack at Online Casinos in South Africa
Before we conclude this South Africa blackjack online casino guide, we would like to share some tips that will help you increase the efficiency of your sessions and get more out of your experience on popular gambling sites.
Learn and Practice
Experience is very important in blackjack, and the safest way to gain it is to start with free-to-play demos. These trial versions of RNG-based card games will allow you to learn the rules and try out different strategies, all without risking any actual funds.
These demos give you an unlimited supply of free virtual credits, allowing you to practice for as many rounds as you need. Every single SA online casino we have suggested on our website offers trial editions of its RNG-based blackjack games, although they are never available for live dealer variants.
Manage Your Bankroll
If you feel like playing with free virtual credits is not as thrilling and fun, you should at least manage your bankroll properly when you enter a real money betting table. We suggest starting with very small bets and never exceeding 5% of your entire balance on a single bet to give you more chances to win and prolong your experience on the platform.
Participate in Tournaments
Tournaments are essentially risk-free promotions that you should join without any hesitation as long as blackjack is on the list of their eligible games. Participating in such a competition is free, and even though it is fairly hard to reach prize positions on the leaderboard, as you’re losing nothing by opting-in for the event.
Try Live Dealers
Live dealer variants of blackjack are slower and less efficient compared to their RNG-based counterparts, but it might turn out to be a benefit for some players. With extended turn times and a generally slower pace of the rounds, you get more time to properly think your calls through, enabling you to make safer and more informed in-game decisions.
SA Online Casino Blackjack FAQ
How old do I need to be to play blackjack in South Africa?
You need to be at least 18 years old in order to play blackjack at South African online casinos or land-based establishments in the region.
What is the minimum bet in blackjack at SA online casinos?
The minimum bet requirement is different for every specific variant of blackjack, but if you’re really tight on funds, you can easily find a virtual table that accepts wagers as small as a single rand.
How are blackjack wagering requirements calculated?
Blackjack wagering requirements are calculated by multiplying the total sum you have played through by the contribution percentage of this game at your online casino. For example, if you make R1,000 worth of bets at a 50% contribution rate, R500 will be counted towards the bonus wagering requirements.
How do I know if a bonus is compatible with blackjack?
All you need to do to find out whether a South African casino bonus is compatible with blackjack is to carefully read through its Terms and Conditions paying special attention to the Eligible Games section for the promotion in question.
