Data: South Africa's crypto economy grew by 52% to $39.3 billion in one year, cross-border regulatory draft may be revised

According to Be In Crypto, data from Chainalysis shows that by June 2026, the scale of South Africa's crypto economy will grow by 52% to $39.3 billion, with various tracking activities also increasing. Among them, commercial payments from South African merchants and P2P traders reached $8.34 billion, growing faster than institutional activities (which saw an inflow of $1.29 billion); the inflow of stablecoins through P2P channels in Sub-Saharan Africa reached $14.6 billion, on par with Bitcoin.

On August 3, the South African Treasury and the Central Bank (SARB) released a draft for crypto asset management, proposing that individuals can only transfer crypto assets through authorized local service providers within existing offshore limits, while businesses are prohibited from cross-border transfers of crypto assets.

As of March 31, the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) has issued licenses to 310 crypto asset service providers, but these institutions still need additional authorization from SARB. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana stated that after receiving thousands of public comments, the Treasury will strive to release a revised second draft, with no timeline currently announced.