Travel Tips Tips

Can you use Revolut in South Africa?

Gabrielle Figueiredo

01.09.25

Read time 3 minutes

If you're heading from Ireland to South Africa it pays to plan ahead, especially when it comes to spending, as the South African rand (ZAR) is the official currency.

Revolut is a popular choice for Irish travellers looking to manage money across borders, but how well does it work in South Africa? In this guide, we’ll cover everything from holding and spending rand with your Revolut account, to ATM access and potential fees.

We’ll also introduce the Wise Account and card as an option that lets you convert currencies at the mid-market exchange rate, helping you avoid hidden costs while spending abroad.

Manage and spend
ZAR with Wise 💡

Does Revolut work in South Africa?

using-revolut-south-afica

Yes, you'll be able to use your Irish Revolut account in South Africa. But to understand fully how this will work, it’s best to break it down and look at some of the individual features.

Is it possible to open a South African rand balance with Revolut?

Revolut supports balances in 30+ currencies, and South African rand is one of them.¹ This means you can open a ZAR balance within your Irish Revolut account then convert and store money in rand, before spending directly from the balance.

Can I use my Irish Revolut card in South Africa?

You can use both Revolut physical and virtual cards in South Africa, anywhere Mastercard or Visa is accepted.² If you’ve already converted money into ZAR, your card will debit that balance. Otherwise, Revolut will automatically convert from another currency you hold, with fees depending on your plan.

For cash withdrawals you’ll need the physical card, as virtual and disposable cards won’t work at ATMs.

Can you receive South African rand with Revolut?

Irish Revolut accounts don’t have a local South African account details, but you can receive South African rand via a SWIFT transfer.³ Here’s how you find your ZAR SWIFT details within the Revolut app:

On the main menu go to “Home”

Press “Accounts”

Choose the South African rand currency account

Select “Details”

Wise also offers the option to receive South African rand by SWIFT, as well as local and international account details for +8 other currencies (EUR, GBP, USD and AUD, for example).

Receive money
with Wise

Revolut fees in South Africa: What are the charges when using the card?

Here’s a quick look at how the fees compare between Revolut and Wise, if you want to use a multicurrency account card to spend in South Africa.

Fees	Revolut	Wise
Monthly subscription fees	Standard - Free⁴ Plus - 3.99 EUR per month Premium - 8.99 EUR per month Metal - 15.99 EUR per month Ultra - 45 EUR per month	None
Order a card	Varies depending on the account type, card type and delivery method⁴	7 EUR
Foreign transaction fee	No fee (if spending in your base currency)⁷	No fee (if you are spending in the currency you have in your account)
Currency conversion fee	Fair usage fee of 1% for Standard accounts and 0.5% for Plus accounts after monthly exchange limit is used⁵ Additional fees of 1% for Standard accounts and 0.5% for Plus accounts apply on weekend⁴	Variable fee starting at 0.61%
ATM withdrawals	2% of the withdrawal (minimum 1 EUR) after monthly free allowance is used. Free allowance varies depending on plan.⁵	Withdraw up to 200 EUR per month in 2 or less withdrawals for free. After this it’s 1.75% + 0.5 EUR per withdrawal

Revolut exchange rate: What you need to pay attention to 👀

When converting currencies, Revolut uses its own exchange rate.⁵ It's a variable rate and based on different independent sources. And keep in mind that weekend surcharges will apply if you have a Standard or Plus account, of 1% and 0.5%, respectively.

Wise, on the other hand, uses the mid-market exchange rate (the one you normally see on Google) with no markups or weekend fees. This can make it easier to understand exactly how much you’re paying when converting currencies.

Can you open a Revolut account in South Africa?

Unfortunately people living in South Africa are unable to open a Revolut account at this time, but if you’re considered an Irish resident you can open one using your Irish details instead.⁶

Read also: Wise vs Revolut

Wise Account: Manage, spend, send and receive South African rand

As we already touched during this article, the Wise Account is also an option for spending in South Africa. And there is more you can do with it.

With the Wise Account you can:

Hold 40+ currencies and convert between them at the [mid-market rate](https://growth-layer.live/ie/mid-market-rate. We will show our conversion fees upfront
Get local account details in 8+ currencies, including USD, GBP, and EUR
Receive cashback on EUR, GBP and USD held in your account
Order a Wise debit card which you can use with our Smart Conversion technology]
Set up Auto Conversions based on your desired rate in the Wise app or use our Wise Rate Tracker to request exchange rate notifications directly to your email
Create Wise Virtual Cards, and save on online shopping
Get instant notifications of all your purchases via the Wise app so you can track your expenses. If you lose your card, you can easily cancel it in the app to keep your money safe
Have a supporting, English-speaking customer service

Open your Wise Account
for free 🚀

Sources used:

Revolut - Supported currencies for holding
Revolut - Where can I use my Revolut Card?
Revolut - My account details and IBAN
Revolut - Compare plans
Revolut - Personal Fees (Standard)
Revolut - Supported countries where I can sign up for Revolut
Revolut - Card fees

Sources last checked on date: 5 August 2025

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.