LISAZAJJ11-character variant (head office):
LISAZAJJXXXWhether funds come from abroad or another local account, here's how to receive — and what it costs.
Sender uses LISAZAJJ + your account number.
Sender uses Wise, LemFi, or Sendwave to deposit into your account.
Receive into TymeBank, then move to Mercantile Bank if needed.
South African banks use a 6-digit universal branch code; PayShap enables low-value real-time payments using a phone-number ShapID.
South Africa is more bank-centric than wallet-centric, but PayShap and apps allow real-time transfers, and wallets like TymeBank and Shoprite Money are growing.
Rail operator: www.bankservafrica.com
When you actually need a SWIFT code: only for receiving money from another country. PayShap handles every domestic south africa bank-to-bank, bank-to-wallet, and wallet-to-bank transfer at near-instant speed. If the sender is in the same country, SWIFT isn't involved at all — they just need your universal branch code or phone number.
For inbound international flows, PayShap also matters: most modern remittance operators (Wise, Sendwave, LemFi, WorldRemit, TapTap Send) terminate their payouts via this rail rather than via correspondent SWIFT relationships. That's how they deliver in minutes instead of days — and why their all-in cost can be a fraction of a classic SWIFT wire.
Cash pickup is the fourth node in the receiving graph: Western Union, MoneyGram, Ria, RemitOne. These remain expensive but are the only option in some last-mile situations (no bank account, no wallet, urgent cash need). Mobile money cash-out via an agent network is increasingly the cheaper alternative — see our country mobile-money fee page for current cash-out rates.
One practical tip: if you're expecting a payment from abroad, ask the sender to choose the destination based on speed and amount. Small frequent payments below US$1,000 are almost always cheaper via a remittance app to your wallet. Mid-size payments (US$1,000–10,000) work well to your bank account via the same apps. Genuinely large payments (above US$50,000) are usually only practical via a SWIFT wire, even though they're the most expensive per dollar at that band.
| Bank code | Country | Location |
|---|---|---|
| LISA | ZA | JJ |
| Mercantile Bank | ZA (South Africa) | Johannesburg |
An 11-character variant like LISAZAJJXXX also indicates the head office — the trailing 'XXX' is the default. Codes ending in different sequences (e.g. 'LISAZAJJ001') refer to specific branches.
Check any SWIFT/BIC code is correctly formatted before a transfer.
vs ZAR (South African Rand)
Mercantile Bank was founded in 1965 and historically focused on serving the South African business community of Portuguese-speaking origin (the bank-code prefix LISA derives from "Lisbon"). Portugal's Caixa Geral de Depósitos owned the bank from 1989 to 2019, when South Africa's Capitec Bank acquired it as a strategic platform for entry into business banking. The correct SWIFT code is LISAZAJJ — some directories list LIBSZAJJ which is incorrect; the verified active form (June 2026) is LISAZAJJ per Wise, TheSwiftCodes, and bank.codes. Long form: LISAZAJJXXX. The bank operates around 12 branches in South Africa and serves SME and mid-corporate clients. Inbound wires route to the Mercantile Lisbon House head office.
142 West Street, Mercantile Lisbon House, Floor 4, Sandown, Johannesburg
Map centred on Johannesburg. Click "View on OpenStreetMap" below for precise location.
Mercantile Bank — South Africa's commercial bank, one of the country's oldest institutions (founded 1965) — has the SWIFT/BIC code LISAZAJJ. The 8-character base BIC LISAZAJJ targets the Johannesburg head office; the 11-character variant LISAZAJJXXX names that same head office explicitly. You only need it for receiving an INTERNATIONAL wire (from another country). For transfers from another South Africa account, you just use your account number plus the domestic rail (PayShap).
Yes. Operators like WorldRemit, Sendwave, Afriex, and Flutterwave Send let a sender abroad deposit directly into TymeBank without going through your Mercantile Bank account. It's usually faster and cheaper than a SWIFT wire for smaller amounts. You can then move funds to Mercantile Bank via PayShap if needed.
Via PayShap, which interconnects banks and wallets in real time. From the Mercantile Bank app: add TymeBank as a beneficiary with your phone number, and the transfer arrives instantly. See our South Africa mobile money fees page for the exact cost.
For amounts under ~US$5,000, a remittance app (Wise, LemFi, Sendwave) depositing direct to your Mercantile Bank account is almost always cheaper than a classic SWIFT wire — lower fees and a rate closer to mid-market. For larger amounts, compare SWIFT vs app on our South Africa inbound transfer comparison.
Yes. Mercantile Bank is connected to PayShap, which enables near-instant transfers to other South Africa banks and to mobile money wallets (TymeBank, Shoprite Money, Capitec Pay). This is the infrastructure remittance apps use behind the scenes to deliver in real time.
Source: Mercantile Bank'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.