In 1930, The Star reported on the success of Joburg's automatic traffic lights – and even then, motorists knew them as robots. Nearly a century later, we still stop at robots every day, much to the amusement of visiting foreigners, yet few of us give a thought to why we call a traffic light by that name. Even the Dictionary of South African English lists robot as our own word for traffic lights, though the story behind it starts in a Czech theatre!
Here at Springbok Casino, we're giving the humble robot a celebratory honk, because an instant EFT deposit is the closest thing we have to a robot turning green. You approve the payment inside your own bank's system, and the rand is credited to your Springbok Casino balance. Which of our EFT methods can you use with your bank, and what does the amber light have to do with responsible gambling? Hang tight, Bokke – we're getting there!
Pointsmen & Robots – The Origin of Mzansi's Word for a Traffic Light
The word itself is older than any traffic light in Mzansi. Robot is borrowed from the Czech robota, which means forced labour, and the playwright Karel Čapek used the word in his 1920 play R.U.R. – a story about artificial factory workers. British drivers once called an automatic traffic light a robot as well, but the travel writer H.V. Morton noted in 1948 that the term was long discontinued in England. We kept it, of course – and it's ours for good!
Where did our own robots come from, then? Before automatic signals, police officers on point duty directed the traffic by hand from the middle of busy intersections. When their work was given to a set of coloured lamps, Joburg's motorists spoke of robotic traffic controllers – an officer's job done by a machine, which is what a robot was in Čapek's play. The phrase was soon shortened to robots. Here's the robot's timeline in Mzansi:
- Johannesburg's first urban traffic control system was installed in 1929, so Joburg's motorists were the first in the country to stop at a robot.
- Durban's first urban traffic control system was installed a year later, in 1930, and drivers on the coast had robots of their own.
- By 1930, The Star was printing praise for the success of the robots – and the word was already in print.
We're not the only ones who say it, either, since Namibia and Zimbabwe call their traffic lights robots too. The Star had fun with the habit in 1973, joking that a visitor from Little Rock who didn't know the local meaning might panic on hearing about robots in the road. A 1985 citation even records older South Africans pronouncing it "rowboh", since they were convinced the word was French… Now that's a lekker pronunciation we'd happily bring back!
What Is Instant EFT? Your Green Light at Springbok Step by Step
Instant EFT is a payment made straight from your bank account, approved by you inside your bank's own system and credited to your casino balance instantly or near-instantly. All you need is online banking with one of the supported banks, and the whole deposit can be made on your phone or your computer. We think it's the most natural way to fund a balance in rand, because the bank is your own and so is the approval.
What happens between choosing the method and seeing the rand in your balance? There are five steps – the first and last take place in our cashier, and the three in between take place inside your own banking login. The order is identical for all three of our instant EFT methods, so you only need to learn it once. The bank list at step two depends on your method, since each method has its own list of supported banks. This is how an instant EFT deposit is made with us:
- Open the cashier at Springbok Casino and choose BetterEFT, EFTpay or InstantEFT as your instant EFT method.
- Select your bank from the list of banks supported by the method you've chosen.
- Log in securely to your bank through the payment provider's system, using your usual banking details.
- Approve the payment inside your own banking login, just as you would approve any other online payment.
- The funds are credited to your Springbok Casino account instantly or near-instantly, ready for your first spin.
That fourth step of every instant EFT deposit is the one we'd like you to remember, because your bank only releases the payment once you've approved it yourself. Every amount you approve is in rand, since ZAR is the currency we transact in at Springbok Online Casino, and your balance is kept in rand from the first deposit to the last withdrawal. You can stop at step three if you change your mind… the robot only turns green on your say-so!
