G'day everyone

I regularly get money from overseas into my personal bank account (a cheque account) with ABSA. Now a client of mine in the United States says that his bank requires a "clearing code" in addition to the SWIFT code to make the wire transfer. A person from my client's bank said that this code is often called the "ZA code" because it starts with the letters "ZA", and is required for all wire transfers to banks in South Africa. Apparently my bank should supply this to me, to supply to my client, otherwise the wire transfer can't be made.

ABSA's international banking help line could not help me. They claim that there is only a SWIFT code and the branch code, but they have never heard of such a thing as a "ZA code" or a "clearing code".

Does anyone know what this thing is? Or, what it is called in South Africa, so that I can ask for it by name?

Thanks
Samuel (leuce)