South Africa: Reserves

The latest value from 2025 is 76.02 billion U.S. dollars, an increase from 65.43 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 135.81 billion U.S. dollars, based on data from 121 countries. Historically, the average for South Africa from 1960 to 2025 is 17.84 billion U.S. dollars. The minimum value, 0.27 billion U.S. dollars, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 76.02 billion U.S. dollars was recorded in 2025. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.

The reserves of South Africa and other countries include their holdings of foreign currencies and gold. These are the reserves of the central bank and the treasury of the country, not the private sector.

When countries export products or attract investment from other countries, they receive foreign currencies. They use some of these currencies to buy imports and to invest in other countries. The rest is held in reserves and some of the reserves may be converted to gold.

Definition: Reserve assets are external assets, including monetary gold, that are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in exchange markets to affect the currency exchange rate, and for other related purposes (such as maintaining confidence in the currency and the economy, and serving as a basis for foreign borrowing). Reserve assets must be denominated and settled in foreign currency. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. This indicator is expressed in United States dollars.