Botswana pula

The pula is the currency of Botswana. It has the ISO 4217 code BWP and is subdivided into 100 thebe. Pula literally means "rain" in Setswana, because rain is very scarce in Botswana — home to much of the Kalahari Desert — and therefore valuable and a blessing. The word also serves as the national motto of the country.

Botswana pula
Obverse of 2 pula (1980s)Reverse of 2 pula (1980s)
ISO 4217
CodeBWP
Denominations
Subunit
 1/100Thebe
SymbolP
Banknotes10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 pula[1]
Coins5, 10, 25, 50 thebe, 1, 2, 5 pula
Demographics
Official user(s) Botswana
Unofficial user(s) Zimbabwe[2]
Issuance
Central bankBank of Botswana
 Websitewww.bankofbotswana.bw
Valuation
Inflation2.8% (May 2016)
 SourceBank of Botswana, 7 July 2016
 MethodCPI

A sub-unit of the currency is known as thebe, or "shield",[3] and represents defence.[4] The names were picked with the help of the public.[4]

History

The pula was introduced in 1976, replacing the South African rand at par.

Coins

In 1976, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 thebe and 1 pula. The 1 thebe was struck in aluminium, with the 5 thebe in bronze and the others in cupro-nickel. These coins were round except for the scalloped 1 pula. Bronze, dodecagonal 2 thebe coins were introduced in 1981 and discontinued after 1985. In 1991, bronze-plated steel replaced bronze in the 5 thebe, nickel-plated steel replaced cupro-nickel in the 10, 25 and 50 thebe and the 1 pula changed to a smaller, nickel-brass, equilateral-curve seven-sided coin. A similarly shaped, nickel-brass 2 pula was introduced in 1994. In 2004, the composition was changed to brass-plated steel and the size was slightly reduced.

Following the withdrawal of the 1 and 2 thebe in 1991 and 1998 respectively, smaller 5, 10, 25 and 50 thebe coins were introduced, with the 5 and 25 thebe coins being seven-sided and the 10 and 50 thebe coins remaining round. [5] A bimetallic 5 pula depicting a mopane caterpillar and a branch of the mopane tree it feeds on was introduced in 2000 composed of a cupronickel center in a ring made of aluminium-nickel-bronze.

A new series of coins was introduced in 2013. All previous coins were demonetised with effect from 28 August 2014, and remained exchangeable to current coins for 5 years until 28 August 2019.[6]

Botswana pula coins
ImageValueCompositionDiameterWeightThicknessEdgeIssuedDemonetized
1 thebe Aluminum 18.5 mm 0.8 g 1.22 mm Smooth 1976-1991 July 1, 2014
2 thebe Bronze 17.4 mm (dodecagonal) 1.8 g 1.05 mm Smooth 1981-1985 July 1, 2014
5 thebe Bronze 19.5 mm 2.8 g 1.17 mm Reeded 1976-1989 July 1, 2014
5 thebe Bronze-plated steel 19.5 mm 2.8 g 1.28 mm Smooth or reeded 1991-1996 July 1, 2014
5 thebe Bronze-plated steel 17 mm (heptagonal) 2.41 g 1.75 mm Smooth 1998-2009 July 1, 2014
5 thebe Nickel-plated steel 18 mm (heptagonal) 2.218 g 1.3 mm Smooth 2013 No
10 thebe Copper-nickel 22 mm 4 g 1.33 mm Reeded 1976-1989 July 1, 2014
10 thebe Nickel-plated steel 22 mm 3.8 g Reeded 1991 July 1, 2014
10 thebe Nickel-plated steel 18 mm 2.8 g 1.75 mm Reeded 1998-2008 July 1, 2014
10 thebe Nickel-plated steel 20 mm 2.8 g 1.4 mm Reeded 2013 No
25 thebe Copper-nickel 25 mm 5.8 g Reeded 1976-1989 July 1, 2014
25 thebe Nickel-plated steel 25 mm 5.73 g Reeded 1991 July 1, 2014
25 thebe Nickel-plated steel 20 mm (heptagonal) 3.5 g 1.8 mm Smooth 1998-2009 July 1, 2014
25 thebe Nickel-plated steel 22 mm (heptagonal) 4.2 g 1.6 mm Smooth 2013 No
50 thebe Copper-nickel 28 mm 11.4 g 2.3 mm Reeded 1976-1985 July 1, 2014
50 thebe Copper-nickel 28 mm 11.4 g 2.3 mm Reeded 1976-1985 July 1, 2014
50 thebe Nickel-plated steel 28 mm 11.4 g 1991 July 1, 2014

 50 thebe Nickel-plated steel 21.3 mm 4.82 g 2.2 mm Smooth 1996-2001 July 1, 2014
50 thebe Nickel-plated steel 24 mm 5.3 g 1.8 mm Reeded 2013 No
1 pula Copper-nickel 29.5 mm; scalloped (with 12 notches) 16.4 g Smooth 1976-1987 July 1, 2014
1 pula Nickel-brass 24 mm (heptagonal) 8.8 g 2.7 mm Segmented (10 reeds per 7 sections) 1991-2007 July 1, 2014
1 pula Bronze-plated steel 26 mm 7.8 g Smooth 2013-2016 No
2 pula Nickel-brass 26.4 mm (heptagonal) 6.3 g 2.4 mm Segmented (19 reeds per 7 sections) 1994 July 1, 2014

