South Africa Upgrades Banknotes and Issues New Coin Series

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has released an upgraded set of banknotes and coins, which feature enhanced security features, colour, and – for the coins – new fauna and flora.

South Africa’s currency, the rand, takes its name from the Witwatersrand – the ridge on which Johannesburg is built and where most of the country’s gold deposits were found. It was introduced in 1961, replacing the South African pound. It is legal tender in the Common Monetary Area member states of Namibia, Lesotho and Eswatini, alongside their own national currencies. It is also widely used in Angola, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The first series was issued in 1961, the second in 1966, the third in 1978 and the fourth in 1992, when the Big 5 animals first made their appearance. The fifth series, of 2005, saw the introduction of the 11 official languages of South Africa. The sixth series, in 2012, featured the portrait of former President and international icon Nelson Mandela on the front with the images of the Big 5 animals moving to the reverse.