Experts: Rand can't stand prosperity

No currency has performed better this year than South Africa's rand, and a growing number of traders and strategists say the rally is about to reverse.

The rand appreciated 15 percent this year to 8.2621 per dollar, fueled by rising demand for higher-risk assets and export-driven currencies amid signs the global recession has bottomed. The South African currency even beat the Brazilian real, which offers higher money-market rates.

Traders are now stepping up bets that the country's manufacturers won't be able to withstand a stronger rand, which makes their goods more expensive to foreign buyers. Options show the rand has a greater potential to depreciate over the next six months than any other currency.