South Africa plans to clarify the regulatory framework for cross-border transactions of crypto assets, emphasizing that holding is not restricted

The South African National Treasury and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) stated that they are shifting the focus of cryptocurrency asset regulation to rules governing cross-border digital asset activities, rather than restricting the holding itself, and have extended the public comment deadline for the draft Capital Flow Management Regulations to June 30, 2026. Both parties clarified that the proposed rules are not intended to criminalize the holding of cryptocurrency assets and will not be applied retroactively. A draft manual for the cross-border cryptocurrency asset framework will be released later, clarifying the definition of cross-border cryptocurrency transactions and the obligations of authorized cryptocurrency service providers.