Data/fx/USD/ZAR
Foreign exchange · spot
Live

USD/ZAR

16.2344
(US Dollar / South African Rand)
+0.13% today
Get API key
Jul 7Dec 23Jun 15

As of 2026-07-06 07:28:09 UTC, USD/ZAR (US Dollar / South African Rand) is 16.2344, reconciled from ECB ref · live spot and refreshed every tick / ECB daily fallback. Every observation is point-in-time and names the feed it came from — backtest-safe and reproducible. USD/ZAR is available over the REST API and an MCP server on exchangerate.dev, with a free tier to start.

How do I query USD/ZAR?

One authenticated GET returns the latest value with its timestamp and source. Swap the language tab for your stack.

$ curl https://api.exchangerate.dev/v1/rate/usd-zar \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY"
# → rate, timestamp, source, derived
✓Every field in the response names the feed and timestamp it came from.

Reference

GET/v1/latest/USD?symbols=ZAR

Latest USD/ZAR indicative spot rate — value, timestamp, source, and market_session.

Rate limit
60 / min (free) · 600 / min (Pro)
Latency p95
sub-100ms edge hits
Source feed
ECB ref · live spot
Frequency
tick / ECB daily fallback

Provenance

Reconciled against aggregated market data + public reference rates · parser v2.1
Methodology and revision log are public and versioned.
Read methodology

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Related reading

GuideHow to backfill FX rates without look-ahead biasRead BlogWhat ECB-based FX APIs miss between fixesRead MethodologyHow we reconcile live spot and daily reference ratesRead
LiveReal-time rate — updated about every 60 seconds through the trading week. Last updated 2026-07-06 07:28:09 UTC. See which currencies are live.

USD/ZAR — US Dollar to South African Rand

USD/ZAR expresses how many South African rand one US dollar buys. It is one of the most actively traded emerging-market currency pairs in the world, and traders often use the rand as a high-beta proxy for broader risk appetite — when global sentiment turns cautious, ZAR tends to weaken faster than many of its peers.

The rand floats freely, with the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) targeting inflation rather than a fixed exchange rate. Because South Africa is a major producer of gold and platinum-group metals, commodity prices are a persistent driver of the pair, alongside capital flows into and out of South African bonds and equities. Domestic factors — including periodic electricity supply constraints — also feed into rand sentiment.

USD/ZAR is watched by commodity traders, portfolio managers with emerging-market exposure, and businesses trading with or operating in South Africa.

This page shows an indicative mid-market rate that can update intraday through the trading week. It is not a live intraday quote for settlement or regulated trading — every API response carries source and market_session so you can see whether a given number reflects a live tick or a daily reference fix.

Frequently asked questions

What does USD/ZAR measure?
USD/ZAR states how many South African rand you receive for one US dollar. A rate of 18.50 means one dollar buys 18.50 rand.
Is USD/ZAR a floating exchange rate?
Yes. The rand trades under a free float, and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) does not target a specific level — it focuses on inflation rather than defending an exchange rate.
Why does USD/ZAR move so much compared to other pairs?
The rand is one of the more liquid emerging-market currencies and is widely used as a proxy for global risk appetite. Commodity prices (gold, platinum-group metals) and shifts in capital flows can drive sharp moves in short periods.
Is this rate live or a daily reference?
The API response for this pair carries a source and market_session field on every call, so you always know whether the quote reflects a live intraday tick or a daily reference fix — the rate can update intraday through the trading week, but no fixed refresh interval is guaranteed.
What drives the rand besides gold and platinum prices?
Global risk sentiment, the interest-rate gap between SARB and the US Federal Reserve, and South Africa-specific factors like electricity supply constraints all feed into how the rand trades against the dollar.
How do I get this rate via the API?
GET /v1/latest/USD?symbols=ZAR returns the indicative rate, source, market_session, and timestamp. The free tier covers it, no credit card required. All rates are indicative, not for settlement.
Who typically watches USD/ZAR?
Commodity traders, emerging-market portfolio managers, and businesses trading with or operating in South Africa use USD/ZAR as their primary reference for dollar-rand conversion.

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