South Africa bank code guide

Domestic payments

Obtain the branch or universal branch code designated for the recipient’s account.

International payments

Follow the bank’s SWIFT/BIC and inward-payment instructions.

Important distinctions

• The saved source is a partial supported-bank reference, not every South African branch.
• Do not assume a universal code applies to every account or payment type without bank instructions.
• A missing reference record does not prove that a branch code is invalid.

How to find and confirm the identifier

1. Ask the recipient to obtain payment instructions from their bank’s official app, statement or website.
2. Match the country, identifier type and institution. Keep leading zeros and do not substitute a different code type.
3. For a changed bank or branch, verify the replacement instructions directly with the bank. A similar name is not enough.

Directory coverage

Bank-level reference codes published in Root’s supported-bank documentation. This is a partial provider list, not a full branch-address directory or a guarantee of payment eligibility. Some institutions share codes. Confirm with the bank before use.

Saved source date: Source undated; retrieved 2026-11-02. Authority / source reference ↗

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