FinObservatory

Crisis atlas / ZAF

South Africa

32 distinct crisis events in 11 episodes, 1865–2015, from the union of five primary chronologies.

Debt profile: government debt trajectory and crisis-start levels →

11
Banking crises
16
Currency crises
5
Sovereign debt crises
32
Crisis events
1865–2015
Span

Crisis timeline

Every distinct (year, type) event, most recent first, with the chronologies flagging it. Start-year sources (GMD, JST) do not mark continuation years, so long episodes show lower agreement after their first year.

  1. 2015
    Currencygmd, laeven_valencia2 sources
  2. 2013
    Currencyrr1 source
  3. 2011
    Currencyrr1 source
  4. 2008
    Currencyrr1 source
  5. 2001
    Currencyrr1 source
  6. 2000
    Currencyrr1 source
  7. 1998
    Currencyrr1 source
  8. 1996
    Currencyrr1 source
  9. 1993
    Sovereign debtgmd, laeven_valencia, rr3 sources
  10. 1989
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
    Bankingrr1 source
  11. 1988
    Currencyrr1 source
  12. 1987
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
  13. 1986
    Sovereign debtrr1 source
  14. 1985
    Sovereign debtgmd, laeven_valencia, rr3 sources
    Currencyrr1 source
  15. 1984
    Currencygmd, laeven_valencia, rr3 sources
  16. 1981
    Currencyrr1 source
  17. 1978
    Bankingrr1 source
  18. 1977
    Bankingrr1 source
  19. 1967
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  20. 1950
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  21. 1940
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  22. 1933
    Currencygmd, rr2 sources
  23. 1890
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  24. 1881
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources
  25. 1877
    Bankingrr1 source
  26. 1869
    Bankingrr1 source
  27. 1868
    Bankingrr1 source
  28. 1867
    Bankingrr1 source
  29. 1866
    Bankingrr1 source
  30. 1865
    Bankinggmd, rr2 sources

Source: Global Macro Database 2026_06 (Müller, Xu, Lehbib & Chen 2025) | Jordà-Schularick-Taylor Macrohistory R6 | Laeven & Valencia (2020) | Reinhart-Rogoff via HBS BFFS | ECB/ESRB Financial Crises Database Methodology

Macro context around each episode

Inflation, central-bank policy rate, and government debt in a window of five years either side of each crisis episode (consecutive crisis years bridged across gaps of up to two years). Crisis years shaded.

1865–1869

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-40-2002040186018651874
Policy rate (%)
No data for this window
Govt debt (% of GDP)
01020186018651874

1877

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-20020187218771882
Policy rate (%)
No data for this window
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060187218771882

1881

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-20-10010187618811886
Policy rate (%)
No data for this window
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100150187618811886

1890

Banking
Inflation (% y/y)
-20-1001020188518901895
Policy rate (%)
No data for this window
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100150188518901895

1933

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
-505192819331938
Policy rate (%)
0246192819331938
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100150192819331938

1940

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
-50510193519401945
Policy rate (%)
024193519401945
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100193519401945

1950

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
0510194519501955
Policy rate (%)
0246194519501955
Govt debt (% of GDP)
050100194519501955

1967

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
02.557.5196219671972
Policy rate (%)
02.557.5196219671972
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060196219671972

1977–1989

BankingCurrencySovereign debt
Inflation (% y/y)
01020197219771994
Policy rate (%)
0102030197219771994
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060197219771994

1993–2001

Sovereign debtCurrency
Inflation (% y/y)
01020198819932006
Policy rate (%)
01020198819932006
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0204060198819932006

2008–2015

Currency
Inflation (% y/y)
051015200320082020
Policy rate (%)
051015200320082020
Govt debt (% of GDP)
0255075200320082020

Source: Global Macro Database 2026_06 (Müller, Xu, Lehbib & Chen 2025) Inflation is % year over year; policy rate is the central-bank rate in %; government debt is % of GDP. Methodology