Get Ready for the New South African Coins with LJ International

New Year, new coins- or at least, that’s the SA Mint’s motto! As of 1st January 2023, all SA coins in circulation will be getting a major overhaul. Admittedly, it’s a very pretty one- from loeries to whales, there’s a lot to admire- but it could also have knock-on effects on your coin-handling machines and cash procedures for your business. Fortunately, LJ International is here to help!

Languages and Logos

In order to better celebrate the 11 official languages that make up South Africa’s diverse peoples, the new coins will be using a variety of languages. Sometimes on the same coin! Over the next 10 years, these languages will be regularly rotated as each new denomination is minted, so we should see some very interesting changes and designs coming out. Despite the overhaul, some of the more familiar ‘special series’ coins (like the Nelson Mandela R5) will remain in circulation, as well as the R5 featuring older coin designs.\

Commemorative Coins

There will also be some truly unique commemorative coin series coming out. For the first time in South African history, these reflect participation from members of the public, too. Our ‘born frees’ (those born after 1994) were invited to submit designs and ideas based on their perspectives on democracy, culture, and freedom. The designs were then finished by a panel of experts. Different rights enshrined in the South African Bill of Rights will be reflected through the new serieses. 

What this Means for Business

While some of the new coins will remain very in-line with existing circulation coins, others will have introduced changes that could conflict with older coin counting machines. The new 50c coins have adopted a hexagonal border, for example, instead of the old 9-sided design. The 20c coin will be reduced to a 7-sided design. The 10c coin will change to 8-sides. Some of the new coins are also changing the metal blends used to make them, which will have knock-on implications for weight.

These are all features that sophisticated money counting machines use to help determine legitimacy of the currency you’re running through them. They will also appear very different (and shiny) to the eye, so it is important that your staff are trained on the changes and know how to identify the newer coins. Fortunately, this isn’t an issue you will have to struggle through alone!

If you want to hit the ground running this year, it’s time to do a check-in on your coin counters and other essential money management tools. The LJ International team is always at the cutting edge of technology, so if you want to check the capacity of your existing setup, update your machines, or simply have questions about the implications of the new coins coming into circulation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us today!