How to send money to South Africa from Philippines with the best PHP-ZAR rate

Comparing money transfer companies with services between the Philippines and South Africa, based on your specific transfer amount and transfer needs, is the best way to send money at the best price.

Here are your best options for sending money from the Philippines to South Africa

• Wise is the best way to transfer Philippine Peso into Rand. Sending 14,700 PHP to ZAR will cost you ₱232.71 in fees, and your recipient will receive 3,882.17 ZAR. The delivery time usually is same day, but it depends on the day you make the transfer.

• Cheapest way to transfer money to South Africa from the Philippines is via Wise.

• Fastest company to send money to South Africa from the Philippines is with PayPal App (P2P Transfer). Right now, if you are sending ₱14,700 with PayPal App (P2P Transfer) to South Africa, the transfer time is minutes. This can vary depending on your needs, but it's the fastest option.

For this route, we’ve compared 4 providers providing services between Philippines and South Africa. This ensures you will get the best options when sending Rand to South Africa.

Over the last 7 days, we’ve picked Wise as the best overall provider. However, comparing based on the amount you want to send to South Africa will provide a specific provider that’s best for transferring money from the Philippines.

The exchange rate is the price you will pay when buying Rand in the Philippines. A better exchange rate means you send more Rands to South Africa.

Currently, the mid-market rate between the Philippine Peso and Rand is 0.2693.

Ensuring a strong combination of fees and exchange rates ensures the best deal on money transfers from the Philippines to South Africa.

• The Mid-Market and Exchange Rates: Finding a provider as close to mid-market rate as possible will ensure more Rand for your Philippine Peso. The current PHP-ZAR mid-market rate is 0.2693 ZAR per Philippine Peso.

• Fees: Money transfer fees are charged on top the exchange rate and can be set, or a percentage of the total amount of Philippine Peso you’re sending to South Africa. Wise currently has the lowest fees for transfers into ZAR of just 232.71 PHP. We always recommend searching for your exact send amount for an exact fee.

• Amount Received: The amount received in Rand is the biggest indicator of the total cost of sending money to South Africa from the Philippines. The bigger the amount received in South Africa, the lower the overall cost of sending from the Philippines.

A better option is to use a forward contract. This allows you to lock in an agreed exchange rate for transfers between the Philippines and South Africa for a set amount of time, this can be up to two years in some cases.

Sending through a money transfer company via a bank transfer will most often be the way to get the best price when sending money from the Philippines to South Africa.

Here are all the ways to send money from Philippines to South Africa:

Bank transfers

Bank transfers are often the better option for money transfers from the Philippines to South Africa.

Sending money via a bank transfer with a company such as Wise for transfers from the Philippines to South Africa allows you to benefit from lower fees and more favorable exchange rates than you would get with a traditional bank. 


Debit and prepaid cards

Sending money from the Philippines to South Africa with a prepaid or a debit card is very simple with Western Union Agent.


Western Union Agent is a leader in card payments for transfers from the Philippines to South Africa, competing among a total of 4 active money transfer companies on this route.

Credit cards

We recommend avoiding credit card deposits as it usually means taking a cash advance and using it for the deposit. Instead, use a bank transfer or a debit card deposit to save on fees.

If you have to, we recommend running a comparison to find the best deal for your transfer.

Money transfer companies offering services between the Philippines and South Africa have minimum or maximum thresholds on how much you can send or receive. These can be daily, weekly or monthly.

In particular, rates and fees for sending different amounts of Philippine Peso could change. We always recommend comparing PHP-ZAR rates for your specific transfer amount. Then, with transfers to South Africa, shopping around each time can make a huge difference - as some providers offer introductory rates.

If you’re worried about transfer limits, for sending large amounts of PHP to South Africa, we’d recommend Wise.

There are different options for receiving Rand in South Africa. The most popular are direct bank deposit, cash pickup, a mobile wallet or receiving money into a multi-currency account. Not all providers offering transfers from the Philippines to South Africa will offer every method for incoming Rand, so it’s best to check ahead of time.

Sending directly to a bank account is one of the most common ways to send money from the Philippines into South Africa. For most part, this is because it means the recipient has to do very little. Wise is the best company for bank transfers between Philippines and South Africa.

And if you need cash right away, check if cash pickup is an option for transfers between the Philippines and South Africa.

Mobile wallet services and payment apps like PayPal, Xoom, and CashApp are popular too, but they come with more limitations and higher costs compared to money transfer providers like Wise.

You will need to verify your ID at the sign up stage when sending from the Philippines to South Africa through a money transfer company.

Documents needed will vary and in some cases you might need a couple of different forms of ID.

ID can be verified in the Philippines through a government issued ID such as a passport or driver's license. If the recipient needs ID to collect money in South Africa, both of these will also likely be accepted. Depending on the company you are using and where the money is going in South Africa, it’s always best to check ahead just in case.

Larger transactions between the Philippines and South Africa are likely to be subject to additional checks such as proof of funds for anti-money laundering purposes. This could slow down the process of sending money if you’re not prepared for them.

One of the reasons Wise scored so highly for large and regular transfers to South Africa, was their easy sign up process in the Philippines.

When sending money between the Philippines and South Africa there will be tax declarations to consider.

Some transfers into Rand may need to be reported to tax authorities in South Africa. This is of particular note where inheritance or property purchases are involved.

Personal allowances and tax limits will change in South Africa based on age, income and personal circumstance. When in doubt, please contact a tax professional in the Philippines or South Africa to discuss your individual needs. This will ensure you are not missing any specific tax obligations associated with your transfer.