I am kind of desperate to obtain foreign exchange for my December holiday.
My visa application is still at the embassy and so I cannot yet take my passport to the bank along with the other required docs. Is there anything (legally!) I can do in the meantime to get foreign exchange or to fix the rate at which I will buy?
I wouldn't fix it. The risk from the ratings agencies is over & the next major event is the ANC conf which is likely to go in Ramaphosa's favour which would help the currency.
If you really want to fix it try flightcenter though be warned fixing it means you pay a premium so I don't see you winning here...
I generally just use a credit card. You pay a fee - varies by card usually 1-2.5% - which is expensive but less painful than messing with wallets & conversions & things. Capitec is the cheapest for ZA cards aside from Investec/RMB.
NB some European card machine ask you what currency you want to be billed in if you use a ZA card. Always select the currency of the country you're physically in. NOT Rand.
Mastercard is marginally better accepted Visa but it doesn't really matter. (I just carry Visas & Amex)
Paris taxis from airports are flat rate 50 Eur so either bring cash or take a train (ORLY has train/shuttle/metro access, don't know about CDG presumably also). Maybe they accept cards & I just didn't understand them though...
Egypt/Morroco should be fine too - I'd take some USD cash though. As little as possible though...I've had cases where I end up paying 10%+ in total from conversion & fees for money drawn.
Check out Barcelona as well...you should be able to hop there from Paris cheaply.
Ok, that's tough to do then. Can't you get the Forex based on your Id alone? I dunno how it works for south Africans
Exchange rules prohibit holding foreign cash without docs...don't recall what - flight tickets with departure in 30 days I think. @OP I don't think it's visa linked cause well a lot of people don't need visas due to passport.
