South Africa Travel Money Guide
South Africa is well-developed for cards, especially in cities. Cash is useful for parking marshals and small vendors.
Capital: Pretoria · Currency: South African Rand (ZAR)
Paying by card
Visa and Mastercard accepted everywhere. SnapScan and Zapper QR codes are popular but need a local card.
Cash and ATMs
Use FNB, Standard Bank, or Absa ATMs inside shopping centers. Avoid street ATMs after dark.
Tipping
10-15% at restaurants. R5-10 for parking marshals and petrol attendants.
Scams to avoid
Card skimming at petrol stations and ATMs is common. Never let a card out of your sight. Use Uber or Bolt over street taxis.
What ZAR amounts are worth
| ZAR | USD | EUR | GBP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ZAR | 0.61 | 0.54 | 0.46 |
| 50 ZAR | 3.05 | 2.69 | 2.31 |
| 100 ZAR | 6.11 | 5.38 | 4.61 |
| 500 ZAR | 30.54 | 26.90 | 23.06 |
Rates are European Central Bank reference rates for 29 Sept 2026 (published each working day around 16:00 CET; the UAE dirham uses its official US-dollar peg of 3.6725). The live converter loads the latest rate when the page opens.
Over the 30 days of ECB data to 29 Sept 2026, one US dollar bought 2.30% more ZAR and one euro 0.23% fewer.
Before you go
- When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, decline and pay in ZAR; the conversion it offers usually includes a wide margin.
- Tell your bank you are travelling and carry two cards on different networks in case one is declined.
- Check your card's foreign transaction fee and put it in the budget converter's fee field.
Budget the trip with the travel budget converter, see all ZAR rates, or browse more country guides.