Everything you need to know about African forex rates and this dashboard.
What currencies does AfroFX cover?
AfroFX provides live exchange rates for all 42 African currencies, from the Nigerian Naira (NGN) and South African Rand (ZAR) to the Comorian Franc (KMF) and Sao Tomean Dobra (STN). We also include 9 major global currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, CNY, AED, INR, CAD, AUD, JPY) for cross-rate calculations and conversions, giving you comprehensive coverage of every currency pair that matters for African trade and commerce.
How often are exchange rates updated?
Our exchange rates are served from the AfroTools FX API with a timestamp and source label in every response. The dashboard shows whether the current feed is live, cached, stale, or unavailable. When the API is unreachable, the page falls back to the latest static snapshot and marks it clearly instead of leaving blank rates on screen.
Does this tool show Nigeria's parallel-market rate?
No. This page shows cross-rates derived from the latest mid-market FX snapshot available to AfroTools. If you need a dedicated official-versus-parallel comparison, that should come from a separate verified feed rather than a simulated spread.
How is the currency heatmap calculated?
The heatmap displays the 24-hour percentage change of each of the 42 African currencies against the US Dollar. Blue-shaded cells indicate appreciation (the local currency gained value against USD), red-shaded cells indicate depreciation (the local currency lost value), and neutral-colored cells represent minimal change. The intensity of the color corresponds to the magnitude of the change, making it easy to spot which currencies are moving the most on any given day.
How do cross rates work?
Cross rates are exchange rates between two currencies derived indirectly through a common base currency, typically the US Dollar. For instance, to find the NGN/KES exchange rate, we divide the USD/NGN rate by the USD/KES rate. This method is standard in forex markets and provides accurate conversions even for exotic pairs that are not directly traded. Our cross-rate matrix computes these in real time for the top African currencies, saving you from manual calculations.
Can I access this data programmatically via API?
Yes. The AfroFX API provides RESTful endpoints for latest available rates, historical data, and currency conversion. The free tier includes 1,000 requests per month with response timestamps. Pro and Enterprise plans offer higher limits, monitoring, and integration support. Visit our API documentation page to generate your free API key and start integrating African forex data into your applications, trading bots, or financial models.
Which African currency is the strongest against the dollar?
Measured by unit value, the Libyan Dinar (LYD) and Tunisian Dinar (TND) are typically the strongest African currencies against the US Dollar, each requiring fewer than five units per dollar. However, unit value alone does not indicate economic strength. The heatmap on this page shows latest available relative performance, letting you compare which currencies are gaining or losing ground in the current snapshot regardless of their absolute value per dollar.
Can I view cryptocurrency prices in my local African currency?
Absolutely. The Crypto in Local Currency section lets you select any of the 42 African currencies to see live prices for Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT). These are computed by multiplying the USD crypto price by the latest exchange rate for your chosen currency. This is especially useful in markets like Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana where crypto adoption is high and users need to know exact local-currency equivalents before buying or selling on local exchanges.