The USD/ZAR exchange rate fell to 18.1803 on August 1, 2025, down 0.12% from the previous session. Over the past month, the South African Rand has weakened 3.53%, but it's up by 0.52% over the last 12 months. South African Rand - values, historical data, forecasts and news - updated on August of 2025.

A graphic that displays the dollar performance against other currencies reveals that economic developments had mixed results on currency exchanges. The third quarter of 2023 marked a period of disinflation in the euro area, while China's projected growth was projected to go up. The United States economy was said to have a relatively strong performance in Q3 2023, although growing capital market interest rate and the resumption of student loan repayments might dampen this growth at the end of 2023. A relatively weak Japanese yen Q3 2023 saw pressure from investors towards Japanese authorities on how they would respond to the situation surrounding the Japanese yen. The USD/JPY rate was close to ***, whereas analysts suspected it should be around ** given the country's purchase power parity. The main reason for this disparity is said to be the differences in central bank interest rates between the United States, the euro area, and Japan. Any future aggressive changes from, especially the U.S. Fed might lower those differences. Financial markets responded somewhat disappoint when Japan did not announce major plans to tackle the situation. Potential rent decreases in 2024 Central bank rates peak in 2023, although it is expected that some of these will decline in early 2024. That said, analysts expect overall policies will remain restrictive. For example, the Bank of England's interest rate remained unchanged at **** percent in Q3 2023. It is believed the United Kingdom's central bank will ease its interest rate in 2024 but less than either the U.S. Fed or the European Central Bank. This should be a positive development for the pound compared to either the euro or the dollar.

As of August 1, 2023, one U.S. dollar could buy 21,021.7 Sierra Leonean leones (SLL), the highest exchange rate among the African currencies. Furthermore, one U.S. dollar corresponded to 758.9 Nigerian naira (NGN), 30.85 Egyptian pounds (EGP), 18.03 South African rand (ZAR), and 9.86 Moroccan dirhams (MAD) as of the same date.

Exchange rates and inflation: a case study of West African countries

Exchange rates can affect a country's inflation rate and the purchasing power of its currency. If a country's currency depreciates significantly, it can lead to higher inflation as the cost of imported goods and services increases. Indeed, the inflation rate in Sierra Leone increased steeply over the past two years. The IMF further estimates that inflation will continue to rise before falling again. This high inflation and other factors also led to the depreciation of the SLL. Furthermore, a regional perspective showed that Nigeria and Liberia faced similar high inflation rates.

Businesses' strategies for tackling inflation

Unfavorable exchange rates negatively impact countries' economies. It does this in various ways, including limiting businesses' ability to grow. Issues such as inflation affect purchasing power and businesses' investment decisions. In 2023, a survey revealed that a substantial number of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) employed various measures to offset the impact of inflation. Approximately 36 percent of these businesses tapped into their personal savings to bolster their operations, while another 32 percent opted to scale down their business activities.

Key information about South Africa Real Effective Exchange Rate

• South Africa Real Effective Exchange Rate (REER: 2005=100: Month Avg: South Africa) was 89.3 in Dec 2024, compared with the number of 90.0 in the previous month.
• South Africa Real Effective Exchange Rate data is updated monthly and averaged 143.5 from Jan 1970 to Dec 2024.
• The data reached an all-time high of 143.5 in Aug 1983 and a record low of 63.9 in Dec 2001.

CEIC generates Real Effective Exchange Rate Index with base 2005=100. South African Reserve Bank provides Real Effective Exchange Rate Index with base 2015=100. Producer Price Index for manufactured goods is used as a deflator. An increase in REER indicates reduced competitiveness for the reporting economy.


Related information about South Africa Real Effective Exchange Rate

• In the latest reports, South Africa Short Term Interest Rate: Month End: Treasury Bills Rate: 91 Days was reported at 7.4 % pa in Feb 2025.
• The cash rate (Policy Rate: Month End: Repo Rate) was set at 7.5 % pa in Feb 2025.
• South Africa Exchange Rate against USD averaged 18.7 (USD/ZAR) in Jun 2023.

South Africa’s inflation has been quite stable for the past years, levelling off between 3.2 and 6.9 percent, and is in fact expected to stabilize at around 4.5 percent in the future. South Africa is a mixed economy, generating most of its GDP through the services sector, especially tourism. However, the country struggles with unemployment and poverty.

Inflation who?

The inflation rate of a country is an important key factor to determine the country’s economic strength. It is calculated using the price increase of a defined product basket, containing goods and services on which the average consumer spends money throughout the year. They include, for example, expenses for groceries, clothes, rent, utilities, but also recreational activities, and raw materials (e.g. gas, oil), as well as federal fees and taxes. Some of these goods are more volatile than others – food prices, for example, are considered less reliable. The European Central Bank aims to keep inflation at around two percent in the long run.

What happened in 2016?

In 2016, South Africa’s inflation rate peaked at over 6.3 percent, and gross domestic product, and thus economic growth , took a hit, a sure indicator that something was affecting the country’s economic scaffolding: Low growth due to weak demand and an uncertain political future caused a crisis; then-President Jacob Zuma’s alleged mismanagement and unstable reign steeped in controversy and criminal charges even caused the economy’s outlook to be downgraded by ratings agencies. Zuma was relieved of his office in 2018 – ever since, inflation, GDP, and economic growth seem to have stabilized.

Model of the difference in modularity between risky and safe offer (Rand Index).