The rand was 0.71% stronger at 18.1775 against the dollar as of 1527 GMT, compared with its previous close.
Investors will now focus on the South African government's mid-term budget next week, with a Reuters poll predicting the National Treasury will be able to trim this year's projected budget deficit thanks to buoyant mining receipts.
The rand has been mainly at the mercy of global drivers for the past several days, advancing in the early part of the week before falling back.
Domestic economic data this week were mixed, with September inflation slowing to 7.5% year on year from 7.6% the previous month, in line with analysts' estimates. But retail sales disappointed, rising just 2.0% year on year in August compared with estimates for a 4.2% growth.
On the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, the Top-40 and the broader all-share indexes closed 0.4% lower.
The government's benchmark 2030 bond was weaker in afternoon deals, with the yield up 8 basis points at 11.025%.
(Reporting by Alexander Winning and Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Toby Chopra and Vinay Dwivedi)
