Work out what it costs before you send it.
Every transfer is priced twice — once as a fee you can see and once as an exchange rate you have to look for. This page gives you the reference rate to measure a quote against, then points you at the right rail.
Page built 16 Sept 2026, 15:44 SAST
Major currencies against the rand
Rand prices from our published fiat rate feed
| Pair | Rate (ZAR) | 24h | R1 000 buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD / ZARUnited States dollar | R 16.2687 | +0.06% | 61.4679 USD |
| GBP / ZARPound sterling | R 21.8965 | -0.14% | 45.6693 GBP |
| EUR / ZAREuro | R 18.7708 | +0.03% | 53.2743 EUR |
| AED / ZARUAE dirham | R 4.4299 | +0.06% | 225.7408 AED |
How to read a transfer quote
Take any provider's quote, including ours, and put it through the same three steps.
true cost = fee + (reference rate − quoted rate) × amount + receiving-side charges- 01Start from the reference rate above. It is a market reference from our published fiat rate feed, not an interbank mid — we do not carry an interbank USD/ZAR feed, so do not read it as one.
- 02Divide the rand amount by the rate you were quoted, and compare that against what the reference rate would have given you. The shortfall is the margin, expressed in the currency the recipient receives.
- 03Add the fee, then ask what the receiving bank or operator deducts. A quote that stops at the fee is only telling you about the smallest of the three numbers.
- 04Then pick a rail. Our corridors, payout methods and per-corridor fees live on the remittance page, and a transfer only becomes possible once the corridor is listed there.
Three charges, and only one of them is called a fee.
The questions people ask before the first transfer.
What is the cheapest way to send money out of South Africa?
It depends on the amount and the destination. Small transfers are usually dominated by the fixed fee; large ones are dominated by the exchange rate margin. Compare both against the reference rates on this page rather than comparing advertised fees alone.
How much am I allowed to send?
South African exchange control gives residents an annual single discretionary allowance and a larger foreign investment allowance on top of it, and the second one needs a tax clearance. The offshore allowance calculator on this site walks through which one your transfer falls under.
Which countries can 80eight send to?
A corridor only appears on our remittance page once we hold float in that currency and the rail is live. The current list is Zimbabwe, Nigeria, India, United Kingdom, Malawi and Mozambique. If it is not on that list, we cannot send it yet.
Do I need the recipient's bank details?
Not for mobile money. We detect the network from the phone number and show you the registered name we get back before you confirm, so you can stop if it is the wrong person.
What happens if the transfer fails?
Your balance is held the moment you send. If the payout fails or expires, it is returned to you automatically, without you having to ask for it.
What else you can do here.
Rates above come from our published fiat rate feed and move continuously; the rate you transact at is the one quoted before you confirm. Exchange control allowances and tax clearance requirements depend on your circumstances — nothing on this page is financial or tax advice.