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Pakistan vs South Africa

Crypto regulation comparison

← Back to map | Pakistan | South Africa
Pakistan

Pakistan

South Africa

South Africa

Restricted
Legal

Pakistan has a hostile regulatory environment for cryptocurrency. The State Bank of Pakistan has prohibited financial institutions from facilitating crypto transactions, and the government has considered outright bans. Despite this, Pakistan has high informal crypto adoption, ranking among the top countries for P2P crypto volume. The SECP has explored blockchain regulation but no licensing framework exists for exchanges.

South Africa has embraced crypto regulation. In 2022, the FSCA declared crypto assets as financial products under the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services (FAIS) Act, requiring crypto service providers to obtain FSCA licenses. SARS taxes crypto gains under capital gains tax (up to 18% effective rate for individuals) or income tax depending on trading frequency. South Africa is the largest crypto market in Africa.

Tax Type None
Tax Type Capital gains
Tax Rate N/A
Tax Rate 18% (effective max ~18%)
Exchanges No No
Exchanges Yes Yes
Mining Yes Yes
Mining No No
Regulator SBP (State Bank of Pakistan), SECP
Regulator FSCA (Financial Sector Conduct Authority), SARB (South African Reserve Bank)
Stablecoin Rules No regulation; SBP has not authorized any crypto activities
Stablecoin Rules Crypto assets declared financial products under FAIS; stablecoins included
Key Points
  • SBP prohibits banks and financial institutions from processing crypto transactions
  • No licensing framework for crypto exchanges; operating informally is risky
  • High P2P crypto adoption despite regulatory hostility
  • Government has considered formal banning legislation multiple times
  • SECP has explored digital asset regulation but no framework enacted
Key Points
  • Crypto declared a financial product under FAIS Act (2022); service providers must be FSCA-licensed
  • FSCA began licensing crypto asset service providers (CASPs) in 2023
  • Capital gains taxed at effective rate up to 18% (45% max marginal rate × 40% inclusion)
  • Frequent trading may be classified as income and taxed at marginal rates (up to 45%)
  • SARB regulates cross-border crypto transactions under exchange control regulations
Sources
Sources