Your foreign exchange should work harder for your business.
Independent FX expertise for African businesses operating internationally.
We help you
- 01understand what your FX is really costing you.
- 02improve the way you manage currency risk.
- 03make better decisions about how your money moves across borders.
Global reach through the Makosch network
- £750bn+Annual partner flow
- 140+Currencies
- 220+Countries & territories served
- 102Global offices represented
- 10International broker partners
Figures reflect the collective reach and capabilities represented across the wider Makosch provider network.
Foreign exchange is rarely as transparent as it should be.
The rate you see isn't necessarily the rate you get. Spreads, fees, execution and poorly structured currency strategies can quietly erode margin every time money moves across borders.
We help you understand what you're actually paying, how your current arrangements compare and whether there is a better way to manage your FX.
The market rate
Every transaction starts with a market rate.
- 01The market rate
The mid-market rate is the benchmark you might see on Google or financial news sites. It reflects the market at a particular moment, but it isn’t necessarily the rate your bank or FX provider will offer you.
- 02Timing
Exchange rates move throughout the day. The rate available when you decide to convert may be different from the rate you saw earlier. Once you agree a spot transaction, your exchange rate is fixed, but the timing of that decision can make a difference.
- 03The FX spread
Your bank or FX provider typically builds a margin, known as the spread, into the exchange rate it offers you. This is one way it earns revenue from your transaction, and the cost isn’t always clearly disclosed.
- 04Fees & charges
Depending on how your payment is processed, there may be transfer fees, receiving charges or deductions by intermediary banks. Some are visible upfront. Others may only become apparent when the funds arrive.
- 05What you receive
The final amount reflects the rate you secured and any applicable charges. Comparing that rate with the market at the time of your transaction is the first step towards understanding whether you received a competitive deal.
One example throughout: a business selling US dollars and receiving rand. Illustrative only: not to scale and no real rates. Not every fee applies to every transaction.
Analyse my transactionFind out what your FX is really costing you.
We independently analyse your foreign exchange transactions to uncover the costs built into your exchange rate and identify opportunities to improve your FX arrangements.
Start with a single past transaction using just three details, or speak to us about a complimentary review of your wider FX activity.
No bank access requiredNo obligationComplimentary analysis
Request a complimentary FX analysisPreparing your transaction
- Checking your details
- Working out the other side at your rate
- Converting your date and time to UTC
- Sending your transaction to our team
We couldn’t send your transaction. Please try again, or email ben@makoschafrica.com.
Your transaction is ready for review.
Our team will compare your rate with minute-by-minute market data, usually on the same day, and identify whether a better outcome may have been possible.
Choose a time to go through the findings with us
Prefer it in writing?
Thank you. Your analysis will follow by email.
You’ll usually receive it the same day. If you would rather talk it through, you can book a 15-minute call instead.
Your analysis will show
- The market benchmark at the time of your deal
- Your rate’s difference from that benchmark
- Potential areas for improvement
A considered approach to better FX decisions.
We start by understanding your business, not selling you a product. Our independent approach combines detailed analysis with access to a global network of FX providers to help you make better decisions about how you manage foreign exchange.
Understand
We get to know your business, your international payment flows and how you currently manage FX.
Analyse
We review your transactions, pricing and existing arrangements to identify costs, risks and opportunities.
Advise
We recommend practical improvements to pricing, strategy, execution and provider suitability.
Support
We help negotiate and implement the right solution, and remain involved as your requirements evolve.
As your requirements evolve
Independent by design. Focused on your interests.
We’re not a bank or an FX broker. We work across a global network of providers on consistent commercial terms, allowing us to focus on finding the right pricing, strategy and service for your business.
A global network
Makosch works with a global network of established FX providers, giving us the ability to find the right solution for each client's requirements rather than pushing a single provider or product.
No favoured provider
Our commercial arrangements are structured consistently across our broker network, so we have no incentive to favour one provider over another.
Case studies
Different businesses. Different FX challenges. The same independent approach.
Professional servicesAn architecture practice making frequent international paymentsThe challengeRead the case
Carbon creditsA carbon-credit business buying US dollars for international suppliersThe challengeRead the case
Non-profitsAn NGO funded in US dollars, spending mainly in randThe challengeRead the case
Import & ExportAn importer buying regularly from suppliers in ChinaThe challengeRead the case
Fashion retailA fashion retailer converting foreign investment and paying suppliers abroadThe challengeRead the case
Built for businesses that operate across borders.
Understanding the cost of international supplier payments and managing exchange-rate exposure between ordering and settlement.
Managing exposure between pricing an export contract, shipping the produce and receiving the proceeds, alongside imported equipment and inputs.
Mapping foreign-currency revenues against imported equipment, specialist contractors and cross-border capital expenditure.
Managing foreign currency receipts, international suppliers and currency exposure across seasonal cash flows.
Bringing capital raised abroad, revenue in several currencies and platform and supplier payments into one coherent FX strategy.
Understanding what happens to app store, advertising and publisher revenue between the platform and the bank account.
Planning conversions and managing currency exposure between foreign-currency funding, production and final spend.
Planning large, time-sensitive capital movements around acquisitions, disposals and international investment.
Understanding the cost and risk of currency flows around capital calls, investments and distributions.
Understanding how FX pricing and conversion strategy affect the margin on international client work.
Managing large, recurring payroll conversions where small differences in pricing and execution add up over the year.
Protecting the funding available for delivery when it arrives in one currency and programmes are budgeted in another.
Import & Export
Understanding the cost of international supplier payments and managing exchange-rate exposure between ordering and settlement.
Request a complimentary FX analysisBring specialist FX expertise to your clients.
Who we work with
We work with accountants, advisers, consultants and other trusted professionals whose clients have international currency exposure.
You keep the relationship
You retain the client relationship. We bring the specialist FX expertise — analysing existing arrangements, identifying opportunities and, where appropriate, introducing the client to the right provider from our network.
The introduction is recognised
We also recognise the value of the introduction, with ongoing commercial arrangements available for introducers whose clients work with Makosch.
Or write to ben@makoschafrica.com
Questions we hear first
Something else? Ask us directly.
Our initial analysis is complimentary. If we identify a meaningful opportunity to improve your arrangements, we'll show you where. If your existing pricing is already strong, we'll tell you that too. Check a transaction.
We don't need access to your bank account or your entire trading history — just enough information to understand the transaction and the exchange rate you received.
Rather than becoming another FX provider, Makosch developed an independent consultancy model — analysing the market objectively and helping clients identify the providers and strategies best suited to their requirements.
Our commercial arrangements are structured consistently across our broker network, so we have no incentive to favour one provider over another. That independence allows us to assess pricing, capability, service and strategy from the client's perspective.
Makosch was founded in the UK in 2014. Makosch Africa was established to bring the Makosch model closer to businesses across the continent. From South Africa, we're building relationships across the continent while drawing on the experience, infrastructure and international provider network developed by the wider Makosch business.
We work with accountants, advisers, consultants and other trusted professionals whose clients have international currency exposure. You retain the client relationship; we bring the specialist FX expertise. How it works.
A better FX conversation starts with understanding what you have today.
ben@makoschafrica.com+27 (0) 79 279 5762
Whether you're making regular international payments, receiving foreign currency revenue or managing significant currency exposure, we'll help you understand whether your current arrangements can be improved.