Gold Price in ZAR — May 2026

Across the 31 trading days recorded in May 2026, 24K gold (99.9% pure bullion) in South African Rand opened the month at R2,467.17 per gram and closed at R2,371.44 per gram, a net fell of R95.73 (3.88%) over the month. The average daily closing price for the period was R2,434.41 per gram, giving a useful benchmark for anyone auditing purchases or valuations made during this window.

Prices were most volatile around the extremes of the range: the month's high of R2,504.73 per gram was recorded on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, while the low of R2,341.12 per gram fell on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. That puts the intra-month trading range at R163.61 per gram, or 6.99% of the low, which is a reasonable proxy for how much short-term volatility affected the market this month.

Purity matters as much as timing when valuing gold. Using May 2026's closing rate, 22K gold (91.67% pure — the standard for jewelry worldwide) closed at approximately R2,173.90 per gram, 21K (87.5% pure, common across the Gulf) at R2,075.01 per gram, and 18K (75% pure, favored for its durability in fine jewelry) at R1,778.58 per gram. In trade units beyond the gram, the closing 24K rate converts to roughly R27,660.00 per tola (the standard unit across South Asia and the Middle East), R73,760.09 per troy ounce (the international spot-market unit), and R2,371,440 per kilogram.

Against the previous month's close of R2,470.59 per gram, gold lost 4.01% by the end of May 2026. Tracking this kind of month-over-month movement is one of the more reliable ways to judge whether a longer-term trend is forming, rather than reacting to a single day's price swing.

This data reflects raw international spot-market closing rates and does not include local retail premiums, making charges, or import duties that jewelers and dealers typically add. It is best used for portfolio audits, insurance valuations, scrap-gold ROI calculations, and understanding broad price trends — for an actual buy or sell quote, cross-reference against a local dealer's rate for the same date.