Jurisdiction guide
Compliance in South Africa: what you must do, and in what order.
Regulatory infrastructure for South African fintechs, digital asset businesses, and the international companies entering the market.
Regulatory map
Who regulates what in South Africa
- Key regulators
- SARB, FSCA, the Information Regulator, FIC
- Central bank
- the South African Reserve Bank
- Securities regulator
- the FSCA
- Financial intelligence unit
- the Financial Intelligence Centre
- Data protection authority
- the Information Regulator
- Privacy law
- POPIA
- Payment licence categories
- SARB payment system participation and FSCA financial services provider licences
- Digital asset framework
- CASP licensing under the FAIS Act
Licensing
The licensing route
SARB and FSCA authorisation, CASP licensing under the FAIS Act, POPIA compliance, and AML/CFT programmes that survive an FIC inspection.
Why now
CASP licensing under the FAIS Act, FIC Act amendments after greylisting, and POPIA enforcement have all reshaped what supervisors expect.
Entering from abroad
Entering South Africa means FSCA authorisation, SARB exchange control considerations, POPIA compliance, and FIC Act obligations.
Where to start
Fintech Compliance Health Check
See scope and price
Digital Asset Diagnostic
See scope and price
Licensing Application Sprint
See scope and price
For policy tracking and analysis of regulatory change in South Africa, read Legum Dialogue. This guide is a practical summary, not legal advice.
Legum provides regulatory and compliance advisory services. Where a matter requires licensed legal representation, we will say so clearly before work begins.