Get to know the new “Randela” banknotes
Get to know the new “Randela” banknotes
The new South African banknotes started circulating on 6 November 2012. Why did they change the notes and what are the specific characteristics to look out for to know that you are using real and not counterfeit money.
Why the new banknotes?
To ensure that South African money remains among the safest currencies in the world, it needs to be updated every six to eight years.
The South African Reserve Bank incorporated new security and design features to safeguard our currency from being counterfeited.
The old banknotes will still be legal tender and can still be used, until it has been withdrawn from circulation.
Paying tribute to a South African icon
The new banknotes feature Nelson Mandela on the front. Nelson Mandela sacrificed his life so that our country can be free and through his actions has shown that change is possible. South Africa pays tribute to this remarkable man by etching him onto our new banknotes to commemorate the important role he has played in our history and in shaping a democratic South Africa.
Three Steps to check authenticity
The South African Reserve Bank has made use of the latest state-of-the-art technology to ensure that our new banknotes cannot be counterfeited.
There are 3 ways for users to check if the currency they are using is real – Look, Feel and Tilt.
Look
When you hold the new bank note up to the light, you will see a watermark of Nelson Mandela’s face and a hidden denomination numeral which is visible on the left hand side on the front of the banknote.
The animal portrayed on the back of the banknote will also appear in an oval at the bottom left and will also be seen to the left of Mr Mandela’s face in micro-lettering.
Feel
Raised printing has been used, so that you can easily check authenticity of your banknotes. This feature was used on the front with the main motif of Mandela and the words South African Reserve Bank as well as the coat of arms on the back.
To make it easy for visually impaired people to check the authenticity and for them to know which banknote they are holding an additional raised printing mark is used on the front at the bottom left hand corner.
R10: One raised line, R20: Two raised lines, R50: Three raised lines, R100: Four raised lines and R200: Five raised lines
Tilt
When you tilt your banknote you will see the following effects which will indicate that you are using authentic banknotes:
The security thread will change to the colour of the respective banknote. It also shows the coat of arms, the initials “SARB” and the word Rand
The R10 and R20 has colour changing ink on the large numeral on the right hand corner and the R50, R100 and R200 have SPARK colour changing ink which has a rolling-bar effect.
When you hold a banknote horizontal to your eyes, a hidden numeral will appear below the main motive of Mandela.
What else has changed?
The main colours of the banknotes will remain the same, however the colour of the R200 will change slightly to be more distinguishable from the R20 note.
The language on the front of the banknotes will all be in English. The back of the banknotes will have different languages thereby celebrating all South Africa’s 11 official languages.
R10: Afrikaans & siSwati | R20: Setswana & isiNdebele | R50: isiXhosa & Tshivenda | R100: Sesotho sa Leboa, Sepedi & Xitsonga | R200: isiZulu & Sesotho
The paper that is used for the banknotes will not glow under UV light as the fluorescent fibres used for the old notes have not been included.
The new notes also now have a unique sound when snapped between your fingers. Listen to the sound here.
What stayed the same?
The animals that are used on the current banknotes will still be used. The size of the notes also stays the same. The height is 70mm and differs in length by 6 mm, starting from the R10 note’s 128mm.
To many people visiting South Africa, our currency is the first introduction to our country’s brand. A country’s currency reflects its heritage and culture only second to the national flag.
Nelson Mandela on the new banknotes personifies the spirit of our national heritage and positive change, and provides an inspiration for others to follow.