How much cash can you take to South Africa?
There is no cap on what you may carry into South Africa. At ZAR 25,000 or more you must tell customs, which is free and takes a few minutes. The same figure applies leaving.
Entering South Africa
ZAR 25,000
or more — declare it
Leaving South Africa
ZAR 25,000
or more — declare it
Applies per person. Each traveller has their own figure. That does not make splitting a large sum across a group to avoid the threshold lawful — several countries treat that as an offence in its own right.
Check your actual route
The figure above is only one end of the trip. Add where you're coming from or going to for both.
Pick both countries to see the rules for each end of your trip.
The rule in South Africa, in full
Cash (notes/coins) exceeding ZAR 25,000 (or equivalent in foreign currency) must be declared when entering or leaving South Africa. Same threshold both directions, per traveller. ADDITIONAL: South Africa has exchange-control regulations — residents are limited to a travel allowance of ZAR 1,000,000 per year; non-residents may take out foreign currency up to the amount they brought in and declared. Governed by the Currency and Exchanges Act.
Form: Declaration of cross-border movement of cash (SARS Customs / SARB form). Get it from the authority at the border or their site — we don't mirror it here, because forms are revised without notice and a stale copy is worse than none.
South African Revenue Service (SARS) – Customs and Excise / South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Last checked 2026-08-10
Heading to South Africa? The duty-free allowance page for South Africa covers what you can bring in without paying duty.