FIRNZAJJ11-character variant (head office):
FIRNZAJJXXX| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| FIRN | ZA | JJ |
| FNB | ZA (South Africa) | Johannesburg |
An 11-character variant like FIRNZAJJXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'FIRNZAJJ001') refer to specific branches.
First National Bank (FNB) is one of South Africa's "Big Four" commercial banks and is part of FirstRand Group, which also owns RMB (Rand Merchant Bank) and WesBank. FNB traces its history to the Eastern Province Bank, founded in 1838, making it one of the oldest banks in South Africa. The bank operates around 600 branches in South Africa plus subsidiaries in Botswana, Eswatini, Ghana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zambia. FNB is renowned for its digital banking innovation. SWIFT code FIRNZAJJ — using bank code FIRN from "FirstRand" — identifies the Bank City head office in Johannesburg. The long form is FIRNZAJJXXX. FirstRand Group is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
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SWIFT and BIC are two names for the same identifier: an 8 or 11-character code standardised by ISO 9362 that identifies a bank in the SWIFT payment network. For a wire to FNB, your sending bank needs this code (FIRNZAJJ) to route the payment message through correspondent banks to First National Bank in Johannesburg.
An IBAN, by contrast, identifies a specific bank account — not the institution. IBANs are mandatory in the European Economic Area, the UK, most of the Middle East, and several African countries (but South Africa does not use IBANs universally). For most wires to South Africa, you will supply SWIFT code FIRNZAJJ + the recipient's account number, not an IBAN.
UK sort codes (6 digits) and US routing numbers (9 digits) are domestic-only equivalents — they do not work for international wires. If a US-based sender wants to wire to FNB, they need the SWIFT code, not the US routing number of the correspondent bank (although their bank may use the routing number internally to route their side of the wire).
One final technical detail on the 11-character form: the last three characters identify a specific branch. When they read 'XXX' (as in FIRNZAJJXXX), they conventionally designate the head office itself. Most international wires use either the 8-character form or the 11-character form with XXX; unless your recipient explicitly tells you otherwise, that is the right choice.
First National Bank's SWIFT/BIC code is FIRNZAJJ. This 8-character code identifies the bank's Johannesburg head office for international wire transfers.
Yes. SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) and BIC (Business Identifier Code) are two names for the same 8 or 11-character identifier standardised by ISO 9362. You will see FNB's code referenced under either name on different financial platforms.
Yes. For an international wire to reach your FNB account, the sender needs SWIFT code FIRNZAJJ AND your account number. Some sending banks also request the recipient bank's full address (FNB Bank City, Simmonds Street, Johannesburg).
Typically 1 to 5 business days. The timing depends on the intermediary (correspondent) banks between the sending bank and FNB. Wires from major global banks (HSBC, Barclays, JPMorgan, Citi) usually clear fastest.
For smaller amounts to South Africa, operators such as Wise, LemFi, Sendwave, and TapTap Send typically offer a rate closer to mid-market and lower fees than a classic SWIFT bank wire. See our South Africa inbound corridor comparison for side-by-side pricing.
Source: FNB's official website + Wise SWIFT directory. Last verified: 2026-06-04. SWIFT codes change rarely but always confirm with your bank before initiating a transfer. Educational only — not financial advice.