Instant Deposits Compared – BetterEFT Against a Bank Card at Springbok
Through BetterEFT, we accept an instant EFT deposit of R35 to R65,000 from ten South African banks, while a Visa or Mastercard deposit can be anything from R150 to R2,000. Both are credited instantly, so your choice between them depends on the size of your deposit and on what you have to hand. Capitec, TymeBank and Absa clients can all use BetterEFT, along with FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank and four more. Set side by side, the two look like this:
|
Feature |
BetterEFT |
Visa or Mastercard |
|
Minimum deposit |
R35 |
R150 |
|
Maximum deposit |
R65,000 |
R2,000 |
|
Speed |
Instant once you confirm at your bank |
Instant |
|
What you need |
Online banking at one of ten SA banks |
A Visa or Mastercard credit or debit card |
Two more instant EFT methods are listed in our cashier beside BetterEFT. Each instant EFT deposit through EFTpay or InstantEFT can be anything from R71 up to R100,000, straight from your account at ABSA, FNB, Nedbank, Bidvest, Investec, TymeBank or Old Mutual. With that upper limit, they are the highest-limit deposit methods in our cashier, which is sommer good news for a high roller. Whether your deposit is big or small, the robot turns green for you here!
Responsible Gambling at the Amber Light – Budget Before You Deposit
Responsible gambling begins with a budget in rand, decided before you approve a single deposit. At any robot in Mzansi, amber is the signal to prepare to stop, and step four of an instant EFT deposit is your amber light. Have you ever approved a payment on autopilot while your mind was elsewhere? Most of us have, so read that approval screen as if the light had just turned amber – a high figure is better caught there than on your statement!
Here at Springbok Casino, we see gambling as entertainment you pay for, and we want every session to be a jol for as long as you play. When the play is no longer fun for you, that's your cue to step away from the cashier. Our support team on live chat is there to talk it through with you, and the National Responsible Gambling Programme at responsiblegambling.org.za is a source of independent counselling. If you reach out, we'll respect that call every time!
Setting your limit is easier with the cashier closed and your head clear. Choose a figure you'd happily spend on any other entertainment, like a concert ticket or a seat at Loftus, then write it down, keep it in your kop and treat it as the full amount for your play. All of us at Springbok Casino would rather see you back next month with a smile than chasing a loss. Build these three habits into every instant EFT deposit you make with us:
- Decide on a rand budget before you open the cashier, and keep every deposit inside that figure until your next budget.
- Read the amount on the approval screen in your banking app before you approve the payment, each time.
- Try any new game in practice mode with its once-off R1,000 balance before you gooi real rand at it.
Quick FAQs on Instant EFT Deposits at Springbok Casino
After all that talk of robots, rand and the amber light, you may still have a practical question or two about your first deposit with us. Many Bokke naturally want to know how small a deposit can be, whether the payment is secure, how winnings are paid out and whether a card is needed. We've answered all four from the cashier terms here at Springbok Casino below, so every answer is on hand before your first instant EFT deposit:
Q: What is the smallest instant EFT deposit at Springbok Casino?
A: R35, through BetterEFT – the lowest minimum of our three instant EFT methods. EFTpay and InstantEFT start at R71, and all three are credited instantly or near-instantly once you approve the payment.
Q: Is an instant EFT deposit at Springbok Casino safe?
A: Yes. You log in to your own bank through the payment provider's secure system and approve the payment yourself. All banking at Springbok Casino is protected by Secure SSL Encryption.
Q: Can I withdraw my winnings by instant EFT at Springbok Casino?
A: Instant EFT is for deposits, and winnings are paid by wire transfer or Bitcoin, free of charge. Withdrawals start at R500 and are processed Monday to Friday.
Q: Do I need a card to make an instant EFT deposit?
A: No – an instant EFT deposit is paid straight from your bank account, approved through your own online banking. You can use EFTpay without a card or any registration.
Catch the Green Light – Make Your Instant EFT Deposit at Springbok!
Your green light at Springbok Casino is one instant EFT deposit away. Pick BetterEFT, EFTpay or InstantEFT, approve the payment at your bank, and pair your first deposit with SPRINGBOK100 – a 100% match up to R1,500 from a R25 minimum, with 30x wagering on the deposit plus bonus. Terms can change, so confirm before redeeming, and keep an eye on your account inbox for the live and personalised offers we send. The light is green, Bokke – go for it!