Games listed on Steam will soon be priced in rand, Valve told SA users in an e-mail.

Steam is an online store for digital PC games which supports Windows, OS X, and Linux.

Valve said if your Steam wallet has money in it on 10 November 2015, your US dollar balance will be converted into rand – at the relevant market value exchange rate.

Rumours that Steam would sell video games in rand surfaced earlier this year when the Steam Database discovered ten new currencies within a beta build of the software.

What about digital VAT?

As of 1 June 2014, the South African government requires VAT be collected on goods and services sold to South Africans online.

Some online shops and service providers increased prices after the digital VAT was introduced, but Steam was not among them.

While the Steam storefront does display the wording “VAT included in all prices where applicable”, invoices on recent purchases indicate that no sales tax was paid.

Even if VAT is introduced on Steam purchases, it is not clear whether South Africans will pay more for games.

Valve was asked if it would comply with SA’s digital VAT laws, but the company did not respond.

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