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Kenyan shillings to South African rand today

1 KES = 0.1252 ZAR · Live mid-market rate

Convert KES to ZAR at the mid-market exchange rate. Access real-time rates via our /api/rate endpoint (free API key required) or the developer docs.

Exchange Rate Trend

KES → ZAR

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KES to ZAR Conversion Table

Convert KES to ZAR

KES	ZAR
KSh1	R0.13
KSh5	R0.63
KSh10	R1.25
KSh25	R3.13
KSh50	R6.26
KSh100	R12.52
KSh500	R62.61
KSh1,000	R125.23
KSh5,000	R626.13
KSh10,000	R1,252.26

Convert ZAR to KES

ZAR	KES
R1	KSh7.9856
R5	KSh39.9278
R10	KSh79.8556
R25	KSh199.6391
R50	KSh399.2781
R100	KSh798.5562
R500	KSh3,992.7811
R1,000	KSh7,985.5621
R5,000	KSh39,927.8105
R10,000	KSh79,855.621

About the Kenyan Shilling (KES)

The Kenyan Shilling (KES) is the official currency used in international trade and commerce.

Key Factors That Influence KES

Central bank monetary policy
Economic indicators
Trade balance
Political stability
Global market conditions

About the South African Rand (ZAR)

The South African Rand (ZAR) is Africa's most traded currency and is influenced by commodity exports including gold, platinum, and coal. The South African Reserve Bank manages the currency.

Key Factors That Influence ZAR

Commodity prices (gold, platinum)
SARB monetary policy
Political stability
Load-shedding and infrastructure
Current account balance

Understanding the KES/ZAR Exchange Rate

The KES/ZAR exchange rate tells you how many South African rand you get for 1 Kenyan Shilling. This is the mid-market rate — the real exchange rate without any markup. It's the same rate used by Google Finance.

AllRatesToday provides this rate via a free REST API, updated every 60 seconds from institutional interbank market data. Integrate live KES/ZAR rates into your app with our official SDKs for JavaScript, Python, PHP, and React.

The exchange rate between KES and ZAR fluctuates based on supply and demand in the foreign exchange market. Economic data releases, central bank announcements, and geopolitical events can all cause significant movements in the rate.

Currency converter API for KES to ZAR

This converter is a thin layer over two APIs. Both return JSON, both take one HTTP call, and both have a free tier — no credit card.

Mid-market exchange rate API

The live interbank midpoint — the number shown above. It moves continuously and is refreshed every 60 seconds across 160 currencies. Use it for pricing, checkout, display and anything a customer sees.

curl "https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/rates?source=KES&target=ZAR" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

[{ "rate": 0.8643, "source": "KES", "target": "ZAR",
   "time": "2026-08-16T11:01:24+0000" }]

Several targets at once — target=ZAR,GBP,JPY returns one row per pair in a single call.
Historical — /api/historical-rates for a date range, or ?time=YYYY-MM-DD for one past day.
Four formats — add ?format=csv, xml or xlsx to get a file instead of JSON.

Endpoint reference · Get a free key

Central bank rate API

The rate a named institution actually published for a given date, from 116 central banks and 3 tax authorities. Unlike a mid-market rate it never changes after publication, which is what tax filings, customs valuations and audits require.

curl "https://allratestoday.com/api/v1/central-bank/ecb/latest?source=KES&target=ZAR" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

{ "bank": "ecb", "rate_date": "2026-08-14", "rate": 0.8643,
  "rate_type": "reference", "derived": false, "method": "published" }

Any past date — /central-bank/{bank}/2026-06-30. If the bank did not publish that day you get the most recent prior date, flagged.
Every bank at once — /api/v1/central-banks/rates returns all sources for one pair, so you can compare what each institution published.
Nothing is guessed — pairs a bank does not print are cross-computed from that bank's own table and returned with "derived": true and the method used. Banks are never mixed.

All 119 sources · Endpoint reference

Official SDKs

npm install @allratestoday/sdk · pip install allratestoday · composer require allratestoday/sdk

For AI agents

An MCP server — @allratestoday/mcp-server — lets Claude, Cursor and other MCP clients pull these rates directly, no glue code.

