Digital wallets have been around for some time now, but there still seems to be a sizable portion of people who are not all too sure of what they are and how they work. One of the most popular questions about digital wallets we see pop up is just how useful they are for travelling (with Africa being the most popular location) – this is a great question.
Well, are digital wallets useful for travelling around large continents like Africa? Yes; but wait, there’s more. There are a couple of things you need to know if you are looking to make use of a digital wallet whilst travelling around Africa, and once you reach the end of this article, you will know exactly whether or not signing up for a digital wallet is worth your time.
The True Function Of Digital Wallets
The reasoning behind developing digital wallets is pretty simple. Digital wallets are simply storage devices/payment methods that can hold card information, payment information for different online payment methods, as well as whatever documents you may deem as important.
Essentially, digital wallets work the exact same as regular wallets – this is going to give us a better idea of how they can be useful going forward. Sure, digital wallets may be a little more complicated than that behind the scenes, and the question of how digital wallets work is not one that we are ready to explore in this article.
Nevertheless; asking if a digital wallet will be useful for travelling and Africa would be akin to asking if you should take a regular wallet with you to Africa; the answer is going to be yes.
Relying On Digital Wallets Alone Would Be a Bit Of a Gamble
In the vast majority of cases, you will be able to get by when travelling with just a digital wallet alone. However, Africa is an exception. The poorer locations in Africa are not likely going to have ample access to technology, and this means that your digital wallet as well as the currencies/payment methods inside of it are going to be virtually useless.
This means that your RTP (click here to find the answer to “what does RTP mean in gambling?”) is going to be relatively low, and you are not going to be able to get much use out of your digital wallet if you are planning on going to some of the poorer parts of the continent.
In this way, relying on your digital wallet alone would be a bit of a gamble. You have no way of knowing what places would accept digital currency if any, and you may end up being put in a sticky situation if you cannot pay for some of the basic necessities.
This is why bringing your real-life wallet and your digital wallet is going to give you the best of both worlds – you can rest assured knowing that you will be able to trade with anyone if you go down this route.
It Depends On What You Are Planning To Do
Truth be told; it really is dependent on what you are planning to do. If you are just going to Africa for a vacation and staying in a high-income city in a nice hotel, then any of the top digital wallets are going to be able to take care of everything you need.
Alternatively, if you are planning on going to some of the rural parts of Africa to broaden your horizons and get a look at the world like you haven’t seen it before, then you are not going to be able to get through by using your digital wallet alone, and it would be a good idea to bring a few difference real-life currencies to trade with in situations akin to this.
All-in-all, digital wallets can be incredibly useful for travelling around Africa, or anywhere for that matter. Most wealthy cities will usually allow their customers to use digital wallets to pay for goods and services, and if you happen to be going to a relatively built-up area, then you are going to be able to use your digital wallet for more things than you can count.
On the other hand, if you happen to be going to a relatively rural area that doesn’t have access to modern technology, then digital wallets will be of little to no use. In situations like these, tangible currency reigns king, and you would be much better off bringing some extra cash with you for the journey.
