Guide to ZAR transfers

Here you’ll find answers to the most common questions about South African rand (ZAR) transfers. 

You can’t currently send from ZAR. 

Check the latest fees

Sending to ZAR

Who can I send ZAR to?

You can send ZAR to individual and business bank accounts in South Africa only.

What information do I need about my recipient?

You’ll need their:

• full name

• local account number, which is 7-11 digits (no letters)

• bank name and BIC/Swift

• email address

How much can I send?

You can send up to the equivalent of 1 million GBP to an account in ZAR.

How long does it usually take for the money to arrive?

Once we receive and convert your money, it usually takes 0-1 working days to arrive in your recipient’s bank account*. Conversion can take up to 2 working days. 

We’ll always give you an estimate for how long your transfer will take when you set it up.

Learn more about how long transfers take

What other information should I know?

• We can't send ZAR to Namibia or Swaziland/Eswatini.

• Payments will be sent through the Swift network, or one of our partners, Exchange4Free or Sikhona

• Due to South African regulations, when receiving money from abroad, both personal and business recipients need to fill out a form called a mandate. This is used to send a report to the South African Reserve Bank. 

  • Because of this, one of our South African partners, Exchange4Free or Sikhona Money Transfers, will email or send an SMS to your recipient with a link to this form. 

  • If the information isn’t provided on time, the bank may reject the payment. If this happens, we’ll let you know.

*For Exchange4Free, if your recipient fills in the form before 12:00 PM South Africa time (SAST), your transfer will arrive next day at the latest.

*We are still in the beta phase with Sikhona Money Transfers. If your payment is sent via Sikhona, your transfer will arrive to your recipient approximately 30 minutes after they've filled out the form.