More than 50 countries support Apple Pay, which launched seven years ago, but adoption still lags in certain developed regions including Israel, Mexico and South Africa.
That should change this year, with Israel poised to launch Apple Pay next month,
Citing a report in Israel’s Calcalist, the pandemic delayed Apple Pay’s rollout in Israel, but the infrastructure is ready and banks and businesses have come aboard. Apple's iPhones have about a 20% market share in Israel, which compares favorably with many other mainstream markets.
Apple Pay launched in Mexico this year, and so far American Express and Mastercard are among those integrating support and point-of-sale materials. Other banks, including Citibanamex, Banorte, are also pushing out Apple Pay, but merchant adoption will take more time, according to reports.
South Africa is also working on a slow rollout of Apple Pay that began in January. So far local banks including Discovery, Nedbank and Absa support Apple Pay.
