What changed: South African residents aged 18 and over can now use a single discretionary allowance (SDA) of R2 million per calendar year, up from R1 million. The travel allowance for residents under 18 has doubled from R200,000 to R400,000 a year.
Timeline
- 3 March 2026: the SARB published draft circulars for public comment.
- 8 April 2026: the SARB issued the final exchange control circulars, giving the changes legal effect.
What the SDA covers
The SDA is the amount an adult resident can move abroad each calendar year through a bank or authorised dealer. It covers things like travel spending abroad and gifts, and it can also be used for offshore investment. Check with your bank how your card spending abroad is counted.
What it means for travellers
- Long trips and study abroad: the higher limit makes it easier to fund an extended stay or a child's travel without extra applications.
- Foreign-currency accounts: you can move more into an offshore or multi-currency account, such as the one in our Dukascopy review, within the allowance.
- Cash: the separate limit on banknotes you can carry across the border is now R100,000. See the SARS traveller declaration update.