The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has officially unveiled the new design of the country’s physical notes and coins on Wednesday, 3 May 2023.
The bank confirmed that it will be gradually releasing the upgraded banknotes and coins that feature new designs and enhanced security features during the course of the year.
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According to the bank, the upgraded currency will keep the same themes as the current banknotes, with the exception of the coins, which will have an ecological theme.
Tribute to Nelson Mandela
“The banknotes continue to pay tribute to South Africa’s first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, with his portrait retained on the front of the banknotes, while the Big 5 animals are now illustrated as a family on the back.
“We also celebrate our constitutional democracy with the preamble to the South African Constitution printed in microtext around Madiba’s portrait and the country’s flag featured on the front and the back of the banknotes,” SARB said in a statement.
The central bank explained that the coin series focuses on the idea of ecology, recognising how living things are connected and important to the environment. This is represented through pictures of plants and animals on the coin.
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New designs on notes
SARB has made some exciting upgrades to the banknotes and coins, making them not only more visually appealing but also more accessible to the partially sighted community.
The new designs feature subtle enhancements to the colours, making it easier to tell the different denominations apart. Plus, each denomination now has a unique animal watermark and shape that can be seen when held up to the light.
The banknotes also feature micro-lettering of the Constitution’s preamble and large numerals in both positive and negative text.
Watch video of new design here:
Making notes more inclusive
SARB has also improved the tactile marks on the banknotes to help the blind and partially blind communities differentiate between the denominations.
The tactile marks are placed on the short edge of the R10 and R20 notes, and the long edge of the R50, R100, and R200 notes.
By counting the gaps between the sets of tactile marks, people can determine the denomination of the banknote: one gap for R10, two gaps for R20 (on the short edge); one gap for R50, two gaps for R100, and three gaps for R200 (on the long edge).
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Furthermore, on the front of the banknotes, the Coat of Arms, the Governor’s name and signature, the denomination numeral, and the main portrait are all in raised print. On the back, the words “South African Reserve Bank” in two of the 11 official languages, the denomination numeral, and the Big 5 animals are also in raised print.
Small change for coins
The South African coins have also undergone some design enhancements, while keeping certain elements consistent.
The diameter, national Coat of Arms, mintage year and the 11 official languages of South Africa are all unchanged, and the languages are rotated every 10 years, SARB confirmed.
However, the 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5 coins all feature new designs that showcase the Cape honey bee, bitter aloe, Knysna turaco, king protea, springbok, and southern right whale, respectively.
Additionally, the South African flag is now on the front of the R1 coin, while the words ‘South Africa’ appear in one language on the R1 coin and in three languages on the R5 coin.
The R5 coin also has a latent image that changes from ‘RAND’ to ‘FIVE’ when tilted. Finally, the coin series has new landing patterns on the inside of each coin to assist the visually impaired community in distinguishing between the various denominations by feel.
