---
title: "What is on South Africa's banknotes?"
description: "The South African rand: who is on each denomination, what was withdrawn and why, what the notes are printed on, and whether the sizes differ."
url: https://atoneplace.net/banknote/south-africa/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What is on the money in South Africa?

**The money in South Africa: South African rand (ZAR, R)**

5 denominations in issue · Paper

Mandela replaced the Big Five animals on the front of every denomination in 2012, though the animals stayed on the reverse — so the notes carry both. The colloquial name for the currency became "Randela" almost immediately. Before 1992 the notes carried Jan van Riebeeck, and the sequence of what a country puts on its money is about as direct a record of its politics as exists.

## Who and what is on each note

| Note | Who or what is on it |
| --- | --- |
| R10 | Nelson Mandela; rhinoceros on the reverse |
| R20 | Nelson Mandela; elephant |
| R50 | Nelson Mandela; lion |
| R100 | Nelson Mandela; buffalo |
| R200 | Nelson Mandela; leopard |

## The practical facts

- **Currency:** South African rand — ISO code ZAR, symbol R
- **Printed on:** Paper
- **Survives a wash?:** Not reliably. Paper notes disintegrate when soaked.
- **Can a blind person tell them apart?:** Yes — the denominations differ in size, which is the simplest and most reliable tactile cue there is.
- **Highest note in issue:** R200 — Nelson Mandela; leopard

> This page describes the notes rather than showing them. Reproducing a banknote image is restricted in most jurisdictions, and the restrictions differ between them.

## Common questions

### Who is on the money in South Africa?

R10: Nelson Mandela; rhinoceros on the reverse. R20: Nelson Mandela; elephant. R50: Nelson Mandela; lion. R100: Nelson Mandela; buffalo. R200: Nelson Mandela; leopard.

### Are South Africa's banknotes polymer or paper?

Paper.

## Related pages

- [South Africa](https://atoneplace.net/country/south-africa/)
- [The flag of South Africa](https://atoneplace.net/flag/south-africa/)
- [The money in United States](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-states/)
- [The money in Eurozone](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/eurozone/)
- [The money in United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/united-kingdom/)
- [The money in India](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/india/)
- [The money in Japan](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/japan/)
- [The money in Zimbabwe](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/zimbabwe/)
- [The money in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/australia/)
- [The money in Canada](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/canada/)
- [The money in China](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/china/)
- [The money in Switzerland](https://atoneplace.net/banknote/switzerland/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)