Local Tip
Let nobody help you at a Cape Town cash machine. The police, the banks' crime centre SABRIC and the tourist board all say so, and the police warn that thieves work in pairs: one distracts you while the other grabs the card or the cash. Most places take cards, so a small stock of rand for tips and car guards is all the cash you need.
Where to change money in Cape Town
Reserve Bank rules let visitors bring foreign currency in any form and convert it to rand with a bank (an authorised dealer) or a licensed bureau, known as an ADLA. Keep the receipt in case you want to swap rand back later. GOV.UK suggests changing large amounts only inside a bank or a secure shopping centre.
- iMali Express, Victoria Wharf, V&A Waterfront - Shop 6199A, ground level of Victoria Wharf Mall, open 9:00 to 21:00 daily (waterfront directory). The firm says the Reserve Bank licenses it as an ADLA. Its rates were not checked, so compare its pound quote with your bank's.
- Exchange kiosks and cash machines, Cape Town International Airport - Cape Town Tourism places kiosks in the domestic baggage hall and on both sides of international security, with cash machines in every terminal and exchange available round the clock. Operators and charges are not named.
Changing money at the airport
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) has cash machines, bank outlets and a 24-hour exchange service, but kiosk charges go unpublished, so change just a little there.
Use only authorised taxis, booked at the transport kiosks or domestic arrivals desk; Uber and Bolt collect from the ground floor of Parkade 1. Cape Town Tourism's June 2026 scam guide estimates an Uber to the city centre at R220 to R400 and a metered taxi from about R650, notes that ride-hailing costs climb at busy times and warns of people posing as Uber drivers, so book in the app. GOV.UK reports more attacks on drivers to and from the airport and advises keeping to the M3 and N2. The MyCiTi airport bus was suspended in 2024.
ATMs and cards in Cape Town
Cape Town Tourism says cards work in most restaurants, hotels, shops and attractions, though a little cash helps with tips. No local bank's charge for foreign cards was found, so check your UK bank's overseas fees, and if a till or machine offers pounds, choose rand: Which? warns that choosing sterling hands the rate to the local bank, which may add a charge too.
Crime at cash machines is the real risk, and GOV.UK calls skimming widespread. SABRIC says to walk away if anyone is loitering and warns that fraudsters often look smart. The police advise covering the card slot, refusing help from strangers and asking a bank official, not the guard, if stuck. If a machine swallows your card, ring your bank's stop-card line yourself, never through a bystander.
Paying for transport in Cape Town
MyCiTi buses take no cash. You need a myconnect card, R40 at station kiosks and participating retailers, loaded with credit there or online. Tap in as you board and out when you leave; tapping in again within 45 minutes continues the journey on one fare. Cape Town Tourism mentions a R50 single-trip card. Fares from 1 July 2026 are R19.50 for 0 to 5 km in the weekday peaks (06:45 to 08:00, 16:15 to 17:30) and R15.00 otherwise; passes cost R130 for one day, R290 for three and R420 for seven. Council was due to adopt them on 29 June 2026, which was not confirmed, so check at a kiosk. The journey planner shows routes to Sea Point, Camps Bay and the Waterfront.
Cape Town Tourism (June 2025) says metered cabs start at about R10 per km and take cards or cash, while the Golden Arrow buses and the minibus taxis (R10 to R50) want cash.
Good to know
- Tipping: Cape Town Tourism suggests 10 to 15% for good restaurant service and South African Tourism 10 to 20%, noting an automatic 10% service charge for tables of more than six. Car guards get R1 to R5, or about R5 if they mind it for more than half an hour; a tip at the petrol pump is up to you.
- VAT refunds: VAT is 15%. Visitors can reclaim it on goods over R250 that leave the country within 90 days of purchase and are shown to Customs, claiming within 90 days of export; the VAT Refund Administrator has a desk at Cape Town airport (SARS).
- Cash rules: GOV.UK says to declare over R25,000 in rand or over US$10,000 in other currencies on arrival, and since 1 July 2026 all travellers must file SARS's online traveller declaration. The Reserve Bank lets you leave with rand notes worth up to R25,000, but SARS's own FAQ cites R100,000, so check before carrying a large sum.
- Most banks open 9:00 to 15:30 on weekdays and 9:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays, closed Sundays and public holidays (Cape Town Tourism).
Key Areas in Cape Town
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Cape Town travel money FAQ
Where is the best place to exchange money in Cape Town?
A bank or a Reserve Bank-licensed dealer such as iMali Express at Victoria Wharf, keeping your receipt. Most visitors simply take rand from a bank machine. Airport kiosks open round the clock but publish no rates.
How do I avoid cash machine scams in Cape Town?
Accept help from nobody, however well turned out, and skip any machine with people hanging around it. Cover the card slot, ask a bank official if something goes wrong and ring your bank's stop-card line yourself.
How do I pay for MyCiTi buses?
With a R40 myconnect card loaded with credit and tapped in and out; drivers take no cash. From 1 July 2026 a 0 to 5 km ride costs R19.50 at peak and R15.00 otherwise.
Checked October 2026. Fees, fares and opening times change, so check locally before relying on them. Sources: South African Reserve Bank · GOV.UK (FCDO) · South African Revenue Service · SABRIC · South African Police Service · Cape Town Tourism
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