BIS Review 137/2008  1  More important from a policymaker’s perspective is the need to assess the contribution to economy-wide productivity and stability of the extraordinary expansion in the size and scope of the financial sector that occurred in the past several decades.
The “big five” theme was adopted after the unbanning of political parties and the release of political prisoners, reflecting what was considered as a design that would be acceptable to all South Africans. The currency was last upgraded in 2005 when enhanced security features on the “Big Five” banknote series were added.