We have received inquiries from South African users on withdrawing money from Skrill and Neteller because their local banks do not accept transfers (e.g., FNB or Capitec). Before opening an account, if you need to transfer money to and from the country (and not leave it in the digital account), we recommend you check with your local bank about whether it accepts transfers from these e-Wallets.
If you need to transfer from (and to) bank accounts in South Africa safely, you may be interested in Wise's international multi-currency bank account (wise.com). Wise is a popular multicurrency account from the UK, available to users in South Africa. Via this platform, you can safely transfer to and from the country because it provides you with bank account numbers in Dollars, Euros, and Pounds, among other currencies. It even allows you to hold a balance in Rands.
Why don’t local banks accept Skrill or Neteller transfers?
Because neither Skrill nor Neteller is a banking institution, but digital payment platforms. Therefore, they are not considered as regulated entities by international banking systems (Central Banks, Banking Clearing Entities, etc.), so they are not subject to the control of national financial services regulators in the same way.
Wise: eWallet for Payments and International Transfers
Wise (Formerly known as Transferwise) is an online financial platform, which in essence, works like an online bank account, allowing you to: (a) receive money, (b) transfer money quickly, to maintain bank accounts in different currencies such as Dollars, Euros, Pounds, Swiss Franc, among others, and (c) pay for products and services online.
Wise is a widely used platform in Europe. It is also available in the Bahamas for those who operate, work, invest, gamble in online casinos, or need to transfer money to other countries regularly online. Registration is free and is done online. The platform's motto is "The cheapest and fastest way to send money abroad," and, in many situations, it is indeed the cheapest way to transfer money.
