Fiatmap

Cost of moneySouth Africa

Savings vs inflation in South Africa

Is my bank account gaining or losing purchasing power?

South Africa's savings vs inflation is 4.27 % — #11 of 69 countries on the atlas (higher is better). Period 2025.

4.27%

Checked 4 Sept 2026Period 2025

Source: Fiatmap derived metrics (own calculation from separately sourced components)

A bank account in South Africa currently gains about 4.3 pp of purchasing power a year.

Among 69 countries

2 of 69 countries between -15.60 % and -14.62 %2 of 69 countries between -12.67 % and -11.69 %1 of 69 countries between -6.81 % and -5.83 %2 of 69 countries between -4.86 % and -3.88 %3 of 69 countries between -3.88 % and -2.90 %6 of 69 countries between -2.90 % and -1.93 %3 of 69 countries between -1.93 % and -0.95 %4 of 69 countries between -0.95 % and 0.03 %13 of 69 countries between 0.03 % and 1.00 %8 of 69 countries between 1.00 % and 1.98 %4 of 69 countries between 1.98 % and 2.96 %9 of 69 countries between 2.96 % and 3.93 %5 of 69 countries between 3.93 % and 4.91 %1 of 69 countries between 4.91 % and 5.89 %3 of 69 countries between 5.89 % and 6.86 %3 of 69 countries between 6.86 % and 7.84 %median 0.87 %South Africa: ahead of 84 % of the 69 countries with a published savings vs inflationSouth Africa 4.27 %-15.60 %7.84 %
Half of all 69 countries sit between -1.24 % and 3.50 %. South Africa is ahead of 84 % of them. Axis trimmed to the 2nd–98th percentile; 3 values beyond it sit in the end bars.
Rank
#11 of 69
higher is better
Ranked behind
84 %
58 of 69 countries

In Africa: #4 of 14vs median 0.87 %: +3.40 pp (better)

The neighbourhood

#CountrySavings vs inflationvs South Africa
9 Ecuador4.59 %+0.32 pp
10 Rwanda4.42 %+0.15 pp
11 South Africa4.27 %—
12 Madagascar4.03 %−0.24 pp
13 Colombia3.82 %−0.45 pp

Deposit rate minus inflation — whether an ordinary bank account gains or loses purchasing power. Our calculation from two separately sourced figures.

How to read this figure

Our own calculation: the bank deposit rate minus annual CPI inflation. Where the policy-rate real rate answers "does the central bank beat inflation", this answers the question an ordinary saver actually has — does MY account? Deposit rates come from the IMF (harmonised, ~100 economies), inflation from official CPI; we never compute it when either leg is missing.

Next, about South Africa

Deposit rateInflation rateMoney's value
Savings vs inflation, all countries ranked →Compare South Africa with another country →Everything about South Africa →
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