ZAR Inflation Calculator - South African Rand (1957-2025)

This tool is useful to calculate the time value of money based on historical inflation and CPI values. To start, select an amount and two years, or browse the default calculation results.

R100 in 1957

R12,154.17 in 2024

The cumulative inflation rate in South Africa between 1957 and 2024 was 12,054.17%, meaning that overall prices were 121.5 times higher than they were in 1957. In other words, the purchasing power of R100 in 1957 was equivalent to R12,154.17 in 2024. The average annual inflation rate over this period was 7.43%.

Inflation timeline in South Africa (1957 - 2024)

The chart below shows how the value of R100 changes over time when adjusted for inflation, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. All values are equivalent in terms of purchasing power, indicating how much money would be needed each year to buy the same goods or services.

All calculations are performed in South African rand with six-decimal precision, though displayed values are rounded to two decimals for readability. Inflation figures are sourced from official government and international reports released monthly.

The following table contains relevant indicators:

Indicator	Value
Cumulative inflation from 1957 to 2024	12,054.17%
Avg. Annual inflation from 1957 to 2024	7.43%
CPI 1957	1.28
CPI 2024	156.12

How to calculate the time value of money with inflation data?

There are several ways to calculate the time value of money. Depending on the data available, results can be obtained by using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) formula or the compound interest formula.

Using the CPI formula

When we have both the start and end years, we can use the following formula:

Value_t =Value₀ ×

CPI_t/CPI₀

To obtain the values equivalent in buying power between 1957 and 2024, use the corresponding CPI values:

Value₂₀₂₄

=Value₁₉₅₇ ×

CPI₂₀₂₄/CPI₁₉₅₇

=R 100 ×

156.12/1.28

≈R12,154.17

Alternative: Using the compound interest formula

Given that money changes with time as a result of an inflation rate that acts as compound interest, we can use the following formula: FV = PV × (1 + i)ⁿ, where:

FV: Future Value
PV: Present Value
i: Interest rate (inflation)
n: Number of times the interest is compounded (i.e. # of years)

In this case, the future value represents the final amount obtained after applying the inflation rate to our initial value. In other words, it indicates how much are R100 worth today. There are 67 years between 1957 and 2024 and the average inflation rate was 7.4275%. Therefore, we can resolve the formula like this:

Value₂₀₂₄

=PV × (1 + i)ⁿ

=R100 × (1 + 0.074275)⁶⁷