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Send money to South Africa
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Xe has over 30 years of currency exchange experience, and is one of the most reputable names on the market. 200 countries, 100 currencies, & funds often received in seconds."
"Over 16 million customers use Wise, mostly for their excellent mobile app, transparent fee structure & use of mid-market rates. Now increasingly used for larger transfers."
"Currencies Direct have over 30 years of global money transfer expertise. Award winning service with a TrustPilot rating of 4.9. Lock-in rates for the future or trade 24/7 on web or mobile."
"Revolut has 50+ million customers globally. You can hold up to 36 currencies in the app and send money quickly in 70+ currencies to 160+ countries."
"Key Currency offers a personal service with a dedicated account manager. There are no transfer limits or fees which is perfect for larger send amounts."
"Xe has over 30 years of currency exchange experience, and is one of the most reputable names on the market. 200 countries, 100 currencies, & funds often received in seconds."
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"Regency's UK-based account management team has vast experience. Get support on all kinds of transfers, from overseas property transactions to business payments & more."
"Currencyflow is a modern FX broker backed by industry veterans with 30+ years of currency trading experience. Contact the UK-based team for a free quote."
"Remitly focuses on sending money to friends and family in Asia, Africa and South America. Wide coverage and well-suited to regular transfers home."
"Lumon has cared for over 69,000 customers since 2000. Get support for larger transfers from dedicated currency specialists."
"Xoom, a PayPal service, allows you to send money in more than 160 countries. You can send cash for over-the-counter pickup or home delivery, as well as send by bank transfer or debit card."
"Securely send money to and from 150+ countries and 20+ currencies. Same-day transfers avaialble on most major currencies."
"Fast, secure internatinal transfers with no fees and transparent rates. They offer a free currency card for use at home and abroad."
"Paysend has transparent fees and rates, with transfer sent within seconds to your recipient's bank. They also have global 24/7 support for any enquiries, and bank-level security."
"Moneycorp is an established player in the market, with a focus on private clients and corporates. Make overseas payments in over 120 currencies and 190 countries."
"Moneygram is a well established service with over 80 years in the sector. They support over 200 countries worldwide and have over 440,000 retail locations."
How to get the best rate when sending money to South Africa
- Always compare rates
Don't pay more than you have to. Use our live comparison tool to make sure you aren't missing the best rates on ZAR transfers.
- Choose a provider
Select the provider that offers you the most ZAR and fits your transfer needs.
- Click, sign up & send
Follow the steps & make your transfer. Your transfer to South Africa will soon be on its way.
About money transfers to South Africa
Overall best choice: Wise
We tested & reviewed 15 companies offering transfers to South Africa, and Wise scored the highest.
Wise offers the best combination of transfer fees, rates, speed, and has the best overall experience for transfers to South Africa.
At the moment, if you were to send $7,000 to ZAR, it would cost you $52.83 in fees, and your recipient will get 122,096.51 ZAR.
Key Currency: The cheapest way to send money to South Africa
Key Currency charges $0 per transfer to South Africa, with a 0.25% markup on the ZAR exchange rate. This is 0.01% cheaper than the second cheapest option.
To get the most out of your transfer to South Africa, use a bank transfer deposit to maximize the amount of ZAR received.
Fastest way to send money to South Africa: Currencyflow
Our data shows that Currencyflow is the fastest way to transfer ZAR right now.
With Currencyflow, the transfer time to South Africa is minutes - 24 hours (for a $7,000 transfer).
Currencyflow charges $0 in fees on $7,000 transfer and adds a 0.26% markup.
The ‘fastest’ way to transfer money to South Africa includes the transfer amount, deposit method, and transfer and withdrawal times.
Wise is the easiest way to send money to South Africa
Wise is very transparent with its fees, charging $52.83 and 0.1% markup on ZAR transfers.
They offer multiple deposit options, have good customer service, and take less than 5 minutes to get started with.
Consider this before sending money to South Africa
Don't settle for the first option. Always compare ways to send money to South Africa to find out about fees, speed, and reliability.
Our analysis included 15 providers that operate in South Africa.
Through this, you get a comprehensive view of all the options you have when sending money to South Africa.
