Dollar vs South African Rand: exchange rate, interest rates and strength
As of October 23, 2026, USD/ZAR is 16.5868: 1 US dollar = 16.5868 South African rand (1 South African rand = 0.06029 US dollars). The dollar is down 4.6% against the South African rand over the past year and up 12.0% over five years. The South African Reserve Bank policy rate is 7.25% against 3.88% at the Federal Reserve; after inflation the real rates are 2.99% in South Africa and 0.48% in the United States.
Exchange rates as of October 23, 2026; policy rates, inflation and strength as of September 2026 or later. Refreshed weekly from the BIS and FRED.
What is the south african rand to dollar exchange rate?
South African Rand vs dollar and Dollar vs south african rand are the same question: this page quotes the pair the way markets do (USD/ZAR).
| When | South African rand per US dollar | Date | Change in US dollar's value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Now | 16.5868 | Oct 23, 2026 | |
| 1 year ago | 17.3847 | Oct 17, 2025 | -4.6% |
| 3 years ago | 18.9511 | Oct 20, 2023 | -12.5% |
| 5 years ago | 14.8050 | Oct 22, 2021 | +12.0% |
| 10 years ago | 14.0275 | Oct 21, 2016 | +18.2% |
| Measure | High | Low | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past year | 17.3699 Nov 21, 2025 | 15.9167 Feb 27, 2026 | 9.7% a year |
| Past five years | 19.6087 May 26, 2023 | 14.5800 Mar 25, 2022 | 12.2% a year |
"Volatility" is the annualised standard deviation of weekly moves: 9.7% means the rate typically swings about that much up or down over a year. Exchange rates are the Federal Reserve's daily noon-buying-rate series (the H.10 release) from FRED.
Who pays more to borrow: the Federal Reserve or the South African Reserve Bank?
A central bank's policy rate sets the price of short-term money in its currency; the 10-year bond yield is what governments pay to borrow for a decade.
- Dollar (Fed)
- South African Rand (SARB)
- Dollar
- South African Rand
| Central bank | Policy rate | As of | Last move |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Federal Reserve (USD) | 3.88% | October 20, 2026 | September 2026 (3.63% to 3.88%) |
| The South African Reserve Bank (ZAR) | 7.25% | October 19, 2026 | September 2026 (7% to 7.25%) |
| Country | Yield | Month |
|---|---|---|
| The United States | 4.99% | September 2026 |
| South Africa | 8.95% | September 2026 |
The South African Reserve Bank rate is 3.38 percentage points above the Federal Reserve's. The policy rate is the rate a central bank sets for overnight lending (the Fed: mid-point of the Federal Reserve target rate). The 10-year yield gap is 3.96 percentage points, higher in South Africa.
What are real interest rates in the United States and South Africa?
A rate means little without inflation.
| Country | Policy rate | Inflation, year on year | Real rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| The United States | 3.88% | 3.40% August 2026 | 0.48% |
| South Africa | 7.25% | 4.26% July 2026 | 2.99% |
The real rate is the simple Fisher approximation: the policy rate minus the latest year-on-year consumer price inflation. A positive real rate means cash at the central bank's rate earns more than prices are rising; a negative one means it does not. Right now South Africa has the higher real rate (2.99% against 0.48%). Inflation is the BIS's consumer price series for each economy; the latest month differs by country (August 2026 for the United States, July 2026 for South Africa).
Is the South African rand strong, or just strong against the dollar?
A bilateral rate hides what a currency does against everything else.
- Dollar
- South African Rand
| Currency | Index now | Ten-year average | Versus its average | Ten-year range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dollar | 107.1 | 102.2 | +4.8% | 91.7 to 114.5 |
| South African Rand | 113.9 | 106.3 | +7.2% | 88.6 to 121.7 |
This answers a different question from the exchange rate above. A currency can gain against one partner and fall against most others. The BIS's real effective exchange rate weighs a currency against its trading partners and adjusts for inflation differences, so a reading above 100 means it is more expensive than in 2020 and below 100 cheaper. In September 2026, the dollar was near its ten-year average and the South African rand was 7.2% above its ten-year average. The "stronger" and "weaker" labels use this site's own cut-off of 5% either side of the average.
Do interest rate gaps move the south african rand-dollar exchange rate?
The textbook says money flows to the higher rate. The last ten years of data say this about this pair:
Over the past ten years, the change in the policy-rate gap and the change in USD/ZAR had a weak link (correlation -0.08, 39 three-month windows); for 10-year yields, the change in the yield gap and the change in USD/ZAR had a strong link (correlation -0.57, 39 three-month windows).
How this is measured: for each non-overlapping three-month window, the change in the gap between the two rates (South African Rand minus Dollar, in percentage points) against the percentage change in the price of one south african rand in us dollars. A correlation of 0 means no link and 1 or -1 a perfect one; under 0.2 is weak and over 0.5 strong. A link is not a cause, and a weak link over ten years says little about the next three months. This is an observation, not a forecast.
Frequently asked questions: dollar vs south african rand
What is the south african rand to dollar exchange rate today?
As of October 23, 2026, 1 US dollar = 16.5868 South African rand, or 1 South African rand = 0.06029 US dollars. That is down 4.6% for the dollar over the past year, down 12.5% over three years and up 12.0% over five years against the South African rand.
Is the South African rand stronger than the dollar?
It depends what "stronger" means. Against the dollar alone, the dollar is down 4.6% over a year. Against a basket of trading partners, adjusted for inflation (the BIS real effective exchange rate), the South African rand is 7.2% above its ten-year average and the dollar is near its ten-year average.
Which has the higher interest rate, the Federal Reserve or the South African Reserve Bank?
The South African Reserve Bank policy rate is 7.25% and the Federal Reserve is 3.88%, so the South African Reserve Bank is higher by 3.38 percentage points. The 10-year government bond yields are 8.95% in South Africa and 4.99% in the United States.
What are the real interest rates in the United States and South Africa?
The real rate is the policy rate minus year-on-year inflation: 0.48% in the United States (3.88% less 3.40%) and 2.99% in South Africa (7.25% less 4.26%).
How much has USD/ZAR moved in five years?
Over the past five years USD/ZAR has ranged from 14.5800 to 19.6087, and its volatility over the past year was 9.7% a year, against 12.2% over five years.
Why does the south african rand-dollar exchange rate matter for stock investors?
Companies that earn or pay in more than one currency see their reported profits move with exchange rates, and a currency's strength affects imports, exports and the value of overseas investments. Use the screener to look at the companies themselves, and dollar vs euro for money supply and cash in circulation.
Where does this data come from, and how often is it updated?
Policy rates, inflation and the real effective exchange rate come from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) Data Portal; exchange rates and 10-year yields come from FRED (the St. Louis Fed). The page is rebuilt every week.
Where does this data come from?
- Policy rates, inflation and strength: BIS Data Portal: central bank policy rates, consumer price inflation (year on year) and the real effective exchange rate index (broad basket, 2020 = 100).
- Exchange rates and 10-year yields: FRED (St. Louis Fed): the Federal Reserve's H.10 daily exchange rates and OECD 10-year government bond yields.
- Method and limits: every figure is shown as published, with its date, and refreshed weekly (data as of October 23, 2026). There is no composite score, and nothing here predicts where a rate goes next. Read the Editorial Standards for how this site handles data.
Educational content only, not investment, currency-trading or tax advice. Exchange rates and interest rates move for reasons no single table captures.