All payments in South Africa are made in South African rand (ZAR). The most convenient and cost-effective option is to bring US dollars – they exchange easily at favorable rates. Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere. However, we still recommend carrying enough cash in case of technical glitches or card blocks.
Important: bring post-2010 “blue” US dollars; older bills may be exchanged at a rate up to 15% lower.
UnionPay cards are generally good for withdrawing cash. Nevertheless, they are accepted in only about 30% of shops and restaurants.