Court ruling sows confusion over crypto’s status in South Africa
Judge’s decision that bitcoin ‘is money’ directly contradicts verdict in ruling last year
A court ruling this week has cast doubt on the legal status of cryptocurrency in South Africa.
The Gauteng division of the High Court of South Africa ruled on June 1 that cryptocurrency, at least in the form of bitcoin, constituted both “money” and “capital”. Judge Stuart Wilson gave the ruling in the case of Mangundhla & Dangaiso v South African Reserve Bank (Sarb), as published by the Southern African Legal Information Institute.
However, his judgement contradicted a May 2025 High Court ruling
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