Best Savings Account in South Africa Updated September 2024
Choosing the best savings account in South Africa could at time be overwhelming, more especially since we have all great banking institutions in SA.
Below is a list of top 10 best savings accounts in South Africa.
| ABSA: TruSave |
| African Bank: MyWorld Savings Pocket |
| Bidvest Bank: Grow Account |
| Capitec: Global One |
| First National Bank: Savings Account |
| Investec: Prime Saver |
| Mercantile Bank: Call Account |
| Nedbank: MyPocket |
| Old Mutual: Invest Flexible Plan |
| Postbank: Smart Save |
| RMB: Money Maximiser |
| Standard Bank: Flexi Advantage Account |
In this reading however with GoodBear, we won’t suggest any option but rather discussed what you need to lookout for when you choose the right saving account in South Africa.
We’re here to help you choose the right account for your money so you can secure your savings and achieve your objectives.
It should be much easier to determine whether you’ll use the capital in the short, medium, or long term after you’ve determined what you’re saving for.
Short-Term Savings
If you’re going to spend money that you’ll need to use soon, you’ll need an account that allows you to do so.
Regular Savings Accounts
Regular savings plans operate on the basis that you plan to pay a certain sum per month for a certain period of time.
This could be a nice idea if you’re planning for a wedding in a year’s time and know you can afford to save a certain amount per month.
Easy Access Accounts
Easy access accounts usually allow you to get your hands on money right away if you need it, so they’re a safe place to put any emergency funds you’ve accumulated.
Fixed-term Deposit Accounts
Fixed-term savings accounts require you to promise to leave the money in for a certain period of time which will penalize you if you want to withdraw it within that time.
Depending on the commodity, this may be for a year or more.
This are useful if you feel you have funds that you can put aside for a set period of time, such as a donation from your parents to put into a down payment on a home.
As a general rule, the more you are willing to lock your money away or stick to daily saving, the higher the interest rate.
2 – 5 Years Savings Account in South Africa.
If you know you’ll be able to hold your money in a savings account for at least two to five years, you’ll also be able to get marginally better interest rates than those provided by quick access accounts.
In that case, you may want to suggest fixed-rate bonds as well as savings accounts for longer notice times.
In most cases, investment in a fixed-rate bond portfolio earns more interest than money in a savings account, but you should be mindful of the disadvantages, such as their inflexibility.
Often think about whether you’ve used up your cash ISA cap first, and whether you can get a better price by doing so.
Naturally, this is dependent on current interest rates, but you are unlikely to find a better rate than a tax-free rate.
So do some comparison shopping to see what’s out there.
Long-Term Savings
You could be putting money together for a major purchase in the future, such as your children’s university tuition or your retirement.
Alternatively, you do not have a particular target in mind and have just agreed to begin taking action toward protecting your potential earnings.
You can also select any of the solutions mentioned above for longer-term savings account in South Africa.
Saving money in this manner is the easiest and most stable way to guarantee the financial future.
Investing, on the other hand, may be worth exploring for those of us who are willing to take a bigger gamble.
Investing is a riskier way to save and you might waste money instead of making more.
And the cardinal law is that you can never spend money that you cannot afford to risk, or at the very least, lose.
Investment items, including savings accounts, vary greatly in terms of complexity and risk.
This implies that you will lose any or all of your funds.
Some firms offer bundled stocks and shares ISAs, which means they make the investment choices for you.
This can make it less dangerous than taking a chance on your own, but there’s no guarantee.
Such options include stocks and bonds, as well as Unit Trusts, Open-Ended Investment Companies, Investment Trusts, and Venture Capital Trusts, among others.
In any case, if you’re worried about getting into this more complicated business, we recommend getting impartial, whole-market advice.
Here is what you want to do before you choose any best savings accounts in South Africa that you think it’s best for you.
Gather info by means of shopping around.
Even though the bank down the street is convenient, it is not the safest place to store your money when interest rates increase.
Savings accounts are now paid at varying rates by different financial institutions, and just because the Fed increases rates doesn’t mean your bank will follow suit.
That means you’ll have to compare rates from a number of different banks and credit unions.
Banks that are not located in a physical location should be avoided.
Online banks also deliver much better rates than traditional banks.
While some savers might be worried about online banks’ safety and security, these aren’t fly-by-night businesses.
The online divisions of traditional banks are another choice.
Since they don’t have physical locations, internet banks will pass on some of their expense savings to you in the form of reduced interest rates.
Many of them would welcome customers from all over the world.
To make sure you’re having the best deal on a savings account, compare deals from online and conventional banks.
Review the terms and conditions.
When it comes to starting a savings account in South Africa, not every banking institution has the same terms and conditions.
To collect interest, you will still need to keep a certain sum of money in your account.
Alternatively, if you have a couple hundred dollars in your deposit rather than a few thousand, you might be eligible for a lower interest rate.
If you don’t keep a certain amount in your account, some banks charge a recurring processing fee.
Before you open any savings accounts in South Africa with a financial institution, read the disclosures carefully.
