Just landed - wondering what gives the better rate in South Sudan: ATM withdrawal or airport exchange counter?
ATMs like KCB are your friend in Juba - if they’re working. Fees are there, but you get closer to the real exchange rate than the airport money counter, which always felt like a rip-off. For safety, don’t rely entirely on cards and bring USD in case ATMs are down or empty.
Honestly, neither option is perfect in South Sudan, but if you have a working foreign card, the ATM will usually give you a way better rate. I only used the airport exchange for my initial taxi ride because their rate was pretty rough. Later, I used the KCB ATM in Juba - way better deal.
In South Sudan, the exchange rate at the airport counter is almost always worse than the KCB Bank ATM rate, even with the withdrawal fees. I withdrew enough for a few days, and the difference was clear on my bank statement. The downside is, ATMs only work sometimes. Carry some USD for emergencies.
Just landed in Juba a few weeks ago - ATMs are pretty limited (mainly KCB Bank) and they charge a noticeable fee, but still gave me a better rate than the yawning airport exchange counter. The airport desk is only good for very small amounts, like taxi fare into town - otherwise, you lose a lot on the spread.