AfriRate
About

AfriRate is built by Statotech Systems.

AfriRate aggregates official exchange rates from African central banks and publishes them as a free, machine-readable REST API. It is one of several products built by Statotech Systems — a fintech and data-infrastructure shop focused on Southern Africa.

What is a Statotech ID?

Your Statotech ID is the single account you use across every product Statotech Systems builds — AfriRate included. One email, one password, no per-product registration.

One account

Across all products

The same Statotech ID signs you into AfriRate and every other Statotech product. No separate accounts to manage.

One redirect

Central sign-in

When you click Sign In, we send you to accounts.statotec.com. After you sign in there, you come straight back to AfriRate.

Two weeks

Session length

Your session stays valid for about two weeks across all Statotech products before you need to sign in again.

How to sign in to AfriRate

Five steps. Most people are calling the API within two minutes.

  1. 1

    Click "Sign Up" on AfriRate

    The button is in the header on every page. You will be forwarded to accounts.statotec.com — that is normal and expected.

  2. 2

    Create your Statotech ID

    Enter your email and choose a password. This single ID will sign you into every Statotech product — you only do this once.

  3. 3

    Verify your email

    Statotech sends a one-time verification link. Click it to activate your account. Takes ~10 seconds.

  4. 4

    Land on the AfriRate dashboard

    You are automatically sent back to AfriRate, where your API key (starts with "ar_") is waiting. The free tier is on by default.

  5. 5

    Make your first API call

    Copy the curl example from the docs and run it. You should get JSON exchange-rate data in under a second.

Create your Statotech ID →Already have one? Sign in

The AfriRate API

One endpoint, six countries, JSON output. The free tier is generous enough for most side projects.

Full docs →
Free tier
60 req / min · 300 req / day
Format
JSON over HTTPS
Auth
Bearer token (key starts with ar_)
Countries
ZW · ZA · BW · ZM · MZ · MW
# Get the latest Zimbabwe rates — no auth needed for the public endpoint
$ curl 'https://afrirate.statotec.com/api/v1/rates/latest?country=ZW'

# With your API key (higher rate limits)
$ curl 'https://afrirate.statotec.com/api/v1/rates/latest?country=ZW' \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer ar_xxx...'

Frequently asked questions

+What is a Statotech ID?

Your Statotech ID is a single account that signs you into every product Statotech Systems builds — including AfriRate. You create it once at accounts.statotec.com and then use it everywhere. Same email, same password, no per-product re-registration.

+Why am I redirected to accounts.statotec.com when I sign in?

AfriRate does not store passwords. We delegate sign-in to a central Statotech accounts service so you only have one login to remember across our products. After signing in there you are sent back to AfriRate with a session cookie that lasts about two weeks.

+Do I need a Statotech ID just to view exchange rates?

No. The rate pages and the basic API (60 requests per minute, 300 per day) are free and require no account. You only need a Statotech ID if you want a personal API key to track usage, raise rate limits on a paid plan, or use the dashboard.

+How do I get an AfriRate API key?

Create a Statotech ID at accounts.statotec.com (or click Sign Up on AfriRate). When you land back on AfriRate, your dashboard shows a key starting with "ar_" that you pass in the Authorization header. The free tier is enabled automatically — no credit card required.

+Is the API really free?

Yes. The free tier gives you 60 requests per minute and 300 per day with no credit card. Higher request volume needs a paid plan, but the public read-only rate pages remain free forever.

+Where do AfriRate exchange rates come from?

Directly from each country's central bank: the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ), the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), the Bank of Botswana (BoB), the Bank of Zambia (BoZ), the Banco de Moçambique (BdM), and the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM). We do not apply spread, smoothing, or any third-party derivation.

+What other products does Statotech Systems build?

Statotech Systems builds fintech and data infrastructure tools across Southern Africa. AfriRate is the pan-African exchange-rate product. Your Statotech ID gives you access to all of them with one account.

+I forgot my Statotech ID password — what do I do?

Use the "Forgot password" link on accounts.statotec.com. Your AfriRate account is just one product behind that ID, so a password reset there restores access to everything.

Questions, feature requests, or want a new country added? Email hello@statotec.com. We read every message.