Sending large amounts of money to South Africa
Sending large amounts to South Africa can be expensive. You should consider the exchange rate, transfer limits, customer service, safety, company experience with large transfers, and any legal requirements in South Africa.
In this case, Wise ticks all the boxes. Out of 15 money transfer companies serving South Africa, Wise came on top as the highest-rated company for ZAR transfers.
Whether you are buying a property in South Africa, funding your education, having a destination wedding, or just need to send a lot of ZAR, we recommend opting for a specialized provider such as Wise.
Understanding the costs involved when moving money to South Africa
When calculating the cost of money transfers to South Africa, here's what really matters: the country of origin, amount, payment method, fees, and the markup on the ZAR exchange rate.
Exchange rate markup
This is a percentage added on top of the "real" ZAR rate (known as the mid-market rate).
Wise, for example, offers the best exchange rate. It adds 0.1% markup to the USD-ZAR exchange rate (17.6023 ZAR - 0.1% per US Dollar).
Transfer fees
These are fixed and/or percentage fees added for the service when sending money to South Africa.
Let's imagine you want to send $7,000 from the US to South Africa.
After analyzing 15 companies supporting Rand, we found Key Currency to offer the lowest fees ( $0 in fees and 0.25% markup).
However, exact fees vary by deposit method and the service, for example:
Bank transfers vary from $0 to $490.00000000000006
Debit cards range from $0 to $0
Credit card fees vary a lot, mainly due to cash advance fees and/or additional fees from your credit card provider.
Getting the best ZAR rate when sending money to Rand
The exchange rate is the value of the Rand (ZAR) compared to other currencies. Since it consistently moves up and down, sending at the high will give your receiver more ZAR compared to the low.
In the past 7 days, the ZAR exchange rate reached:
An average rate of 17.6606 Rand per US Dollar
A high of 17.8698 ZAR per USD
And a low of 17.518 ZAR per US Dollar
The ZAR/USD exchange rate has seen some movements. Making a transfer when the rate is close to 17.8698 ZAR/USD will result in more ZAR received.
Wise is our top recommendation for sending Rand, offering a markup of 0.1% which is 0% better than the next cheapest option.
Get notified when it’s the best time to transfer Rands
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Payment methods available for money transfers to South Africa
How you fund your money transfer to South Africa directly affects the speed, cost, and the amount of ZAR your recipient will receive. Here are the most common options for funding your transfer to South Africa:
Bank transfers
Bank deposits are reliable and common for international ZAR transfers, available through most services.
While they tend to be cheaper, it may take up to 2-3 business days for the funds to arrive.
You also may have an option to use the SWIFT network for a bank deposit to South Africa, avoid it where possible. SWIFT deposits are slow and expensive, instead check if there are cheaper options.
Based on our recent testing of 15 providers accepting South Africa transfers, we found Key Currency to be the cheapest option, charging $0 per transfer with a 0.25% markup.
Debit and prepaid cards
Debit card transfers to South Africa are generally faster than bank transfers. Most ZAR transactions will be completed within a few hours. However, this convenience usually comes with increased fees.
We recommend Xe for debit and prepaid card deposits when sending money to South Africa. Xe charges a 1.41% markup on the ZAR rate and $0 in transfer fees.
Credit cards
A credit card deposit is another option for sending ZAR to South Africa.
Typically it is more expensive, and your CC company may charge you cash advance fees, and apply increased interest rates.
If you want to fund your transfer to South Africa with a credit card, we recommend running a live comparison to get the best deal.
How we analyze the market
We track the cost, speed, and product offerings of the leading money transfer services available in South Africa.
Our comparison engine and algorithms evaluate providers based on over 25 factors, including transfer fees, ease of use, exchange rates, mobile apps, transfer times & customer support.
We also consider how these services are rated on platforms like TrustPilot, AppStore, and Google Play, giving you a comprehensive view of what to expect.
This thorough analysis helps you get the best available deal - every time you want to move money to South Africa.
We also provide unbiased and detailed reviews of all the top money transfer companies. You can use these reviews to find the best service for your needs when sending money to South Africa
For a deeper understanding of our commitment to integrity and transparency, we invite you to read our editorial policy document.
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FAQs
Find answers to the most common questions on our dedicated FAQ page.
