South African Reserve Bank. The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is the central bank of South Africa. It was established in 1921, through the promulgation of the Currency and Bank Act of 10 August 1920. It was created as a direct result of the abnormal monetary and financial conditions which World War I had brought. The SARB was only the fourth central bank established outside the United Kingdom and Europe, the others being the Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan and Bank of Java.