South Africa welcomes the European Union's removal of it from the high-risk list for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.

The South African Ministry of Finance recently issued a statement welcoming the European Union's removal of South Africa from the "high-risk third country jurisdictions" list. Previously, South Africa was removed from the Financial Action Task Force's list of countries subject to enhanced monitoring for money laundering and terrorist financing in October 2025, and was also taken off the UK's high-risk country list for money laundering and terrorist financing. The EU announced on the 9th that South Africa would be removed from the "high-risk third country jurisdictions" list, and the decision will officially take effect on the 29th. This move is expected to reduce the compliance burden for EU financial institutions conducting financial transactions with South Africa, and is seen as international recognition of South Africa's achievements in the field of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing reforms. Other African countries removed from the list alongside South Africa include Burkina Faso, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania. The South African Ministry of Finance stated in the declaration that although they have been removed from the relevant high-risk lists, this does not mean that all challenges related to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing have been resolved. South Africa still needs to continue strengthening its efforts in prevention, identification, investigation, and prosecution of money laundering and terrorist financing activities. South Africa was placed on the Financial Action Task Force's enhanced monitoring list in February 2023, and was automatically added to the EU's "high-risk third country jurisdictions" list in August of the same year.