Home Loan Interest Rate Guides
Your interest rate decides what your bond actually costs month to month. These guides explain how the prime rate works, what 'prime minus' really means for your instalment, the trade-offs between fixed and variable rates, and how to read rate forecasts before you decide what to fix.
Will interest rates go down in South Africa in 2026? Published SARB and bank-economist forecasts after the September 2026 hike, each attributed and dated, plus what a cut or hike does to your bond.
Updated 17 Oct 20269 min read
Yes — but only on the margin, and only if the bank sees lower risk. Here is what actually moves your quoted rate in South Africa, what does not, and how to put yourself in the strongest position before you apply.
Updated 13 Sept 20267 min read
The SARB repo rate is 7.25% per annum, effective 2026-09-25, putting the prime lending rate at 10.75% — prime moves with repo, so each 25 basis point MPC hike adds about R170 a month to a R1 000 000 variable bond over 20 years.
Updated 09 Oct 20268 min read
South Africa's prime lending rate is 10.75% per annum, effective 2026-09-25 — the repo rate plus a 3.5-point spread. Banks actually price home loans from prime −1.0% to prime +2.0%, and each 25 basis point move adds about R170 a month per R1 000 000 borrowed.
Updated 18 Oct 20267 min read
Should you fix your home loan rate or stay variable: what each option costs at today’s prime, how the fixed-rate premium works, and the trade-off between certainty and flexibility.
Updated 24 Oct 20267 min read
How home loan interest works in South Africa: the chain from the SARB MPC to your instalment at today’s prime of 10.75%, how daily accrual makes the first instalment mostly interest, and the levers that actually reduce what you pay.
Updated 26 Oct 20269 min read