The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) issued its first-ever set of commemorative banknotes to mark the birth centenary of World Leader and first democratically elected president in South Africa, Nelson Mandela. The notes were printed by South African Bank Note, a subsidiary of SARB and the 10 and 20 Rand notes were printed on Louisenthal’s Hybrid banknote substrate, which combines a polyester protective film over a cotton paper core for durability.
The design work for the new notes was carried out by De La Rue’s specialist design team. The design themes are Mvezo (Birth), Soweto (Life), Howick (Capture), Robben Island (Struggle) and Union Buildings (Destiny). De La Rue’s creative design director Julian Payne said it was an honour to be involved in the prestigious project, which took 18 months to complete.
‘Inspired by the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, we wanted to follow his journey through the five denominations. The designs tell a story of hope and reconciliation triumphing over division and persecution; the prisoner becoming president is a truly inspirational story,’ Payne said. ‘The images also celebrate the birth of a unified and democratic nation, which is the ultimate legacy of Nelson Mandela and his contemporaries and a remarkable achievement.’
The commemorative notes will be in circulation until the end of the year.
