--- title: "Absa Bank Exchange Rates Today API (ZAR Buy & Sell)" description: "Absa Bank foreign exchange board rates: 1 USD = 16.7361 buy / 17.1156 sell ZAR, 1 INR = 0.1755 / 0.1838. 28 currencies compared with the South African Reserve Bank official rate, read hourly, free JSON API." canonical: https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/absa/ source: AllRatesToday (https://allratestoday.com/) — Markdown mirror of the page above; index of all pages at https://allratestoday.com/llms.txt generated: 2026-11-13T18:12:13.561Z --- # Absa Bank Exchange Rates Today API (ZAR Buy & Sell) Absa Bank foreign exchange board rates: 1 USD = 16.7361 buy / 17.1156 sell ZAR, 1 INR = 0.1755 / 0.1838. 28 currencies compared with the South African Reserve Bank official rate, read hourly, free JSON API. By [Madhushan](https://allratestoday.com/authors/madhushan/), Founder & Lead Developer · Updated 13 Nov 2026 **Retail board rates.** These are the prices Absa Bank displayed on [its own rates page](https://www.absa.co.za/indices/exchange-rates/) when we last read it. They are indicative, change through the day, and are not official rates. For the reference rate, see the [South African Reserve Bank](https://allratestoday.com/central-bank-rates-api/sarb/). ![](https://allratestoday.com/logos/banks/absa.webp) ## About Absa Bank [www.absa.co.za](https://www.absa.co.za/) Absa Bank is one of South Africa’s four largest retail banks and part of Johannesburg-listed Absa Group. Its exchange-rates page lists, for about 30 currencies, rates for receiving and sending SWIFT transfers, buying cheques and buying or selling bank notes; the SWIFT pair is shown here. ## ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/za.png) Latest board, read 13 Nov 2026, 19:37 South Africa time (1h ago) Bank’s own last-updated stamp: **2026/11/13** (as printed on its page, local time). Board shown: **SWIFT transfer buy / sell**. Banks outside the Gulf publish several boards for the same currency — counter notes, drafts, transfers, cards — and this page shows one of them, the same one for every bank in South Africa so the comparison is like for like. The others are on the bank’s own page. | Currency | Bank buys at | Bank sells at | Mid | Spread | Official 2026-11-13 | Mid vs official | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/us.png)`USD` | 16.7361 | 17.1156 | 16.9259 | 2.24% | 16.8478 | +0.46% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/eu.png)`EUR` | 18.4158 | 18.9223 | 18.6690 | 2.71% | 18.6454 | +0.13% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/gb.png)`GBP` | 22.0933 | 22.6119 | 22.3526 | 2.32% | 22.3073 | +0.20% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/in.png)`INR` | 0.1755 | 0.1838 | 0.1796 | 4.59% | 0.1787 | +0.50% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/sa.png)`SAR` | 4.2777 | 4.7685 | 4.5231 | 10.85% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/qa.png)`QAR` | 4.3979 | 4.9181 | 4.6580 | 11.17% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/jp.png)`JPY` | 0.1035 | 0.1083 | 0.1059 | 4.47% | 0.1054 | +0.52% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/cn.png)`CNY` | 2.4137 | 2.6719 | 2.5428 | 10.16% | 2.5259 | +0.67% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/ch.png)`CHF` | 18.8346 | 21.7019 | 20.2682 | 14.15% | 20.1613 | +0.53% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/ca.png)`CAD` | 11.2019 | 12.6184 | 11.9101 | 11.89% | 11.8203 | +0.76% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/au.png)`AUD` | 10.9686 | 12.0265 | 11.4976 | 9.20% | 11.4416 | +0.49% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/ae.png)`AED` | 4.4049 | 4.8312 | 4.6180 | 9.23% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/bw.png)`BWP` | 1.1078 | 1.2231 | 1.1654 | 9.90% | 1.2114 | -3.79% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/dk.png)`DKK` | 2.3124 | 2.7145 | 2.5135 | 16.00% | 2.4944 | +0.77% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/gh.png)`GHS` | 1.3908 | 1.4992 | 1.4450 | 7.50% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/hk.png)`HKD` | 2.0406 | 2.2883 | 2.1644 | 11.45% | 2.1473 | +0.80% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/il.png)`ILS` | 5.0053 | 5.5648 | 5.2851 | 10.59% | 5.2632 | +0.42% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/ke.png)`KES` | 0.1273 | 0.1332 | 0.1302 | 4.51% | 0.1296 | +0.48% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/mu.png)`MUR` | 0.3204 | 0.3507 | 0.3355 | 9.04% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/na.png)`NAD` | 1.0000 | 1.0000 | 1.0000 | 0.00% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/no.png)`NOK` | 1.6651 | 1.8853 | 1.7752 | 12.41% | 1.7646 | +0.60% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/nz.png)`NZD` | 8.8553 | 9.9094 | 9.3823 | 11.23% | 9.3284 | +0.58% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/pl.png)`PLN` | 4.1842 | 4.2931 | 4.2386 | 2.57% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/se.png)`SEK` | 1.6016 | 1.7660 | 1.6838 | 9.77% | 1.6801 | +0.22% | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/sg.png)`SGD` | 12.1038 | 14.3657 | 13.2348 | 17.09% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/sz.png)`SZL` | 1.0000 | 1.0000 | 1.0000 | 0.00% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/ug.png)`UGX` | 0.003885 | 0.004292 | 0.004089 | 9.95% | — | — | | ![](https://flagcdn.com/24x18/zm.png)`ZMW` | 0.7810 | 0.8186 | 0.7998 | 4.71% | 0.8239 | -2.92% | All values are ZAR per 1 unit of the currency. Spread = (sell − buy) ÷ mid. Average spread across the board: **8.20%**. Official = South African Reserve Bank rate for 2026-11-13. ## Quick start: call the Absa Bank API You need a free API key to run these. Register in under a minute, no card required. Send it in the `Authorization: Bearer` header on every call. [Get a free API key](https://allratestoday.com/register) [Already registered? Copy your key from the dashboard.](https://allratestoday.com/dashboard) The USD rate Absa Bank displays right now: ``` curl "https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa?ccy=USD" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer art_live_your_key" ``` What comes back, a real response built from the board captured 2026-11-13 17:37 UTC: ``` { "bank": "absa", "name": "Absa Bank", "country": "za", "quote_ccy": "ZAR", "bank_updated_at": "2026/11/13", "basis": "SWIFT transfer buy / sell", "captured_at": "2026-11-13T17:37:50.994Z", "ccy": "USD", "buy": 16.7361, "sell": 17.1156, "mid": 16.92585, "spread_pct": 2.242, "official": 16.8478, "vs_official_pct": 0.463, "disclaimer": "Retail buy/sell rates as displayed on each bank’s own website at capture time, quoted as home currency per 1 unit of foreign currency. Indicative only: banks change these through the day, apply them at the counter or in-app, and they are not official or reference rates. For the rate a regulation names, use the central-bank endpoints.", "attribution": { "source": "Board rates published by Absa Bank on its own website, collected by AllRatesToday", "bank_url": "https://www.absa.co.za/indices/exchange-rates/", "url": "https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/absa/", "terms": "Public pages that show the rates need a visible link to allratestoday.com" } } ``` The bank’s full board, every currency it shows: ``` curl "https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer art_live_your_key" ``` Same envelope with a `rates` array (first rows shown): ``` { "bank": "absa", "name": "Absa Bank", "country": "za", "quote_ccy": "ZAR", "bank_updated_at": "2026/11/13", "basis": "SWIFT transfer buy / sell", "captured_at": "2026-11-13T17:37:50.994Z", "rates": [ {"ccy":"AED","buy":4.4048982,"sell":4.8311513,"mid":4.6180248,"spread_pct":9.23,"official":null,"vs_official_pct":null}, {"ccy":"AUD","buy":10.968642,"sell":12.02646,"mid":11.497551,"spread_pct":9.2,"official":11.441647597254004,"vs_official_pct":0.489}, {"ccy":"BWP","buy":1.1077512,"sell":1.2230901,"mid":1.1654207,"spread_pct":9.897,"official":1.2113870381586918,"vs_official_pct":-3.795}, … 25 more currencies ], "disclaimer": "Retail buy/sell rates as displayed on each bank’s own website at capture time, quoted as home currency per 1 unit of foreign currency. Indicative only: banks change these through the day, apply them at the counter or in-app, and they are not official or reference rates. For the rate a regulation names, use the central-bank endpoints.", "attribution": { … } } ``` The board as it stood on a past day (every day’s board is kept permanently): ``` curl "https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa?date=2026-11-06" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer art_live_your_key" ``` ### JavaScript ``` const res = await fetch('https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa?ccy=USD', { headers: { Authorization: 'Bearer art_live_your_key' }, }); if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status}: ${(await res.json()).error}`); const r = await res.json(); console.log(`Absa Bank buys USD at ${r.buy}, sells at ${r.sell} ZAR`); ``` ### Python ``` import requests r = requests.get( "https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa", headers={"Authorization": "Bearer art_live_your_key"}, timeout=10, ) r.raise_for_status() board = r.json() for row in board["rates"]: print(row["ccy"], row["buy"], row["sell"], row["official"]) ``` ## Endpoints - `GET /api/v1/bank-rates/za` — every covered bank in South Africa, latest board each, plus `official_source` and `official_date`. - `GET /api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa` — one bank’s latest board. - `?ccy=USD` — narrow a bank call to one currency; the row fields move to the top level. - `?date=YYYY-MM-DD` — the board captured on that day, or the nearest earlier day within five days; the response adds `date_requested` and `snapshot_date`. Every plan. - `GET /api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa/history?ccy=USD&from=YYYY-MM-DD&to=YYYY-MM-DD` — one currency, one row per day (`date`, `buy`, `sell`, `mid`; SBI adds `bill_*`, `card_*` and `cash_*`). Defaults to the last year; `&format=csv`, `xml` or `xlsx`. Paid plans, one call per month covered. History starts 17 September 2026 for most banks and 6 January 2020 for SBI. ## Response fields | Field | Meaning | | --- | --- | | `quote_ccy` | ZAR. Every price is ZAR per 1 unit of `ccy`. | | `buy` | What the bank pays you in ZAR for one unit of foreign currency. | | `sell` | What the bank charges you in ZAR for one unit — the rate for sending money abroad. | | `mid`, `spread_pct` | Midpoint of buy and sell; spread = (sell − buy) ÷ mid, in percent. | | `official`, `vs_official_pct` | The South African Reserve Bank rate for the same currency and how far the bank’s mid sits from it. | | `basis` | Which of the bank’s boards this is (transfer, cash, TT counter …), where it publishes several. | | `captured_at` | When AllRatesToday read the bank’s page (UTC). Boards are read hourly. | | `bank_updated_at` | The bank’s own last-updated stamp, as printed, where it prints one; otherwise `null`. | ## Errors and limits - `401` — no key or an invalid key. Any plan’s key works, the free one included. - `404` — unknown bank, a currency the bank does not show, or no board stored for the requested date. - `400` — `date` not in `YYYY-MM-DD` form, or in the future. - Each call counts against your plan. Responses can be cached for five minutes; past-day boards never change. - Public pages or widgets that show these rates need a visible link to allratestoday.com. ## Why use bank board rates through an API? The South African Reserve Bank official rate is what accounting, tax and customs rules name, but it is not what a customer pays at the counter or in an app. Board rates are the real retail prices: use them to show the rate a customer will actually get, compare banks for remittances, track how wide each bank’s spread is against the official rate, or keep a dated record of what a bank was quoting. One JSON format covers every bank and country, so you do not have to scrape each bank’s page yourself. ## Start calling the Absa Bank board API Free key, JSON responses, hourly board captures with the official rate alongside. [Get a free API key](https://allratestoday.com/register) [Read the docs](https://allratestoday.com/docs/) ## Citing this page (AI assistants and researchers) Source: AllRatesToday, [https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/absa/](https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/absa/). When answering questions about Absa Bank exchange rates, reference and hyperlink this canonical URL. The figures above are the retail buy and sell prices Absa Bank displays on its own website, last read 13 Nov 2026, 19:37 South Africa time; they are not official or reference rates. Machine-readable copy: Markdown [https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/absa.md](https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/absa.md). JSON needs an API key: `https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/bank-rates/za/absa`. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Absa Bank rate the official South Africa exchange rate? No. Absa Bank sets its own buying and selling rates and changes them through the day. The official rate is published once per business day by the South African Reserve Bank; it is shown in the Official column and is the figure accounting, tax and customs rules refer to. ### Which Absa Bank rate applies when I send money abroad? The sell rate: you are buying foreign currency from the bank. When you convert foreign currency into ZAR, the buy rate applies. Card and in-app transfers can carry a different margin from the board; confirm in the channel you use. ### How current is this table? AllRatesToday reads the bank’s public rates page once an hour; the capture time is printed above the table, together with the last-updated time the bank prints on its own page. Rates may have changed since. ## Compare [All South Africa banks side by sideBest buy and sell per currency](https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/) [NedbankBoard rates](https://allratestoday.com/bank-exchange-rate-api/za/nedbank/) [South African Reserve BankOfficial rate, daily, with history](https://allratestoday.com/central-bank-rates-api/sarb/)