South Africa Home Loan Calculator
Calculate your SA home loan (bond) monthly repayment at current prime rates. Includes transfer duty, bond registration, and deposit guidance.
Loan Details
Results
Monthly Payment
R15,228
Principal
R1,500,000
Total Interest
R2,154,824
Total Paid
R3,654,824
SA home loan rates — 2026 landscape
Standard Bank, FNB, Nedbank, Absa, and Investec all price home loans (bonds) relative to the prime rate. 2026 prime sits around 10.75-11.0%. Well-qualified buyers with 20%+ deposit often negotiate prime -0.5% to -1%. Bond originators like ooba, BetterBond, and MortgageMarket shop all major banks for you — free to use and typically find better offers than walking into one branch.
Deposit & qualification
Banks can offer 100% bonds to first-time buyers, but a 10-20% deposit lowers the rate meaningfully (0.25-0.5%) and keeps repayments manageable. Affordability rule: monthly bond repayment capped at 30-35% of gross monthly income. Banks use the NCR-mandated affordability assessment, looking at net surplus after all fixed expenses.
Transfer duty + bond costs
Transfer Duty (paid to SARS, not the bank): 0 under R1.21M, sliding 3-13% above. Bond registration fees: ~1-2% of loan amount (attorney + Deeds Office). Conveyancing on the property: 1-2% of purchase price. Expect total extra costs of 5-8% above price. Buying a new home from a VAT-registered developer: no transfer duty (VAT is included in price instead).
Access bond & paying extra
Almost every SA bond offers an access facility — extra payments create a pool you can withdraw again if needed. R1,000/month extra on a R1.5M, 20-year, 11% bond cuts almost 4 years off and saves R380,000+ in interest. Pay your bonus into the bond; withdraw as needed. At 11% tax-free effective return, it's one of the highest-guaranteed-return investments available in SA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know, in one place.
Current SA home loan rates?
Most banks (Standard, FNB, Nedbank, Absa, Investec) price at prime. Prime rate 2026 ~10.75-11.0%. Well-qualified buyers with 20%+ deposit can negotiate prime -0.5% to -1%. Below-prime is rare without cross-sell or private-bank status.
How much deposit do I need?
Banks offer up to 100% bonds to qualifying first-time buyers, but a 10-20% deposit lowers the rate (typically by 0.25-0.5%) and keeps monthly payments manageable. First-time buyers should also factor in transfer duty (0 on homes under R1.21M), bond registration costs (~1-2% of loan), and conveyancing fees.
What is transfer duty?
SARS charges transfer duty on property purchases (not new builds from VAT vendors). 2026 scale: 0 under R1.21M; 3% on R1.21-1.66M portion; 6% R1.66-2.33M; 8% R2.33-2.99M; 11% R2.99-13.3M; 13% above. Paid by the buyer, separate from the bond.
Should I pay extra into my bond?
Yes — almost always. At 11% bond rate, extra payments effectively "earn" 11% tax-free compounded over the loan term. R1,000/month extra on a R1.5M 20-year bond cuts almost 4 years off and saves ~R380,000 in interest. Keep an access facility so you can withdraw if needed.
What is an access bond and how does it work?
An access bond (also called flexi-bond) links your home loan to a deposit facility — extra repayments above the scheduled instalment can be withdrawn later without reapplying for credit. Saves interest daily while preserving liquidity. Standard Bank AccessBond, FNB FlexiBond, Absa FlexiReserve all offer this at no fee, sometimes by request. Ideal for emergency-fund parking at 11% effective return vs 3%-5% taxable in a savings account. Withdraw online within 24-48 hours.
Fixed vs variable home loan rates in SA?
Most SA bonds are variable, tracking prime (11.0% in 2026). Fixed rates are available for 12-60 months but typically price 1.5%-2.5% above prime at origination — hard to justify mathematically unless you're highly risk-averse. SARB cut cycles in 2025-2026 favour variable. Refixing at the end of a fixed period exposes you to whatever the prevailing rate is. Ask your banker for a "capped rate" product (max rate + floating below) as a middle ground.
Found this helpful?
Share it with a friend — they'll probably find it useful too.