South African Moola
Transferring money from your UK current account to a bank account in SA can take a lot of patience. At the UK bank I use (one of the big high street banks) the transfer fees (in October 2006) were £25, regardless of the amount being transferred. The banks required a lot of ID (Sa passport, foreign passport and SA ID document was apparently not enough (My UK driver's licence eventually swung it).
Rennies Bank offers an international banking service that can speed up the exchange of foreign currency.
Tip
Bring 3 months worth of bank statements from the UK. It will make opening a bank account and getting a mobile phone contract much easier.
Foreign exchange market
Changing travellers cheques and foreign currency in SA can also prove a little difficult. It is worth shopping around as different exchange bureaus ask for different documentation and offer different rates. Some want proof of residence in SA while others will happily change the forex on presentation of your passport.
Banking
The four main banks in South Africa are FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank and Absa.
We found it very difficult to open a bank account in South Africa as we had no history or credit profile because we had been away for 10 years. If only we had some debt, banks, cell phone companies etc would be more than happy to give us some more. Having no short-term debt is a big impediment to getting decent banking facilities.
Taxes
There are many companies into he UK that will do your tax return and National Insurance claim When you leave the country their commissions vary. We found that our shipping company, Anglo Pacific, offered a tax return service and they charged the best rate of 10% of the value of the return.
