While grey-listed, South African businesses and banks faced real costs — increased due diligence requirements on international transactions and higher compliance overheads. Exiting the list eases some of that friction, but National Treasury and SARS have been explicit that delisting is "not a finish line": South Africa still needs to demonstrate sustained enforcement through FATF's next evaluation, running from early 2026 to October 2027, to avoid being re-listed.
Source: National Treasury / SARS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Financial Action Task Force?
FATF is an international body that sets global standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing, and monitors countries' compliance with those standards.
Does being grey-listed mean a country is barred from international financial transactions?
No — it doesn't block transactions outright, but it typically increases the scrutiny and due diligence that international banks apply to transactions involving that country.
Could South Africa be grey-listed again?
Yes, in principle — National Treasury and SARS have both stressed that South Africa must sustain and demonstrate its reforms through FATF's next scheduled evaluation to avoid regressing.