South African Rand

The South African Rand (ZAR) is the official currency of South Africa. With the symbol R, it is managed by the South African Reserve Bank. The currency was introduced in 1961 and is subdivided into 100 Cent. It's commonly known by its nickname "Rand".

Rates updated Sep 21, 2026, 08:00 PM UTC. Over the last 90 days, 1 ZAR ranged from 0.0594 to 0.06266 USD (+1.84%).

Currency Name

South African Rand

Currency Code

ZAR

Symbol

R

Country

South Africa

Central Bank

South African Reserve Bank

Introduced

1961

Subunit

1/100 Cent

ISO Numeric Code

710

The South African Rand was introduced in 1961 when South Africa became a republic. The name comes from 'Witwatersrand' (white waters ridge), the area where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found.

South Africa has the most developed economy in Africa, and the rand is the most traded African currency. It's often used as a proxy for emerging market sentiment.

The South African Rand is legal tender in South Africa and is also used in Namibia, Lesotho, and Eswatini. South Africa's mining sector significantly influences the currency.

• 1Nelson Mandela appears on all current rand banknotes
• 2The rand is named after the Witwatersrand gold ridge
• 3South Africa is one of the world's largest gold producers