South African rand
{{collapsible list · In circulation in 3 countries and territories
- ISO code
- ZAR
- Symbol
- R
- Minor unit
- 100
- Notes
- 5
- Coins
- 6
- Issued by
- South African Reserve Bank
Notes and coins in circulation
- R10
- R20
- R50
- R100
- R200
The South African rand’s largest current denomination is R200, worth about $12.31: the 39th least valuable top note among the 150 circulating currencies we have verified, where the median is $27.18.
ATM commonly dispensed by cash machines
Bars are scaled to face value on a log scale, not to physical size. Colours are the issuer’s own. Converted at mid-market reference rates; what a counter pays is always less.
| Notes | Colour | Size (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| R10 | green | 128 × 70 |
| R20 | brown | 134 × 70 |
| R50 | purple | 140 × 70 |
| R100 | blue | 146 × 70 |
| R200 | orange | 152 × 70 |
| Coins | Colour | Size (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | not recorded | not recorded |
| R2 | not recorded | not recorded |
| R5 | not recorded | not recorded |
| R10 | not recorded | not recorded |
| R20 | not recorded | not recorded |
| R50 | not recorded | not recorded |
Getting cash
South African cash machines usually dispense R200 and R100 notes. Every note in the current series carries Nelson Mandela on the front and steps up in width with value, from 128 mm to 152 mm. Carrying R25,000 or more in banknotes across the border is capped rather than merely declarable.
What it is worth
| Currency | 1 ZAR = | 1 unit = |
|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.0615 USD | 16.25 ZAR |
| EUR | 0.0537 EUR | 18.64 ZAR |
| GBP | 0.0460 GBP | 21.73 ZAR |
| INR | 5.9007 INR | 0.17 ZAR |
Mid-market reference rates, snapshot 22 September 2026: indicative only. What you actually receive is always less. Work out the real cost →
Where it is used
- Lesotho
- Namibia
- South Africa
One currency across several jurisdictions: notes issued in one are normally accepted throughout, though local issuers and designs can differ.
Practical guides
Related currencies
- Lesotho loti (also used here)
- Namibian dollar (also used here)
Tools
What exchanging costs →
Paste the rate you were quoted and see the gap against mid-market.
Do I need to declare it? →
Both legs of any route: where you leave and where you arrive.
Is a torn note still valid? →
How much must survive, and who pays out.
How big is a South African rand note? →
Drawn to scale against a bank card, and against any other currency.
One-page cash sheet →
Notes, border limits and damaged-note rules, on a page you can fold.
Sources: last verified 22 September 2026 secondary sourced
- ISO 4217 currency list (SIX Group, the ISO 4217 registrar) · retrieved 22 September 2026 primary
- South African Reserve Bank · retrieved 22 September 2026 primary
- South African rand (Wikipedia) · retrieved 22 September 2026 secondary