South Africa Foreign Reserves
Total reserves including gold FI.RES.TOTL.CD
South Africa's foreign reserves was $67.9B in 2025, ranked 37th globally. This represents a 3.8% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
South Africa's foreign reserves stood at $67.9B in 2025, a rise of +$2.5B from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach $67.9B by 2025. South Africa ranked 37th globally.
South Africa’s foreign reserves stood at $67.94 billion in 2025, marking both the latest recorded value and an all-time high, a significant increase from the historical low of $272.2 million in 1960. Over a 66-year period, reserves have expanded nearly 249-fold, reflecting structural shifts in the country’s economic policy, integration into global financial markets, and efforts to bolster external stability. The 2025 level places South Africa just above Australia’s $67.71 billion and below Sweden’s $63.84 billion, positioning it competitively among peer economies despite varying economic structures. This peak follows periods of volatility, including reserve drawdowns during balance of payments pressures and efforts to defend the rand. The sustained accumulation in recent years suggests a strategy of enhancing resilience to external shocks, supporting currency stability, and maintaining investor confidence. Going forward, the trajectory of South Africa’s foreign reserves will likely depend on the fiscal and monetary policy coherence, the current account balance, and global financial conditions, particularly commodity price trends and capital flows to emerging markets.
Data & projection
| Year | Foreign Reserves | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | $73.1B | - | - |
| 2026* trend | $70.5B | - | - |
| 2025* trend | $67.9B | - | - |
| 2025 | $67.9B | +$2.5B | #37 |
| 2024 | $65.4B | +$2.9B | #35 |
| 2023 | $62.5B | +$1.9B | #37 |
| 2022 | $60.6B | +$3.0B | #37 |
| 2021 | $57.6B | +$2.6B | #38 |
| 2020 | $55.0B | −$47.4M | #36 |
| 2019 | $55.1B | +$3.4B | #37 |
| 2018 | $51.6B | +$919.2M | #39 |
| 2017 | $50.7B | +$3.5B | #37 |
| 2016 | $47.2B | +$1.3B | #36 |
| 2015 | $45.9B | −$3.2B | #37 |
| 2014 | $49.1B | −$586.6M | #37 |
| 2013 | $49.7B | −$979.9M | #35 |
| 2012 | $50.7B | +$1.9B | #34 |
| 2011 | $48.7B | +$4.9B | #34 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
South Africa matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1994. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw foreign reserves improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
South Africa's foreign reserves was $67.9B in 2025. Ranked 37th globally. This represents a 3.8% increase from the previous year.
South Africa's foreign reserves peaked at $67.9B in 2025.
The lowest foreign reserves in South Africa was $272.2M in 1960.
South Africa ranks 37th globally in foreign reserves as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is FI.RES.TOTL.CD. Data sourced from World Bank.
South Africa's foreign reserves is projected to reach $67.9B by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
South Africa's foreign reserves was approximately 67.94 billion ($67.9B) in 2025.
The foreign reserves of South Africa in 2025 was $67.9B. This ranks 37th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_south-africa_reserves,
title = {South Africa Foreign Reserves},
url = {https://historysaid.com/south-africa/reserves/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}