{"id":28561,"date":"2025-03-04T12:15:45","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T17:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tienda.gsgeducation.com\/?p=28561"},"modified":"2025-03-20T19:14:25","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T00:14:25","slug":"rand-the-south-african-currency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tienda.gsgeducation.com\/?p=28561","title":{"rendered":"Rand: the South African currency"},"content":{"rendered":"
Major credit card providers like Visa and Mastercard make transactions convenient for visitors. However, it\u2019s wise to check exchange rates and consider any international transaction fees. The south African rand (ZAR) is the national currency of South Africa. ZAR stands for Zuid-Afrikaanse Rand (in Dutch), which is the place where the country\u2019s main gold deposits are situated.<\/p>\n
The Dutch East India Company arrived in Cape Town in 1652, establishing a trading post to provide supplies to ships passing through the region. If you are taking coins, gold, stamps, or foreign currency valued under R25,000, you do not need to declare it. Foreigners can bring an unlimited amount of foreign currencies and\/or traveler\u2019s cheques. However, any amounts above R25,000 or the equivalent currency must be declared. The maximum amount you can withdraw from an ATM in South Africa is 3,000 rand or about $200 at a time.<\/p>\n
The republic\u2019s legal system was based on Dutch Roman-Dutch law, which further emphasized its cultural and linguistic ties to the Boer community. Despite the introduction of the rand, the influence of the Dutch can still be seen in the currency. Prior to the creation of the ZAR currency, various other currencies were in circulation in the region. These included British pounds, Spanish and Portuguese coins, and various denominations of the Dutch guilder. However, with the formation of the Republic of South Africa, there was a need for a new currency that would reflect the independence and sovereignty of the new nation. The story of the ZAR currency begins in the late 19th century, when large deposits of gold and diamonds were discovered in South Africa.<\/p>\n