Physical activity is one of the ways to promote a healthy and balanced life. There is growing evidence that physical activity can be promoted through the use of mHealth applications. However, the adoption of such applications is influenced by many factors. This study investigated these factors and the relationship among them to propose a model for the adoption of mHealth applications that promote physical activity. The study adopted two theoretical lenses as the guiding frameworks, namely the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Data were collected from a convenient sample of 140 respondents from South Africa, using a survey questionnaire. The Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the proposed model. The results have revealed that awareness, effort expectancy, social influence and behavioural intention account for 35.3% of the variance of the use behaviour towards adopting mHealth applications that promote physical activity in South Africa. Hence, this study recommends that any intervention that ABOUT THE AUTHORS Dr Patrick Ndayizigamiye holds a PhD in Information Systems and Technology, and is currently a senior lecturer in the Department of Applied Information Systems at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. He has extensive experience in research and has published many papers in international peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. His current research interests are technology-enhanced healthcare, ICT4D and cyber security.Dr Macire Kante holds a PhD in Information Systems from the University of Nairobi. Dr Kante has served as a research associate at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique et Technologique (Bamako, Mali). Currently, he is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. His recent work is largely in the area of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) in the following thematic areas: ICT for agriculture, health informatics and knowledge management.Shalati Shingwenyana holds a BCom Honours degree in Information Systems and Technology from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.