Free tier

300 requests, no credit card, no trial expiry. Paid plans start at €4.99/month for 5,000 requests a month.

Which one do you need? If a regulator, tax authority or auditor names the source, use the official rate — the two can differ by several percent on the same day. For everything a customer sees, use the mid-market rate. On weekends and holidays the official endpoints return the most recent published date, which is the figure compliance rules expect you to apply.

Official KES and ZAR Central Bank Rates

The rate on this page is the live mid-market rate. For tax filings, customs valuations, audits, and compliant invoicing you often need the official reference rate published by the central bank instead. AllRatesToday also serves published central-bank rates as JSON, with history and a free latest-rates tier.

Central Bank of Kenya official rates → South African Reserve Bank official rates → All central banks →

How KES/ZAR Exchange Rates Work

Exchange rates are determined by supply and demand in the global foreign exchange (forex) market, the largest financial market in the world with over $6 trillion traded daily.

Floating vs Fixed Rates: Most major currencies like KES and ZAR have floating exchange rates, meaning their value is determined by market forces. Some currencies are pegged to another currency (usually USD) at a fixed rate.

Bid and Ask Prices: In forex markets, currencies are quoted with a bid price (what buyers pay) and ask price (what sellers receive). The mid-market rate shown on this page is the midpoint between these two prices.

Rate Fluctuations: The KES/ZAR rate can change every second during trading hours. Major economic announcements, interest rate decisions, and geopolitical events can cause significant moves in either direction.

Frequently Asked Questions About KES/ZAR

How do I convert KES to ZAR?

To convert KES to ZAR: (1) Use the calculator above to see the live mid-market rate. (2) For programmatic access, call our API: GET /api/v1/rates?source=KES&target=ZAR. Current rate: 1 KES = 0.1252 ZAR. Get your free API key at allratestoday.com/register.

What is 1 KES in ZAR today?

1 KES equals 0.1252 ZAR as of today. This is the mid-market exchange rate, which is the real rate without any bank markup. Rates fluctuate constantly based on market conditions, so check back regularly for updates.

Is the KES going up or down against ZAR today?

The KES/ZAR exchange rate fluctuates throughout the day based on market conditions. Today's rate is 1 KES = 0.1252 ZAR. Check our historical chart above to see the trend over the past day, week, month, or year to understand whether KES is strengthening or weakening against ZAR.

What is the best time to buy ZAR with KES?

The best time to exchange KES to ZAR depends on market conditions. Generally, rates tend to be more favorable during overlapping trading hours between major financial centers (London, New York, Tokyo). Avoid exchanging during weekends or bank holidays when spreads may be wider. Use our historical chart to identify trends and consider setting up rate alerts.

Why is KES falling or rising against ZAR?

Exchange rates between KES and ZAR are influenced by: interest rate differentials between central banks, inflation rates, GDP and economic growth data, trade balances, political stability, and global market sentiment. Major announcements from the Federal Reserve, ECB, or other central banks can cause significant short-term movements in the KES/ZAR rate.

How can I get KES/ZAR rates in my app?

Use the AllRatesToday API: (1) Register for a free API key at allratestoday.com/register. (2) Call GET /api/v1/rates?source=KES&target=ZAR with your Bearer token. (3) Rates update every 60 seconds from institutional interbank market data. (4) Install our official SDK for JavaScript (npm), Python (PyPI), or PHP (Packagist) for even faster integration.

What is the mid-market rate for KES/ZAR?

The mid-market rate (also called the interbank rate) is the midpoint between buy and sell prices in global currency markets. The current mid-market rate is 1 KES = 0.1252 ZAR. This is the "real" exchange rate without any bank markup. AllRatesToday provides this rate via a free API, sourced from institutional interbank market data.

Other KES conversions

Building KES/ZAR into software?

These rates come from the AllRatesToday API. If you need them in an application rather than on a page, these are the places to start:

Choosing an exchange rate API — what to check before you commit to one, and how the free tiers really compare.
Free forex APIs compared — coverage, rate limits and update frequency side by side.
Exchange rates in Google Sheets — pulling live KES rates into a spreadsheet.
Official central bank rates — the published rates tax filings, customs and audits require, from 116 central banks.
API documentation — endpoints, authentication and code samples.