How to send money to South Africa from Indonesia with the best IDR-ZAR rate

An exchange rate determines the price you will pay when buying Rand. A better exchange rate means more money reaching the recipient in South Africa.

The current rate between the Rupiah and Rand is 0.0009. With the IDR-ZAR exchange rate changing almost constantly, it pays to know the averages to get a better deal.

The total cost of sending money to South Africa from Indonesia, is made-up of a combination of fees and exchange rates. Sending with a company that can offer a good deal on both ensures a good deal on your transfer.

• The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: Currently, the mid-market for IDR-ZAR is 0.0009 ZAR per Rupiah.

• Fees: Transfer fees may have to be paid alongside the transfer, either as a set fee or a percentage of the transfer. Wise, cahrges 102008 IDR per transfer, which is currently the cheapest option. Although you should search for your send amount for actual fees.

• Amount Received: Money transfer companies will show you the amount of Rand eventually received in South Africa.

A better option is to use a forward contract can also allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate between Indonesia and South Africa.

Paying via bank transfer is the payment method that will get you the best price with a money transfer company. When sending money from Indonesia to South Africa.

Here are all the ways to send money from Indonesia to South Africa:

Bank transfers

A bank transfer is often the default option for money transfers from Indonesia to South Africa.

By using a money transfer company such as Wise to send money from Indonesia to South Africa, you can while benefit from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than a bank would offer. 


Debit and prepaid cards

Sending money from Indonesia to South Africa with a prepaid or debit card is very easy with Western Union Agent.


Western Union Agent is a great choice for sending money with a debit card from Indonesia to South Africa. This is from the 4 money transfer companies compared.

Credit cards

When it comes to credit card money transfers from Indonesia to South Africa there aren't that many options, mainly because it's more expensive.

If you have to, we recommend running a quick comparison to get the best deal on ZAR

Companies offering money transfers between Indonesia and South Africa have minimum or maximum thresholds on how much money you can send.

Rates and fees for different transfer amounts could change if you pass a threshold - that’s why it’s best to compare IDR-ZAR rates for your specific transfer amount.

For regular transfers from Indonesia to South Africa, shopping around each time can make a huge difference.

We’ve recommended Wise for sending IDR to South Africa, because of their combination of rates and fees when sending from Indonesia to South Africa that is the most competitive, even at larger amounts.

Check with the recipient and understand any declarations needed on large amounts of money entering South Africa from Indonesia.

There are different ways to receive Rand in South Africa. The most popular options are direct bank deposit, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account.

All providers work differently and not all offering transfers from Indonesia to South Africa support every method for receiving Rand so it’s best to check ahead of time.

Sending directly to a bank account in South Africa is one of the most common ways to receive money from Indonesia. For most part, this is convenient but does have receiving fees to potentially be aware of.

Wise is the best company for bank transfers between Indonesia and South Africa.

Cash pickup is popular in South Africa, but not always supported and can be costly compared to cheaper options.

Mobile wallet or P2P services and payment apps like PayPal, Zelle, and CashApp are popular because of convenience. They come with more limitations and higher costs compared to money transfer providers like PayPal App (P2P Transfer), and are recommended for domestic payments only.

When sending Rand to South Africa, you will need to verify your ID with your chosen money transfer company.

The documents you need will vary and in some cases you might need more than one.

For the most part, accepted IDs in Indonesia include government issued IDs such as passports or driver's licenses. If the recipient needs an ID to collect money in South Africa, the options are similar.

Large transactions between Indonesia and South Africa can be subject to additional checks such as proof of funds for anti-money laundering purposes. These won’t be needing when signing up, but will be need ahead of any transfer.

One of the reasons Wise has scored so highly for transfers to South Africa is their easy sign up process in Indonesia.

When sending money between Indonesia and South Africa there will be tax declarations to consider.

Some transfers into Rand may need to be reported to tax authorities in South Africa and Indonesia, depending on size and particularly where inheritance or property purchases are involved.

Tax limits and personal allowances will change in South Africa based on age, income and a few other elements - such as whether the funds are a gift. Tax law can be confusing, when in doubt, please contact a tax professional in Indonesia or South Africa to discuss your personal circumstances to ensure you are not missing any specific tax declarations associated with your international money transfer.