Policy Reference

South Africa

Explore South Africa’s crypto laws, including FSCA licensing, exchange rules, taxes, AML compliance, and digital asset regulation.

Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA)
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Topic
Law Type
Asset Class

Law database

2 law profiles

Law / Bill
Draft Intro Committee Passed Enacted Effective
South Africa FSCA Declaration of Crypto Assets as Financial Products under the FAIS Act General Notice 1350 of 2022; Gov. Gazette No. 47334 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

Declaration of a Crypto Asset as a Financial Product under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, 2022

South Africa’s FSCA declared crypto assets to be financial products under the FAIS Act, bringing crypto advice and intermediary services into FAIS licensing.

Last action: May 28, 2026 - Payments clarification issued

South Africa Income Tax Act Crypto-Asset Tax Treatment Act 58 of 1962; Act 23 of 2018; Act 23 of 2020 Effective Details Draft Draft: Completed Intro Introduced: Completed Committee In committee: Completed Passed Passed: Completed Enacted Enacted: Completed Effective Effective: Current

Income Tax Act 58 of 1962, as applied to crypto assets through SARS guidance and tax-law amendments

South Africa applies normal income-tax principles to crypto assets. SARS says gains or losses may be ordinary income or capital gains, depending on the facts.

Last action: Mar 20, 2026 - SARS crypto tax page updated

Information is for general purposes only and not legal advice. See full disclaimer.