Stocks gained for a third consecutive session, buoyed by firms with strong earnings outside their home market.
At 1605 GMT, the rand traded at 13.3175 per dollar, 2% weaker from its New York close on Tuesday.
The rand got off to a good week, hitting a 3-week high of 12.800/dollar, buoyed by increased risk appetite after the market's preferred candidate won the first round of the French presidential election.
But global market attention was now turning to US President Donald Trump's promised announcement on tax cuts, supporting a reheating of the dollar-positive "Trumpflation" trades that dominated the end of last year but have waned since.
Traders also cashed in gains ahead of a national local holiday on Thursday.
