Exchange Rate
16.2569
Daily Change
-0.0081 -0.05%
Monthly
1.06%
Yearly
-6.28%
Q3 Forecast
16.1089
South African Rand - Summary

The South African rand strengthened toward 16.2 per USD, supported by a softer dollar and firmer precious metals prices on the back of easing oil prices. Meanwhile, traders continued to monitor central bank actions. The Federal Reserve delivered an expected 25 bps rate hike and signalled that further tightening may follow amid persistent inflatonary pressures from the Middle East. Expectations for a SARB rate hike increased after the Fed's move, as a narrower yield differential could weigh on the rand and fuel inflationary pressures. The South African Reserve Bank will face a delicate balancing act when it decides on policy on September 23. Inflation has been rising and, aside from a brief dip in July following fuel-price cuts, remains on an upward trajectory, while the economy slipped back into contraction in Q2. At the same time, inflation expectations fell in Q3, signaling that price pressures are expected to ease over time. Against this backdrop, the SARB's move remains uncertain.

South African Rand - Stats

The USD/ZAR exchange rate fell to 16.2588 on September 18, 2026, down 0.70% from the previous session. Over the past month, the South African Rand has weakened 0.09%, but it's up by 6.25% over the last 12 months. Historically, the USDZAR reached an all time high of 19.93 in April of 2025. South African Rand - data, forecasts, historical chart - was last updated on September 18 of 2026.

South African Rand - Forecast

The USD/ZAR exchange rate fell to 16.2588 on September 18, 2026, down 0.70% from the previous session. Over the past month, the South African Rand has weakened 0.09%, but it's up by 6.25% over the last 12 months. The South African Rand is expected to trade at 16.11 by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate it to trade at 15.53 in 12 months time.



Crosses Price Day Year Date
USDZAR 16.2569 -0.0081 -0.05% -6.28% Sep/18
EURZAR 18.6589 -0.0092 -0.05% -8.18% Sep/18
AUDZAR 11.5633 -0.0023 -0.02% 1.18% Sep/18
NZDZAR 9.3101 -0.0147 -0.16% -8.84% Sep/18
ZARJPY 9.6041 0.0032 0.03% 12.56% Sep/18
ZARCNY 0.4122 0.0001 0.02% 0.59% Sep/18
ZARCHF 0.0507 0.00002 0.03% 10.97% Sep/18
ZARCAD 0.0861 0.00003 0.04% 8.17% Sep/18
ZARMXN 1.0555 -0.00004 -0.004% -0.33% Sep/18
GBPZAR 21.7380 -0.1725 -0.79% -8.23% Sep/17
ZARINR 5.9018 0.0309 0.53% 16.68% Sep/17
ZARBRL 0.3155 0.0008 0.26% 3.37% Sep/17
ZARRUB 5.2040 0.0429 0.83% 7.68% Sep/17
ZARKRW 84.9973 0.8601 1.02% 6.99% Sep/17
ZARIDR 1,092.8025 9.3297 0.86% 15.45% Sep/17
ZARARS 92.9626 0.5781 0.63% 9.63% Sep/17
ZARCZK 1.3049 0.0094 0.73% 10.31% Sep/17
ZARDKK 0.4010 0.0028 0.71% 10.42% Sep/17
ZARHUF 19.4601 -0.0070 -0.04% 2.57% Sep/17
 Currencies
 ZAR...
 ...ZAR



Related Last Previous Unit Reference
United States Inflation Rate 3.40 3.40 percent Aug 2026
South Africa Inflation Rate 4.30 5.00 percent Jul 2026
United States Fed Funds Interest Rate 4.00 3.75 percent Sep 2026
South Africa Interest Rate 7.00 7.00 percent Aug 2026
United States Unemployment Rate 4.10 4.10 percent Aug 2026
South Africa Unemployment Rate 33.60 32.70 percent Jun 2026

South African Rand
The USDZAR spot exchange rate specifies how much one currency, the USD, is currently worth in terms of the other, the ZAR. While the USDZAR spot exchange rate is quoted and exchanged in the same day, the USDZAR forward rate is quoted today but for delivery and payment on a specific future date.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
16.26 16.37 19.93 2.71 1992 - 2026 Daily

News Stream
South African Rand Firms
The South African rand strengthened toward 16.2 per USD, supported by a softer dollar and firmer precious metals prices on the back of easing oil prices. Meanwhile, traders continued to monitor central bank actions. The Federal Reserve delivered an expected 25 bps rate hike and signalled that further tightening may follow amid persistent inflatonary pressures from the Middle East. Expectations for a SARB rate hike increased after the Fed's move, as a narrower yield differential could weigh on the rand and fuel inflationary pressures. The South African Reserve Bank will face a delicate balancing act when it decides on policy on September 23. Inflation has been rising and, aside from a brief dip in July following fuel-price cuts, remains on an upward trajectory, while the economy slipped back into contraction in Q2. At the same time, inflation expectations fell in Q3, signaling that price pressures are expected to ease over time. Against this backdrop, the SARB's move remains uncertain.
2026-09-17
South African Rand Remains Subdued
The South African rand traded around 16.3 per USD, holding close to its lowest since early August, as the US dollar's strength and still elevated oil prices outweighed support from precious metals prices. Meanwhile, risk sentiment remained fragile amid heightened hostilities in the Middle East and further advances by the Houthis. On the domestic economic front, a closely watched gauge of South African inflation expectations fell in Q3 after surging in Q2 due to the oil shock triggered by the US-Iran conflict. The data prompted investors to scale back bets on a potential 25 bps rate hike at the SARB’s Sept. 23 policy meeting. Governor Lesetja Kganyago said this month that the MPC would remain cautious in assessing the effects of policy shocks. Headline inflation eased to 4.3% in July from 5% in June, but the slowdown could prove temporary due to recent adjustments in domestic fuel prices. Meanwhile, the GDP contracted 0.2% in Q2, ending six straight quarters of growth.
2026-09-16
South African Rand at Over 1-Month Low
The South African rand weakened to around 16.3 per USD, its lowest level since early August, pressured by a firmer US dollar and higher oil prices. Falling gold and other precious metals prices also weighed on the currency by reducing the value of key export revenues. The greenback strengthened ahead of an expected Fed rate hike as persistent inflation, worsened by the Middle East conflict, reinforced expectations for tighter US monetary policy The oil shock is especially significant for South Africa because its reliance on imported energy means higher crude prices quickly translate into a larger import bill and stronger inflationary pressures. This could keep the monetary policy tighter for longer. Although headline inflation eased to 4.3% in July from 5% in June, higher diesel prices and global oil market volatility continue to pose significant upside risks. The Q3 inflation expectations survey, due on September 16, will be a key factor in the SARB's policy decision on September 23.
2026-09-15