Best Portfolio Tracker for South Africa Investors

One dashboard for your JSE holdings, offshore investments, and TFSA — built for South African investors managing rand volatility and exchange controls.

Why tracking investments in South Africa is different

South African investors operate in one of the most currency-volatile environments in the developed investing world. The rand regularly swings 15% or more against the US dollar in a single year, and over the past two decades the long-term trend has been persistent depreciation. This reality has driven a deep culture of offshore investing among South Africans — from formal allocations through platforms like EasyEquities and Interactive Brokers to informal strategies built around maximising the annual foreign investment allowance. Yet most portfolio tools are designed for stable-currency markets and cannot properly show the impact of ZAR movements on a globally diversified portfolio.

South Africa's exchange control regulations add a layer of complexity that is unique among major investing markets. SARB limits individual foreign investment to R11 million per calendar year through the foreign investment allowance, plus a R1 million single discretionary allowance. Tax-Free Savings Accounts offer shelter up to R36,000 per year with a R500,000 lifetime limit, but the amounts are modest compared to equivalent schemes in other countries. For the large and growing South African diaspora investing from London, Sydney, Dubai, or elsewhere, tracking both onshore JSE holdings and offshore portfolios in a unified view — while understanding the true ZAR value — is a constant challenge.

FlashFi is a multi-currency portfolio tracker that brings JSE shares, offshore ETFs, TFSA holdings, and international investments into a single ZAR-native dashboard with real-time foreign exchange rates. It works with every South African and international brokerage through manual entry — no bank linking, no credential sharing. Whether you are based in Johannesburg, have emigrated to the UK, or are working remotely from Portugal, FlashFi gives you one clear view of everything you own across every currency.

Key challenges for South Africa investors

Extreme rand volatility distorts portfolio performance

The South African rand is among the most volatile major currencies, and its long-term depreciation against the dollar means that offshore investments often look dramatically different in ZAR terms than in their native currency. A US ETF that returned 10% in USD might show a 25% gain in rand during a year of ZAR weakness, or just 2% during a year of rand strength. Without multi-currency tracking that separates asset performance from currency movement, South African investors cannot tell whether their returns are coming from the market or the exchange rate.

Exchange controls limit and complicate offshore investing

SARB exchange controls restrict the amount South African residents can invest offshore to R11 million per year through the foreign investment allowance (which requires a tax clearance certificate) plus R1 million through the single discretionary allowance. These limits mean investors must plan their offshore allocation strategically and track how much allowance they have used. For South Africans who have formally emigrated, the rules change again — emigration opens up access to blocked funds, but the process and reporting requirements are complex.

TFSA limits are low and require careful tracking

South Africa's Tax-Free Savings Account allows R36,000 in contributions per year with a R500,000 lifetime limit. While gains and dividends within the TFSA are completely tax-free, the lifetime cap means investors must track their cumulative contributions carefully — exceeding the limit triggers a 40% penalty tax on the excess. At these contribution levels, the TFSA is a valuable but modest component of an overall portfolio, and it needs to be tracked alongside larger taxable and offshore holdings to understand its place in your total net worth.

Diaspora investors need cross-border visibility

South Africa has one of the largest diaspora populations relative to its size, with significant communities in the United Kingdom, Australia, the UAE, and Portugal. Many of these expats maintain JSE investments, retirement annuities, and property in South Africa while building new portfolios abroad. Tracking holdings across ZAR, GBP, AUD, and USD with different brokerages in each country creates exactly the kind of multi-currency, multi-platform fragmentation that spreadsheets struggle to handle.

How FlashFi helps South Africa investors

ZAR-Native Dashboard

See your entire portfolio converted to South African rand in real time, or switch to USD, GBP, AUD, EUR, or any of 30+ supported currencies. FlashFi pulls live FX rates for ZAR/USD, ZAR/GBP, and more so you always see the true rand value of your global holdings.

Track Onshore and Offshore Together

Add your EasyEquities, Standard Bank, and JSE holdings alongside your Interactive Brokers, Saxo, or any other offshore accounts in a single unified view. FlashFi gives you one net worth number that spans every brokerage and every currency.

No Account Linking Required

FlashFi uses manual portfolio tracking so you never share credentials or grant API access to any platform. This works with every South African and international brokerage, including platforms that do not support third-party aggregation.

Currency Impact Tracking

See exactly how ZAR/USD and ZAR/GBP movements affect the rand value of your offshore holdings. FlashFi separates asset performance from currency impact so you can quantify how much of your return is coming from the market versus rand depreciation.

Frequently asked questions

Can I track my TFSA in FlashFi?

Yes. You can add your TFSA as a separate portfolio in FlashFi and see it alongside your taxable brokerage accounts, offshore holdings, and retirement annuities. Since tracking is manual, it works with any TFSA provider. Your TFSA balance is included in your total net worth calculation.

Does FlashFi show my portfolio in ZAR?

Yes. You can set ZAR as your base currency and see every holding across every account converted to South African rand using real-time exchange rates. If you want to view your portfolio in USD, GBP, or another currency — useful for benchmarking offshore performance — you can switch at any time without losing any data.

How does FlashFi help with tracking offshore versus onshore investments?

FlashFi lets you create separate portfolios for your onshore and offshore holdings and then see them combined in a single net worth view. You can see your EasyEquities JSE portfolio alongside your Interactive Brokers USD account with live currency conversion, so you always know the total rand value of everything you own across both jurisdictions.

Does FlashFi work with EasyEquities?

FlashFi works with every brokerage because it uses manual portfolio entry rather than account linking. You enter your EasyEquities, Standard Bank, FNB, or any other holdings directly, and FlashFi pulls the latest prices and FX rates automatically. No API keys or credentials required.

I'm a South African living abroad — can I use FlashFi?

Absolutely. FlashFi is built for expats and the diaspora. Whether you have moved to London, Sydney, Dubai, or Lisbon, you can track your remaining SA investments alongside your new offshore holdings in one dashboard. Set your display currency to ZAR to see the rand value, or switch to your local currency to understand your wealth in the context of where you live now.

By David Brougham