The Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) announced on 16 April 2026 that Moody's Investors Service South Africa had voluntarily renounced its licence as a credit rating agency. The decision followed consultation with the Prudential Authority (PA), according to the FSCA statement.
Moody's had been licensed in South Africa since 2017. The FSCA said the renunciation was part of a strategic review by Moody's Corporation, which determined that maintaining a local presence was no longer necessary for its operations in the country.
The FSCA confirmed that Moody's will continue to provide credit ratings for South African entities from its global offices, and that the move does not affect the validity of existing ratings. The regulator also noted that the decision was voluntary and not the result of any regulatory action.
This development comes amid ongoing discussions about the role of international credit rating agencies in emerging markets. South Africa has seen several rating actions in recent years, but the FSCA emphasized that this licence renunciation is a business decision by Moody's.
