US dollar to Swazi lilangeni exchange rate

How can I get the best exchange rate between the US dollar and the Swazi lilangeni?

When it comes to exchanges between the US dollar and the Swazi lilangeni, your options are more limited. The Swazi lilangeni is pegged to the South African rand on a 1-to-1 basis and exchanging between those two currencies is far easier.

The most convenient and cheapest option if you’re traveling to Swaziland is to exchange your US dollars to South African rands and spend that instead. South African rands is widely accepted in Swaziland and available from banks and foreign exchange offices both in the US and South Africa.

Don’t forget to check the rates of an online money transfer service, as these generally offer the most competitive exchange rates for swapping US dollars to the Swazi lilangeni or South African rand. When comparing, make sure to look at service fees as well.

What affects exchange rates between the US dollar and the Swazi lilangeni?

Since the Swazi lilangeni is pegged to the South African rand at par, you should pay attention to what affects the exchange rate between the US dollar and the rand. As a free floating currency, the exchange rate of the South African rand is determined by the demand for it on the global currency market, where prices change by the second.

Economic growth in South Africa and developments in the mining sector have a big effect on the exchange rate between the rand and the dollar. In particular, prices of commodities like gold and diamonds directly affect the value of the rand compared to the dollar. In most cases, higher gold prices will drive up the value of the rand compared to the dollar — which would directly influence the Swazi lilangeni

How does the Swazi lilangeni trade against the US dollar historically?

The exchange rate between the US dollar and the Swazi lilangeni has fluctuated quite a bit over the years. During the past 10 years, the lilangeni was as strong as 7.5 per dollar and as weak as 16.5 per dollar. The lilangeni has consistently been losing its value compared to the US dollar.

In 2012, a slump in revenues from the important mining sector contributed to an even lower value for the lilangeni. On top of that, the value of the currency has also suffered from the political situation in South Africa.

Since 2016, we’ve finally seen a strengthening of the lilangeni again compared to the US dollar. This could be due to the comeback of the mining industry and partly because of the lower value of the US dollar compared to other major currencies.