Lending interest rate in South Africa
South Africa: Lending interest rate was 10.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Lending interest rate in South Africa, 1960–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lending interest rate in South Africa is 10.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.1% on the previous year and up 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lending interest rate in South Africa peaked at 22.3% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 1963.
South Africa ranks 58th of 148 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Lending interest rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.2% | — |
| 1961 | 6.8% | +10.1% |
| 1962 | 6.2% | -9.1% |
| 1963 | 5.5% | -11.4% |
| 1964 | 5.8% | +5.3% |
| 1965 | 6.9% | +19.4% |
| 1966 | 7.5% | +8.4% |
| 1967 | 8.2% | +10.0% |
| 1968 | 8.3% | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 8.0% | -4.0% |
| 1970 | 8.2% | +2.1% |
| 1971 | 8.8% | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 8.8% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 8.0% | -9.0% |
| 1974 | 10.2% | +27.1% |
| 1975 | 11.8% | +16.0% |
| 1976 | 12.2% | +3.9% |
| 1977 | 12.5% | +2.0% |
| 1978 | 12.1% | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 10.0% | -17.5% |
| 1980 | 9.5% | -5.0% |
| 1981 | 14.0% | +47.4% |
| 1982 | 19.3% | +38.1% |
| 1983 | 16.7% | -13.8% |
| 1984 | 22.3% | +34.0% |
| 1985 | 21.5% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 14.3% | -33.3% |
| 1987 | 12.5% | -12.8% |
| 1988 | 15.3% | +22.7% |
| 1989 | 19.8% | +29.3% |
| 1990 | 21.0% | +5.9% |
| 1991 | 20.3% | -3.3% |
| 1992 | 18.9% | -6.9% |
| 1993 | 16.2% | -14.5% |
| 1994 | 15.6% | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 17.9% | +14.8% |
| 1996 | 19.5% | +9.1% |
| 1997 | 20.0% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 21.8% | +9.0% |
| 1999 | 18.0% | -17.4% |
| 2000 | 14.5% | -19.4% |
| 2001 | 13.8% | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 15.8% | +14.4% |
| 2003 | 15.0% | -5.0% |
| 2004 | 11.3% | -24.5% |
| 2005 | 10.6% | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 11.2% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 13.2% | +17.9% |
| 2008 | 15.1% | +14.9% |
| 2009 | 11.7% | -22.6% |
| 2010 | 9.8% | -16.0% |
| 2011 | 9.0% | -8.5% |
| 2012 | 8.8% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 8.5% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 9.1% | +7.4% |
| 2015 | 9.4% | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 10.5% | +11.1% |
| 2017 | 10.4% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 10.1% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 7.7% | -23.9% |
| 2021 | 7.0% | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | +30.8% |
| 2024 | 11.6% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 10.7% | -8.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.0% | 5.5% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.3% | 8.0% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.5% | 9.5% | 22.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.9% | 15.6% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.2% | 10.6% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 8.5% | 10.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.6% | 7.0% | 11.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More financial sector data for South Africa
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), per capita 95,301 current LCU per person (2025)
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), per unit of GDP 14.44 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Net domestic credit (current LCU), annual growth rate 11.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gold reserves at 35 SDRs per ounce 141.22 million SDR (2025)
- Gold reserves at market value 12.87 billion SDR (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange 37.46 billion SDR (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold 42.64 billion SDR (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at market value) 55.51 billion SDR (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) 55.42 billion SDR (2025)
- Total reserves (gold at national valuation) (SDR), per capita 855.88 SDR per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lending interest rate in South Africa?
- Lending interest rate in South Africa was 10.7% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest lending interest rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 22.3% in 1984.
- What is the lowest lending interest rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 1963.
- How does South Africa rank for lending interest rate?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 148 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lending interest rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Lending interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Lending rate is the bank rate that usually meets the short- and medium-term financing needs of the private sector. This rate is normally differentiated according to creditworthiness of borrowers and objectives of financing. The terms and conditions attached to these rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability.