z:za:ref
CITED · CURRENT · MACHINE-READABLE

South Africa's reference numbers, as an API.

Fuel prices, interest rates, FX rates, bond yields, tax tables, tolls, tariffs, wages and grants, with live government tenders and crypto prices, plus 29 calculators on top. The values that live in government PDFs, served as clean JSON with the official source attached to every response.

$ curl https://zaref.dev/v1/public-holidays

Free series, answers instantly, no payment needed. Paid series reply 402 with payment instructions in the headers.

Python? pip install zaref · free endpoints need no wallet · Python guide →

The data

33 SERIES

Every series follows one discipline: each value carries source_url, effective_date, last_confirmed and next_expected_update. A series past its expected update declares stale: true instead of pretending. Values we cannot verify are null with a note, never a guess.

/v1/tendersLIVE

Government tenders (live)

Live South African government tender feed from National Treasury's eTenders OCDS API: filter by province, procurement category, buyer, keyword and closing window. Returns compact tender records with closing dates, briefing sessions, documents and contacts.

live (fetched on request, 10-minute cache) · $0.005/call
/v1/crypto-pricesLIVE

Crypto ZAR prices (live)

Live ZAR crypto prices from VALR's public market data: last traded, bid/ask, 24-hour high/low/volume and daily change for BTC, ETH and every other ZAR pair on the exchange.

live (fetched on request, 60-second cache) · $0.005/call
/v1/fuel-pricesCURRENT

Fuel prices

Current SA retail/wholesale fuel prices: petrol 93/95 (inland & coastal), diesel 50ppm, illuminating paraffin. Rand per litre.

effective 2026-08-05 · confirmed 2026-08-05 · $0.005/call
/v1/repo-primeCURRENT

Repo & prime rate

SARB repo rate and prime lending rate, South Africa's benchmark interest rates, with last MPC change date.

effective 2026-05-29 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/cpiCURRENT

CPI (headline, YoY)

Latest Stats SA headline consumer inflation, year-on-year %, with reference month.

effective 2026-07-31 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/income-taxCURRENT

Income tax tables

SARS personal income tax brackets, rebates and thresholds for the current SA tax year, the tables PAYE is calculated from.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/vatCURRENT

VAT rate

VAT rate currently in force in South Africa.

effective 2018-04-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/uif-oidCURRENT

UIF & OID limits

UIF contribution remuneration ceiling and OID (COIDA) earnings threshold.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/minimum-wageCURRENT

National minimum wage

National minimum wage per hour, incl. special categories, with effective date.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/public-holidaysFREECURRENT

Public holidays

Official SA public holidays for the current calendar year, incl. proclaimed one-offs and Sunday observances.

effective 2026-01-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · free
/v1/school-termsCURRENT

School terms

DBE public school term dates.

effective 2026-01-14 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/sassa-grantsCURRENT

SASSA grant amounts

All SASSA social grant amounts incl. SRD, with effective date.

effective 2026-04-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/travel-ratesCURRENT

SARS travel rates

SARS prescribed per-km reimbursement rate and subsistence allowances for the current tax year.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-13 · $0.005/call
/v1/tax-rates-otherCURRENT

Other national tax rates

Corporate tax, dividends WHT, CGT inclusion, transfer duty brackets, retirement caps, medical tax credits, interest exemptions, estate/donations tax.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-14 · $0.005/call
/v1/unemploymentCURRENT

Unemployment rate

Latest Stats SA QLFS official and expanded unemployment rates, with reference quarter.

effective 2026-08-11 · confirmed 2026-08-11 · $0.005/call
/v1/gdpCURRENT

GDP growth

Latest Stats SA GDP growth (QoQ and YoY), with reference quarter.

effective 2026-06-09 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/ppiCURRENT

PPI (final manufactured goods)

Latest Stats SA producer inflation YoY, with reference month.

effective 2026-06-30 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/toll-feesCURRENT

Toll fees

Mainline toll plaza tariffs (vehicle classes 1-4) for the major national routes, current adjustment.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/electricity-tariffsCURRENT

Electricity tariffs

NERSA-approved Eskom tariff increases and key residential rates for the current year.

effective 2026-04-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/municipal-tariffsCURRENT

Metro municipal tariffs

Residential electricity/water/refuse/rates headline tariffs for the 5 big metros, current municipal year.

effective 2026-07-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/learnership-allowancesCURRENT

Learnership allowances

Minimum weekly learnership allowances per NQF level, per the current NMW gazette.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/sectoral-wagesCURRENT

Sectoral minimum wages

Minimum wages for sectors with their own determinations (contract cleaning, private security, etc.) beside the NMW.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-07 · $0.005/call
/v1/sars-interest-ratesCURRENT

SARS & prescribed interest rates

Official rate of interest (fringe benefits, s7C loans), SARS interest on outstanding taxes and refunds, and the prescribed rate of interest for legal and judgment debts.

effective 2026-07-01 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/retirement-limitsCURRENT

Retirement & TFSA limits

Retirement contribution deduction cap, tax-free savings limits, retirement and withdrawal lump-sum tax tables, living-annuity thresholds.

effective 2026-03-01 · confirmed 2026-07-09 · $0.005/call
/v1/nca-max-ratesCURRENT

NCA maximum interest rates

Maximum lawful interest rates per credit type under National Credit Act (NCA) Regulation 42 Table A, computed at the current repo rate, plus the in duplum rule and service fee cap.

effective 2026-05-29 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/bcea-thresholdsCURRENT

BCEA earnings threshold

The BCEA earnings threshold, which working-time protections fall away above it, the earnings definition and related LRA/EEA effects.

effective 2026-05-01 · confirmed 2026-07-09 · $0.005/call
/v1/tax-calendarCURRENT

Tax calendar

SARS filing-season windows, provisional tax deadlines, employer reconciliation windows and recurring monthly deadlines.

effective 2026-06-18 · confirmed 2026-07-09 · $0.005/call
/v1/exchange-controlCURRENT

Exchange control allowances

Single discretionary allowance (R2m from April 2026), foreign investment allowance, minors' travel and cash export limits, with the TCS PIN rules.

effective 2026-04-08 · confirmed 2026-07-13 · $0.005/call
/v1/deeds-feesCURRENT

Deeds Office fees

Deeds Office transfer and bond registration fee tiers, lodgement and ancillary fees, per the current gazetted schedule.

effective 2026-04-01 · confirmed 2026-07-13 · $0.005/call
/v1/fuel-leviesCURRENT

Fuel levies

General fuel levy, RAF levy and carbon fuel levy per litre for petrol and diesel, plus the carbon tax rate, including temporary relief episodes.

effective 2026-07-01 · confirmed 2026-07-13 · $0.005/call
/v1/zaroniaCURRENT

ZARONIA benchmark rate

SARB's ZARONIA risk-free overnight benchmark, the designated JIBAR successor (JIBAR ceases 2026-12-31), with the transition timeline and daily-rate history for compounded interest calculations.

effective 2026-08-20 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/wear-and-tear-periodsCURRENT

SARS wear-and-tear write-off periods

SARS BGR7 schedule of straight-line depreciation write-off periods (in years) for over 140 asset classes, plus the R7,000 small-item write-off threshold.

effective 2021-02-09 · confirmed 2026-07-14 · $0.005/call
/v1/fx-ratesCURRENT

ZAR exchange rates

SARB indicative daily ZAR exchange rates against USD, GBP, EUR and JPY, plus the nominal effective exchange rate (trade-weighted) index.

effective 2026-08-21 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/bond-yieldsCURRENT

SA benchmark bond yields

SARB closing yields on the R2030 and R209 South African government benchmark bonds, key reference points for the domestic yield curve.

effective 2026-08-20 · confirmed 2026-08-21 · $0.005/call
/v1/sovereign-credit-ratingCURRENT

SA sovereign credit rating

South Africa's current credit rating and outlook from Moody's, S&P Global and Fitch, with each agency's most recent rating action date.

effective 2026-06-08 · confirmed 2026-07-14 · $0.005/call

The calculators

29 CALCULATORS

Computed answers from the same verified tables, so a sweep that updates a table updates every answer with zero code changes. Each response carries the same source_url and effective_date discipline as the series it reads from.

/calc/income-tax

income tax

SA personal income tax (PAYE) for the current tax year: annual and monthly tax, effective and marginal rate, SARS age rebates applied.

/calc/income-tax?annual=750000&age=40 · $0.01/call
/calc/net-salary

net salary

Net take-home from a gross monthly salary: PAYE plus employee UIF at the current tables.

/calc/net-salary?monthly=50000&age=35 · $0.01/call
/calc/transfer-duty

transfer duty

Property transfer duty from the current SARS brackets.

/calc/transfer-duty?price=2500000 · $0.01/call
/calc/fuel-cost

fuel cost

Fuel cost for a trip at current official SA fuel prices.

/calc/fuel-cost?km=568&l_per_100km=7.5&fuel=petrol_95&region=inland · $0.01/call
/calc/toll-route

toll route

Total mainline toll cost for a full run of a national route at current gazetted tariffs.

/calc/toll-route?route=N3&vehicle_class=1 · $0.01/call
/calc/vatFREE

vat

Add or strip VAT at the current SA rate (direction=add | remove | strip; unrecognised values are rejected). Free.

/calc/vat?amount=1000&direction=add · free
/calc/cgt

cgt

Capital gains tax for individuals (marginal method), companies and trusts.

/calc/cgt?gain=500000&type=individual&taxable_income=800000 · $0.01/call
/calc/estate-duty

estate duty

Estate duty after the section 4A abatement, tiered at R30m.

/calc/estate-duty?estate=10000000 · $0.01/call
/calc/learnership

learnership

Minimum weekly learnership allowance by NQF level and credits.

/calc/learnership?nqf=4&credits=200 · $0.01/call
/calc/lump-sum-tax

lump sum tax

Tax on a retirement fund lump sum or withdrawal using the cumulative SARS method (prior lump sums aggregate).

/calc/lump-sum-tax?amount=1200000&type=retirement · $0.01/call
/calc/nca-max-rate

nca max rate

Maximum lawful interest rate for a credit agreement under NCA Regulation 42 Table A, at the current or a given repo rate.

/calc/nca-max-rate?type=unsecured · $0.01/call
/calc/property-costs

property costs

Total statutory costs of buying a property: transfer duty plus Deeds Office transfer, bond and lodgement fees.

/calc/property-costs?price=2500000&bond=2000000 · $0.01/call
/calc/two-pot-withdrawal

two pot withdrawal

Tax on a two-pot retirement savings-component withdrawal at the member's marginal rate.

/calc/two-pot-withdrawal?amount=50000&annual_income=600000 · $0.01/call
/calc/travel-allowance

travel allowance

PAYE inclusion and monthly tax impact of a fixed travel allowance under the 80/20 rule.

/calc/travel-allowance?monthly_allowance=8000&annual_income=720000 · $0.01/call
/calc/company-car

company car

Company car fringe benefit: monthly taxable value (3.5%/3.25%) and PAYE impact.

/calc/company-car?vehicle_value=450000&maintenance_plan=true&annual_income=720000 · $0.01/call
/calc/bond-repayment

bond repayment

Monthly bond repayment and total interest, at the live prime rate by default.

/calc/bond-repayment?amount=1500000&years=20 · $0.01/call
/calc/zaronia-interest

zaronia interest

Compound-in-arrears interest on a principal over a date range, using zaref's accumulating daily ZARONIA history (ACT/365). Coverage limited to dates zaref has tracked.

/calc/zaronia-interest?principal=1000000&start=2026-07-10&end=2026-07-14 · $0.01/call
/calc/uif

uif

Monthly UIF contribution (employee 1% + employer 1%) at the current earnings ceiling.

/calc/uif?monthly_salary=25000 · $0.01/call
/calc/donations-tax

donations tax

Donations tax owed on a donation, after the annual natural-person exemption.

/calc/donations-tax?amount=500000 · $0.01/call
/calc/local-interest

local interest

Taxable local interest after the age-based annual exemption.

/calc/local-interest?amount=40000&age=40 · $0.01/call
/calc/medical-tax-credit

medical tax credit

Medical scheme (medical aid) fees tax credit plus the additional medical expenses tax credit from qualifying out-of-pocket costs.

/calc/medical-tax-credit?members=1&dependants=2&out_of_pocket_annual=15000&taxable_income=500000 · $0.01/call
/calc/provisional-tax

provisional tax

Estimated first and second provisional tax payments (50/50 split) net of employees' tax already withheld, with the current filing deadlines.

/calc/provisional-tax?annual_taxable_income=900000&employees_tax_paid=180000 · $0.01/call
/calc/net-to-gross

net to gross

Gross monthly salary required to net a target take-home amount, at the current tax tables.

/calc/net-to-gross?net_monthly=40000&age=35 · $0.01/call
/calc/home-office-expense

home office expense

Deductible home office expense by area apportionment (s23(b)/(m)).

/calc/home-office-expense?office_area_m2=12&home_area_m2=180&annual_home_costs=240000 · $0.01/call
/calc/sbc-tax

sbc tax

Small Business Corporation income tax at the progressive SBC rates (eligibility conditions apply).

/calc/sbc-tax?annual_taxable_income=600000 · $0.01/call
/calc/wear-and-tear

wear and tear

Annual and monthly straight-line wear-and-tear allowance for an asset, using the SARS BGR7 write-off period schedule.

/calc/wear-and-tear?asset=Passenger%20cars&cost=350000 · $0.01/call
/calc/crypto-tax

crypto tax

Estimated SA tax on crypto asset gains: revenue-nature profits taxed at the marginal rate, capital-nature gains via CGT with the annual exclusion and 40% inclusion. Handles staking/mining/airdrop receipts and FIFO batch matching of a raw buy/sell transaction list.

/calc/crypto-tax?capital_gain=150000&revenue_gain=50000&other_taxable_income=600000&age=35 · $0.01/call
/calc/crypto-classify

crypto classify

Indicative capital-vs-revenue classification of crypto gains by weighing the classic SA case-law factors: intention, holding period and trading frequency.

/calc/crypto-classify?holding_period_months=30&trades_per_month=1&intention=hold_long_term · $0.01/call
/calc/bond-price

bond price

Clean price of a fixed-rate bond from face value, coupon and years to maturity, at a given yield (defaults to the live R2030 benchmark yield).

/calc/bond-price?face_value=1000000&coupon_percent=8&years_to_maturity=4 · $0.01/call

Reference guides

13 GUIDES

Plain-English guides to each dataset: what it covers, its official source, and how to call it. Written for developers wiring South African data into an app or an agent.

/docs/repo-rate-api

South African repo and prime rate API

Current SARB repo rate and prime lending rate as a JSON API with official citations, effective dates and history. Pay per call in USDC, no API key.

/docs/bond-yields-api

South Africa government bond yields API

South African government bond yields as a JSON API: SARB closing yields on the R2030 and R209 benchmarks, refreshed every business day, with citations and history. Pay per call in USDC, no API key.

/docs/fuel-price-api

South Africa fuel price API

Official South African petrol and diesel prices as a JSON API: inland and coastal, monthly DMPR adjustments, fuel levies, with citations and history.

/docs/income-tax-api

SARS income tax tables API

SARS income tax brackets, rebates and thresholds as a JSON API, plus PAYE, net salary and provisional tax calculators. Cited to the official tax tables.

/docs/vat-api

South Africa VAT API and free calculator

The current South African VAT rate as JSON, with a free add or remove VAT calculator. Cited to SARS, no API key, no signup.

/docs/public-holidays-api

South African public holidays API

South African public holidays as a free JSON API, including Monday observances under the Public Holidays Act, plus school terms. No key, no signup.

/docs/zaronia-api

ZARONIA rate API

Daily ZARONIA benchmark rate as a JSON API with accumulating history and a compound interest calculator. SARB-verified, built for the JIBAR transition.

/docs/exchange-rate-api

Official rand exchange rate API

Official SARB daily rand exchange rates as a JSON API: USD, GBP, EUR, JPY and the effective exchange rate index, with citations and history.

/docs/payroll-api

South African payroll API

Run South African payroll from an API: PAYE from the current SARS tables, age rebates, pension deductibility, medical scheme credits, employee and employer UIF, and net take-home pay. Cited, paid per call.

/docs/minimum-wage-api

South African minimum wage API

The South African national minimum wage as a JSON API, with farm, domestic and EPWP floors, sectoral determinations, learnership allowances and a compliance verdict endpoint. Cited to the gazette.

/docs/nca-api

National Credit Act maximum interest rate API

Maximum lawful interest rates under National Credit Act Regulation 42 as a JSON API: per credit type, computed from the repo rate, with the in duplum rule and the service fee cap. Cited to the gazette.

/docs/python

zaref Python SDK

The zaref Python client: pip install zaref, then read South African reference data with no API key. Free endpoints need no wallet; paid endpoints settle in USDC via x402.

/docs/x402

Paying zaref via x402: agent quickstart

A working x402 integration example: discover endpoints, receive the 402 challenge, pay USDC on Base and get JSON. No account, no API key, half a cent per call.

Built for agents

No accounts, no API keys. Machine-readable discovery via llms.txt, OpenAPI 3.1, and an MCP server at /mcp. Ask for JSON, get JSON; this page only exists for humans.

Pricing

$0.005 USDC per series call, $0.02 to $0.10 for task-shaped answers (payroll, wage checks, working days), $0.025 for the full bundle, $0.10 for a 90-day change-alert webhook, paid per request via the x402 protocol on Base. No signup, no invoices: the 402 response carries the payment requirements and capable clients pay and retry automatically. The catalog and public holidays are free. A call costs less than the tokens an agent burns finding and parsing the official source itself.

Kept fresh

Monthly fuel and inflation cycles, MPC decisions, annual gazettes and municipal years are tracked per series. The update cadence is printed on every card above.

History & time-travel

Dated history per series at /v1/{series}/history, point-in-time answers with ?as_at=YYYY-MM-DD on series and calculators, and a cheap cache-freshness diff at /v1/changes?since= for agents that only want to know what moved.