A Fresh Face for South Africa’s Banknotes

It’s time for a fresh and wild new set of South African banknotes! For the first time in over a decade, the South African Reserve Bank has issued a new set of notes designs. Along with the pretty new visuals, of course, comes an entire set of new or reinvigorated safety features to help ward off counterfeiters. Luckily, your note counters from LJ International will still be able to keep your cash management slick, simple, and effortless, even with the new note series. Here’s what you should know to familiarise yourself with the currency upgrade.

Better Security

Did you know that South Africa’s currency has one of the lowest counterfeit rates globally? It’s estimated the SARB sees 3 fake notes for every million produced. The new note set comes with some further enhanced security features. While it’s pretty common for laymen on the street to wonder why a country ‘wastes’ their time with updated notes, it’s actually a global best practice to regularly revamp currency precisely to update security measures and stay a step ahead of criminals.

Perhaps one of the most interesting security updates to this series is the inclusion of a tiny little South African flag to the raised central threads which were already present. Additionally, there’s a new watermark in the form of a Big 5 animal on each note, as well as enhanced accessibility features for the visually impaired.

The new notes use a combined security feature system the SARB calls ‘look, feel, and tilt’ to help assess the legitimacy of the currency. You can see the new watermark, tilt the note to see the ‘SARB’ and denomination markers, and feel the raised threads across Madiba’s portrait. Additionally, each note carries the reserve bank governor’s signature and a unique serial number, as always.

Family Time

The revamped visuals on the notes draw heavily from the natural beauty of South Africa’s wildlife, including several rather adorable family scenes for the Big 5 we’ve been used to to date. However, we haven’t completely abandoned the theme of the old notes, and alongside the reworked nod to the Big 5, this time with adults and babies, you will still see former president Nelson Mandela’s head on the back of the notes, echoing the older 2012 ‘Randela’ series.

The introduction to the Constitution has also been added to the border, and a mix of 11 of our 12 official languages appear across the currency. Did you know that South African sign language was recently added to the list of official languages? Of course, it’s the one language that can’t be expressed on the notes! Perhaps the most notable change, however, is the intensified and brighter colour palette, echoing a global trend we first saw when Canada released its most recent (and very jazzy) note set a few years ago.

Bringing our coins into line with the note series, we will now have a new set of animals to enjoy there too. While few of us think much of the 10c coin these days, the fetching little bumblebee is admittedly a gorgeous design. The Southern Right whale and galjoen (actually our national fish) replace the older buffalo on R5 coins, and the springbok shifts from the R1 to the R2 coin, replacing the kudu. The R1 coin will now show a king protea, the bitter aloe heads to the 20c coin, and the 50c coin introduces a loerie.

The new notes are already in circulation, and it is expected they will reach sufficient saturation for everyone to experience them by the end of June. Of course, existing older notes and coins will remain legal tender, and can still be used. So now is the perfect time to ensure your staff are aware of the looks and security features for the new notes, ensuring it’s business as usual.

All of LJ International’s money counter solutions will be able to recognise and sort the new notes, so if you’re looking for a note counter or coin counter to help simplify your business routine, simply reach out to the team today- we are always here to help!