MY · AsiaZA · Africa
Malaysia vs South Africa: tax rates compared
South Africa's income tax rate is 15pp higher than Malaysia's (45% vs 30%). The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it.
Verified data covers five of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.
At a glance
| Tax | MY | ZA | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income Tax | 30% | 45% | ZA +15 pp |
| Corporate Tax | 24% | 27% | ZA +3 pp |
| Capital Gains Tax | 0% | 18% | ZA +18 pplargest gap |
| Crypto Tax | 0% | 18% | ZA +18 pp |
| Wealth Tax | 0% | 0% | match |
Income Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 30% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Malaysia (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-06-16 |
| South Africa | 45% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Taxes on personal income) · as of 2026-03-01 |
| Difference | −15 pp | South Africa higher |
Corporate Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 24% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| South Africa | 27% | Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01 |
| Difference | −3 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's corporate tax rate is 3pp higher than Malaysia's (27% vs 24%). The 201-country average is 22.6%: both sit above it.
Capital Gains Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 0% | Source: PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Malaysia (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-06-16 |
| South Africa | 18% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | −18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's capital gains tax rate is 18pp higher than Malaysia's (18% vs 0%). The 175-country average is 10.3%: Malaysia sits below it, South Africa sits above it.
Crypto Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 0% | Source: Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (LHDN) — Guidelines on Tax Treatment on Digital Currency Transaction (2nd Edition) · as of 2025-12-05 |
| South Africa | 18% | Source: South African Revenue Service — Crypto Assets & Tax · as of 2026-03-20 |
| Difference | −18 pp | South Africa higher |
South Africa's crypto tax rate is 18pp higher than Malaysia's (18% vs 0%). The 88-country average is 13%: Malaysia sits below it, South Africa sits above it. Malaysia's figure is dated 2025-12-05 and South Africa's 2026-03-20, so the two rates come from different data vintages.
Wealth Tax
| Country | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Net wealth/worth tax rates (quick chart) · as of 2026-06-16 |
| South Africa | 0% | Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — South Africa (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-05-29 |
| Difference | 0 pp | displayed rates match |
Malaysia's wealth tax rate is identical to South Africa's — both sit at 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it.
Not covered for both countries yet: VAT.