SARB Banknote Consignment

20 February 2016

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) can confirm that the consignment of South African currency on the plane that landed in Harare earlier this week, has arrived in the country and is safe in the control of the SARB.

The SARB cooperated with both the Zimbabwean and South African authorities  in securing the release of the consignment.

The SARB wishes to reiterate that the process of printing South African currency abroad, and the transporting thereof is part of the normal course of currency operations and business contigency planning. 

In order to achieve this and to ensure that contigency plans are robust and regularly tested, a small percentage of the SARB's annual banknote order is outsourced to credible and vetted international printing companies. The bulk of South African currency is produced at its wholly owned subsidiary, the South African Banknote Company.

Statement issued by Pradeep Maharaj, Group Executive: Currency Cluster, South African Reserve Bank, 20 February 2016