Out of the greylist and into the light: A step forward in financial transparency

On 9 January 2026, the European Union (EU) announced the removal of South Africa, along with five other African countries (Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria and Tanzania), from its list of “ High-Risk Third Country Jurisdictions ” (EU List). This decision follows South Africa’s earlier delisting on 13 October 2025 from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylist (countries under increased monitoring) and the UK’s list of countries with a high-risk propensity for money laundering and terrorism financing. The decision to delist South Africa reflects our country’s continued progress towards improved financial transparency and strengthening its Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT) framework. The decision to delist South Africa took effect on 29 January 2026.