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South Africa has been removed from the European Union’s high-risk list for money laundering and terrorism financing, the European Commission published on 9 January 2026.
According to the National Treasury, the change will take effect on 29 January 2026, easing the extra checks EU banks must apply to transactions linked to South Africa.
The EU decision follows South Africa’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list in October 2025, a milestone that reflected progress against a 22-point action plan to strengthen anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules.
Analysts and government officials say the delisting should reduce friction on cross-border trade and investment, and help restore international confidence in the financial system (Reuters).
“National Treasury welcomes the removal of South Africa from the European Union’s list of High-Risk Third Country Jurisdictions,” the Treasury said in its statement, while noting that significant work remains to strengthen detection, investigation and prosecution capabilities.
For businesses and investors the change should lower compliance costs and simplify payments, though banks may still apply their own risk policies. Continued vigilance is likely as South Africa prepares for a new FATF evaluation scheduled for 2027.
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