What is official exchange rate in South Africa?

Official exchange rate in South Africa was 17.89 LCU per US$, period average in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).

What is the highest official exchange rate recorded in South Africa?

The highest recorded value was 18.45 LCU per US$, period average in 2023.

What is the lowest official exchange rate recorded in South Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 0.6795 LCU per US$, period average in 1974.

How does South Africa rank for official exchange rate?

South Africa ranks 98th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.

Is official exchange rate rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is up 40.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this South Africa data come from?

The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Official exchange rate in South Africa

Name: Official exchange rate in South Africa
Creator: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

South Africa: Official exchange rate was 17.89 LCU per US$, period average in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)

17.89 LCU per US$, period average

Change on year

down 2.4%

World rank

98th

of 213 countries

All-time high

18.45 LCU per US$, period average

in 2023

All-time low

0.6795 LCU per US$, period average

in 1974

Years of data

1960–2025

Official exchange rate in South Africa, 1960–2025

Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in LCU per US$, period average.

Analysis

The most recent figure for official exchange rate in South Africa is 17.89 LCU per US$, period average, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and up 40.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, official exchange rate in South Africa peaked at 18.45 LCU per US$, period average in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.6795 LCU per US$, period average, in 1974.

That places South Africa 98th out of 213 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Official exchange rate in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) in South Africa, 1960 to 2025.
Year	LCU per US$, period average	Change
1960	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	—
1961	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1962	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1963	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1964	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1965	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1966	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1967	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1968	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1969	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1970	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1971	0.7152 LCU per US$, period average	+0.1%
1972	0.7687 LCU per US$, period average	+7.5%
1973	0.694 LCU per US$, period average	-9.7%
1974	0.6795 LCU per US$, period average	-2.1%
1975	0.7395 LCU per US$, period average	+8.8%
1976	0.8696 LCU per US$, period average	+17.6%
1977	0.8696 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1978	0.8696 LCU per US$, period average	+0.0%
1979	0.842 LCU per US$, period average	-3.2%
1980	0.7788 LCU per US$, period average	-7.5%
1981	0.8776 LCU per US$, period average	+12.7%
1982	1.09 LCU per US$, period average	+23.7%
1983	1.11 LCU per US$, period average	+2.6%
1984	1.48 LCU per US$, period average	+32.4%
1985	2.23 LCU per US$, period average	+51.1%
1986	2.29 LCU per US$, period average	+2.5%
1987	2.04 LCU per US$, period average	-10.9%
1988	2.27 LCU per US$, period average	+11.7%
1989	2.62 LCU per US$, period average	+15.4%
1990	2.59 LCU per US$, period average	-1.3%
1991	2.76 LCU per US$, period average	+6.7%
1992	2.85 LCU per US$, period average	+3.3%
1993	3.27 LCU per US$, period average	+14.6%
1994	3.55 LCU per US$, period average	+8.7%
1995	3.63 LCU per US$, period average	+2.1%
1996	4.3 LCU per US$, period average	+18.5%
1997	4.61 LCU per US$, period average	+7.2%
1998	5.53 LCU per US$, period average	+20.0%
1999	6.11 LCU per US$, period average	+10.5%
2000	6.94 LCU per US$, period average	+13.6%
2001	8.61 LCU per US$, period average	+24.1%
2002	10.54 LCU per US$, period average	+22.4%
2003	7.56 LCU per US$, period average	-28.2%
2004	6.46 LCU per US$, period average	-14.6%
2005	6.36 LCU per US$, period average	-1.6%
2006	6.77 LCU per US$, period average	+6.5%
2007	7.05 LCU per US$, period average	+4.0%
2008	8.26 LCU per US$, period average	+17.3%
2009	8.47 LCU per US$, period average	+2.6%
2010	7.32 LCU per US$, period average	-13.6%
2011	7.26 LCU per US$, period average	-0.8%
2012	8.21 LCU per US$, period average	+13.1%
2013	9.66 LCU per US$, period average	+17.6%
2014	10.85 LCU per US$, period average	+12.4%
2015	12.76 LCU per US$, period average	+17.6%
2016	14.71 LCU per US$, period average	+15.3%
2017	13.32 LCU per US$, period average	-9.4%
2018	13.23 LCU per US$, period average	-0.7%
2019	14.45 LCU per US$, period average	+9.2%
2020	16.46 LCU per US$, period average	+13.9%
2021	14.78 LCU per US$, period average	-10.2%
2022	16.36 LCU per US$, period average	+10.7%
2023	18.45 LCU per US$, period average	+12.8%
2024	18.33 LCU per US$, period average	-0.7%
2025	17.89 LCU per US$, period average	-2.4%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	0.7143 LCU per US$, period average	10
1970s	0.7762 LCU per US$, period average	0.6795 LCU per US$, period average	0.8696 LCU per US$, period average	10
1980s	1.68 LCU per US$, period average	0.7788 LCU per US$, period average	2.62 LCU per US$, period average	10
1990s	3.92 LCU per US$, period average	2.59 LCU per US$, period average	6.11 LCU per US$, period average	10
2000s	7.7 LCU per US$, period average	6.36 LCU per US$, period average	10.54 LCU per US$, period average	10
2010s	11.18 LCU per US$, period average	7.26 LCU per US$, period average	14.71 LCU per US$, period average	10
2020s	17.04 LCU per US$, period average	14.78 LCU per US$, period average	18.45 LCU per US$, period average	6

Countries ranked near South Africa

95 Sierra Leone 21.3 LCU per US$, period average compare
96 Mexico 19.24 LCU per US$, period average compare
97 Eswatini 17.89 LCU per US$, period average compare
98 Lesotho 17.89 LCU per US$, period average compare
100 Namibia 17.89 LCU per US$, period average compare
101 Republic of Moldova 17.38 LCU per US$, period average compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More financial sector data for South Africa

Total reserves in months of imports, annual growth rate 9.76 % change on previous year (2025)
Total reserves in months of imports, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Total reserves in months of imports, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per unit of GDP 0.0877 SDR per US$ of GDP (2025)
Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per capita 578.61 SDR per person (2025)
Reserves excluding gold (SDR), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2025)
Reserves excluding gold (SDR), per capita 658.6 SDR per person (2025)
Total reserves (gold at market value) (SDR), annual growth rate 10.64 % change on previous year (2025)
Total reserves (gold at market value) (SDR), per capita 857.36 SDR per person (2025)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is official exchange rate in South Africa?: Official exchange rate in South Africa was 17.89 LCU per US$, period average in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest official exchange rate recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 18.45 LCU per US$, period average in 2023.
What is the lowest official exchange rate recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 0.6795 LCU per US$, period average in 1974.
How does South Africa rank for official exchange rate?: South Africa ranks 98th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
Is official exchange rate rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is up 40.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?: The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Official exchange rate in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/official-exchange-rate-lcu-per-us-period-average/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average)
Unit: LCU per US$, period average
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 215 places, 12,630 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed: 20 August 2026

Official exchange rate refers to the exchange rate determined by national authorities or to the rate determined in the legally sanctioned exchange market. This indicator represents the ratio of Local Currency Units relative to United States dollars.This indicator is derived as an average over the reference period.