Reserve Bank cautions against accepting dye stained banknotes

21 Jul 2021

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) was established on 30 June 1921 to issue, distribute and destroy banknotes and coins.  After 100 years of honouring this mandate, the SARB remains committed to ensuring that South Africans have confidence in the integrity of our cash.

The looting and unrest over the past week has resulted in infrastructure being damaged, including some automated teller machines (ATMs). ATMs are equipped with technology to stain banknotes in case of attack. This process of protecting the banknotes defaces them so that they carry no monetary value for people who invade ATMs.

The SARB wishes to advise the public to be aware and cautious of accepting banknotes that have been stained with traces of blue or green ink.

Note that these banknotes are considered the proceeds of crime and have no value and cannot be exchanged.

Members of the public are therefore strongly encouraged not to accept such banknotes, and to report such incidents to the nearest police station.

For further information, please engage the SARB Currency Management Team by email at [email protected](link sends e-mail); by telephone at 012 313 3270; or online at www.resbank.co.za(link is external)

To learn more about the country’s currency, members of the public are encouraged to download the recently revamped SARB Currency App, which is available on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Statement issued by SARB Media Relations, 21 July 2021