Embassy Activities

South Africa celebrates the Centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela throughout 2018; the commemoration began in January with the announcement of a new design for the R5 coin that celebrates the life and work of Madiba.

The coin features a portrait of Mandela, with the years 1918 and 2018 engraved alongside new decorative security features. The flip side features the South African Coat of Arms, replacing the usual wildebeest design on the original R5 coin. This side also features the words “South Africa” in English and isiXhosa.

Since 1996, all South African coins have borne one of the country’s 11 official languages on a rotational basis.

The original R5 coin was introduced as legal tender in 1994, commemorating Mandela’s inauguration as South Africa’s first democratically elected president.

Another dedicatory coin was minted in 2008 in celebration of Mandela’s 90th birthday.

In a statement announcing the minting of the 2018 coin, the Reserve Bank of South Africa advised that it was national legal tender and, while it might hold a special personal value to all South Africans, it would not increase in value if stockpiled by collectors.

– Source: www.brandsouthafrica.com