On Wednesday, 3 May 2023, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) unveiled the newly designed banknotes and coins that will be circulating around the country this week.

 According to the SARB, the changes made; which include more colour, as well as new plants and animals on the notes and coins; were in line with international practice that recommends countries upgrade banknotes and coins regularly to combat counterfeit.

The banknotes will continue to feature former president Nelson Mandela and Africa’s Big Five. There will also be no changes to the size of the notes or the denominations of them.

One of the changes, however, will be the colour of the notes. The R20 will be a “more visible” brown, the R50 will include purple, and the R200 will be a brighter orange colour.

On the coins, the SARB has introduced new animal depictions, such as the Cape honey bee to replace the aloe on 10c pieces; the southern right whale and SA’s national fish, the galjoen, on the R5 coin to replace the buffalo; and the springbok will now replace the kudu on the R2 coin. The king protea flower will replace the springbok on the R1 coin, the aloe will be on the 20c coin, and the Knysna turaco is on the 50c.

The new banknotes and coins are expected to circulate this week, and most South Africans are anticipated to encounter all upgraded currency from June onwards. The existing banknotes and coins will continue to remain legal tender, and can be used alongside the newer currency.

Darul Ihsan Media Desk