Internationally, it is regarded as best practice for central banks to upgrade the security features of their banknotes every six to eight years. This is to combat counterfeiting, which diminishes the value of real money, robs countries worldwide of billions of rand annually, and tarnishes the credibility of a currency, thereby impacting on the growth of that economy.
One of the responsibilities of the South African Reserve Bank is to protect the value and integrity of the South African currency. Through this comprehensive communication campaign, we want to ensure that all our citizens and organisations familiarise themselves with the look and feel of the new banknotes, and reinforce the culture of knowing our money.