About USD/ZAR
USD/ZAR represents the US dollar against the South African rand, an emerging market currency that is both a commodity proxy and a barometer of EM risk appetite. South Africa is the world's largest producer of platinum and a major gold miner, so precious metals prices directly influence the rand - rising gold and platinum lift ZAR, pushing USD/ZAR lower. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) repo rate decisions, CPI data, and GDP reports are the domestic catalysts. Political risk, including sovereign credit rating reviews and election outcomes, can cause sharp moves. Daily ranges average 0.10-0.20 rand, with spreads of 15-40 pips typically. The pair is most active during the London session, when European banks trade African currencies. USD/ZAR tends to strengthen (rise) during global risk-off episodes and weaken when EM sentiment improves.
Historical Rates - Last 7 Days
| Date | Close | Change |
|---|
| 2026-08-22 | 16.0901 | -1.00% |
| 2026-08-23 | 16.1020 | +0.07% |
| 2026-08-24 | 15.9938 | -0.67% |
| 2026-08-25 | 15.9927 | -0.01% |
| 2026-08-26 | 15.9242 | -0.43% |
| 2026-08-27 | 15.9435 | +0.12% |
| 2026-08-28 | 15.9692 | +0.16% |
See full price history on the historical rate lookup tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the pip value for USD/ZAR?
One standard lot (100,000 units) on USD/ZAR has a pip value of approximately $10.00. The minimum price increment (tick) is 0.0001. A pip is typically the third decimal place for this pair, meaning 1 pip = 0.0001 for most pairs.
What time is USD/ZAR most active?
USD/ZAR sees its highest trading volume during the London session. As an exotic pair, liquidity can thin significantly outside of the primary sessions listed above. Spreads widen and slippage increases during off-hours.
What economic events affect USD/ZAR most?
The most impactful events for USD/ZAR come from the USD and ZAR economies. US releases — non-farm payrolls, CPI, FOMC rate decisions, and GDP — are among the most market-moving events globally. A surprise in any of these can shift the pair 50–100 pips within minutes. The upcoming events section above lists the specific releases scheduled in the next two weeks.