As a visitor to South Africa, we would like to give you the following information on currency policies while you are on safari and also here are the most current foreign exchange rates. Please contact us if you have any questions on currency issues in Southern Africa.

SOUTH AFRICAN CURRENCY  |  FOREIGN EXCHANGE  |  CURRENCY ENQUIRIES

Rands & Cents  |  Banking  |  Credit Cards  |  Useful Numbers | Tipping  |  Taking Money Out of South Africa  |  Tax Claims

SOUTH AFRICAN CURRENCY

Rands and cents

Our unit of currency is the rand, which is divided into 100 cents. Coins come in denominations of 1c, 2c, 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5, and notes in denominations of R10, R20, R50, R100 and R200. All currency must be declared on entry.

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Banking made easy

You’ll also find South Africa an easy destination. From the moment you step off the plane, you'll see that there are banks, bureaux de change and automatic tellers almost everywhere. Generally speaking, banks are open from 9am to 3.30pm Mondays through Fridays, and 8.30am to 11am on Saturdays, but those at the airports adjust their hours of opening to accommodate all international flights.

Major national banks have branches as well as automated teller machines (ATMs) in most large towns. International banks have branches in the major cities. Thomas Cook (represented by Rennies Travel) and American Express foreign exchange offices are available in the major cities.

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Credit cards and cash

All major credit cards can be used in South Africa, with American Express and Diners Club enjoying less universal acceptance than Mastercard and Visa. In some small towns, you may find you'll need to use cash. A rather strange anomaly – you may not purchase fuel with credit cards.

South Africans have special fuel credit cards, known as garage or petrol cards, which can be used only at filling stations. You can, however, pay road tolls with master or visa cards.

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Useful numbers & web sites

You may want to print out a list of these useful numbers before you leave home. All numbers are written as you would dial them from within South Africa. The 0800 numbers are toll-free from a landline within South Africa – but not from a mobile phone. Or click to go through to the relevant web site:

• American Express SA - (011) 359 0200

• Diners Club SA - 0800 112 017

• Master Card SA - 0800 990 418

• Visa SA - 0800 990 475

• Absa Bank - 0800 111 155

• First National Bank - 0800 111722

• Nedbank - 0800 555 111

• Standard Bank - 0800 021 000

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Tipping

Tipping is common practice in South Africa for a range of services. In restaurants the accepted standard is around 10% of the bill, although sometimes a gratuity will be included (often in the case of a large party). Barmen are tipped a similar percentage.

Petrol stations are manned by attendants who will expect a tip of two or three Rands for filling up with petrol, checking oil, water and tyre pressure and cleaning windscreens. Hotel porters should be tipped two to five Rands. It is also appropriate to tip taxi drivers, tour guides and even hairdressers.

If you park a car in a populated area such as near a shopping centre, street security guards will usually ask whether they can watch over your car and in return should be paid a small fee - anything from two rands upwards.

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Taking rands out of South Africa

When you leave the country you are permitted to take up to R500 in South African Reserve Bank notes. A 20% levy is charged on amounts above R500.

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Tax refunds for tourists departing South Africa by air or sea 

Who can claim?  
Non- resident foreign passport holders, older than 7 years of age, on a temporary visit to South Africa are able to claim a VAT Refund, provided that VAT was levied by the supplier, and the supplier is a VAT registered vendor.  South African residents and passport holders are excluded. .

How to claim your refund? .

1. Documentation  
Simply identify yourself as a tourist to the shop assistant, and request a Tax invoice for the goods you have purchased.  A Tax invoice must contain all the following information:

• The words “Tax invoice”

• The seller’s VAT registration number

• The seller’s name and address

• A full description of the goods purchased

• The amount of VAT charged, or a statement that VAT is included in the total cost of the goods

• A Tax invoice number

• Date of issue of the Tax invoice

• The cost of the goods in Rands

• In the case of purchases over R 500.00, the purchaser’s name and address and the quantity or volume of the goods must appear on the invoice.

2.  Inspection  
Inspections must be evidenced by an endorsement on the relevant tax invoice by a VAT Refund official or a South African customs official.

Should you depart from one of the three International airports (Johannesburg, Durban or Cape Town), you must present your purchases as well as the relevant tax invoices to a VAT Refund official for inspection.  If your purchases are too large to be kept as hand-luggage and are to be transported as part of checked luggage, you must present the goods and relevant tax invoices to a South African customs official prior to the goods being checked in.

Should you depart from one of the airports or harbours listed below, you must present your purchases and the relevant tax invoices to a South African customs official.  
Other airports:  Lanseria, Bloemfontein, Gateway, Nelspruit, Mmabatho, Port Elizabeth, Upington  
Harbours:  Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, East London, Richards Bay, Mossel bay,  Saldanha

Remember:  No inspection - No refund!  Goods exported via any other departure point do not qualify for a VAT refund.

3. Claim your VAT refund  
On departure from one of the three International airports, present your claim at the VAT refund office.  Your refund will be made by rand cheque payable anywhere in the world, except South Africa.  The cheques may be cashed at the airport banking facility, into a major currency of your choice.  Details will be provided by the VAT Refund Administrator’s office at the airport.

Remember:  No refund will be made if the claim is not submitted before departure.

(However, in extreme circumstances you may submit your claim by post for consideration.  Such claims must be accompanied by a full completed “export declaration form” as proof that the goods have been declared for Customs purposes in the country to which the goods are exported.  You must also enclose a letter of explanation, a copy of your passport showing your personal details as well as the entry and exit endorsements into and from South Africa.  These postal refund claims will only be considered if received by the VAT Refund Administrator within 90 days of the date of export.  The VAT Refund Administrator will forward theses claims to the Commisionar for consideration.)

General information  
Only claims where the value of the goods exported at one time is R 250,00 or more, will be considered for a VAT refund. The commissioner determines the value of refund cheques issued on departure.  Refunds exceeding this limit will be posted. Goods consumed and services rendered in South Africa, do not qualify for a VAT refund. The items purchased must be exported within 90 days of the date of issue of the Tax Invoice.  
An administration fee of 1.5 % of the VAT inclusive value of the claim will be deducted, subject to a  minimum of R 10,00 and a maximum of R 250,00. Only original Tax Invoices will be considered for a refund.  
Special rules apply to registerable items and second-hand goods, which will result in a postal refund once the Commissioner has determined the amount refundable. Information contained herein is subject to change or variation without notice.

For further information contact the VAT Refund Administrator (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg Tel.: +27 - 11 - 390 2970   Fax: +27 - 11 - 390 2787   E-Mail: info@taxrefunds.co.za

• See www.taxrefunds.co.za for more detail.
  

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Source: South Africa.info

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