Lesotho – Unmatched Security from Within the Roof of Africa’s New Series

On 21 December, the Central Bank of Lesotho (CBL) launched a significantly upgraded series of banknotes, with dynamic and innovative security threads and advanced security print features.

The CBL was first established as the Lesotho Monetary Authority in 1978, and later through an Act of Parliament, was changed to the Central Bank of Lesotho. In 1966 Lesotho gained independence from the United Kingdom, and the loti was first issued (albeit as a non-circulating currency).

The loti (plural: maloti) takes its name from the word for mountain in Sesotho, Lesotho’s official language. It is subdivided into 100 lisente and is pegged to the South African rand, and both are accepted as legal tender within the country. In 1980, Lesotho issued its first coins denominated in both loti and lisente (dated 1979), which are legal tender alongside the rand.