 2 pula brass-plated steel 24.6 mm (heptagonal) 6.02 g 2 mm Segmented (19 reeds per 7 sections) 2004 July 1, 2014
2 pula Bi-metallic; bronze-plated steel in center, nickel-plated steel in ring 27 mm 7.3 g 2 mm Reeded 2013-2016 no
5 pula Bi-metallic; copper-nickel in center, brass in ring 23.5 mm 6 g 2 mm Reeded 2000-2007 July 1, 2014
5 pula Bi-metallic; copper-nickel in center, brass in ring 28 mm 8.7 g 2.2 mm Segmented 2013-2016 no

Banknotes

On 23 August 1976,[7] the Bank of Botswana introduced notes in denominations of 1, 2, 5, and 10 pula; a 20 pula note followed on 16 February 1978. The 1 and 2 pula notes were replaced by coins in 1991 and 1994, whilst the first 50 and 100 pula notes were introduced on May 29, 1990 and August 23, 1993, respectively.[7] The 5 pula note was replaced by a coin in 2000. The original 1, 2 and 5 pula banknotes were demonetised on 1 July 2011.

The current series of notes was introduced on 23 August 2009[8] and contains for the first time, a 200-pula banknote.

In response to the concern of the poor quality of the paper of the 10 pula banknote, the Bank of Botswana revealed a 10 pula banknote in polymer in November 2017 and was issued to the public on February 1, 2018.[9]

Banknotes of the Botswana pula (2009 issue)
ImageValueMain colourObverseReverseWatermark
10 pula Green President Seretse Khama Ian Khama Parliament building, Gaborone Rampant zebra and electrotype 10
20 pula Red Kgalemang Tumediso Motsete Mining equipment Rampant zebra and electrotype 20
50 pula Brown President Sir Seretse Khama Okavango Delta swamps, boat, fish eagle Rampant zebra and electrotype 50
100 pula Blue Three chiefs (Sebele I, Bathoen I, Khama III) Diamond sorting, open-pit diamond mine Rampant zebra and electrotype 100
200 pula Purple Female teacher and children Zebras Rampant zebra and electrotype 200
Current BWP exchange rates
From Google Finance: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD ZAR
From Yahoo! Finance: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD ZAR
From XE.com: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD ZAR
From OANDA: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD ZAR
From fxtop.com: AUD CAD CHF EUR GBP HKD JPY USD ZAR

Zimbabwe

Due to hyperinflation in Zimbabwe from 2006-08, the Government of Botswana has allowed circulation of foreign currency since September 2008. The Zimbabwean dollar became obsolete on April 12, 2009. Several currencies, including the South African rand and Botswana pula circulate in Zimbabwe,[2] along with the Zimbabwean bond notes and bond coins.

Lesotho

The word Pula also serves as part of the national motto of the Kingdom of Lesotho. As in Botswana, it means "rain" in the Sotho language and is considered a synonym for blessing.

In literature

The Botswana Pula became widely known internationally through numerous references in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, making it possible for readers worldwide to get an idea of the Pula's purchasing power.

See also
  • Economy of Botswana

References
  1. "Accessed 2009-09-02". Banknotenews.com. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
  2. Alongside Zimbabwean dollar (suspended indefinitely from 12 April 2009), euro, US dollar, pound sterling, South African rand, Indian rupee, Australian dollar, Chinese yuan and Japanese yen. The US dollar has been adopted as the official currency for all government transactions in Zimbabwe.
  3. Masire, Ketumile (2006). Very brave or very foolish?. Macmillan Botswana. p. 81. ISBN 978-99912-404-8-0. Pula (rain) was an easy choice for the currency, and the decimal coins were called thebe (shield). (Memoirs of a former president of Botswana)
  4. Standard Chartered Review. Standard Chartered Bank. 1976. p. 9. The new names pula and thebe were chosen following an invitation to the public to submit a their suggestions [...] The meaning of "thebe" is shield — the traditional means of defence.
  5. "OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE NEW FAMILY OF BOTSWANA COIN AT BANK OF BOTSWANA CASH MANAGEMENT CENTRE GABORONE BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT" (PDF). 27 February 2014. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20141030045317/http://www.gov.bw/en/News/DEMONETISATION-OF-OLD-COIN-/
  7. Linzmayer, Owen (2011). "Botswana". The Banknote Book. San Francisco, CA: www.BanknoteNews.com. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  8. Botswana issues new note series, BanknoteNews.com, Retrieved 2011-09-05.
  9. Lekopanye Mooketsi (15 February 2019). "Khama Launches New Bank Notes". Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  • Krause, Chester L.; Clifford Mishler (1991). Standard Catalog of World Coins: 1801–1991 (18th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0873411501.
  • Pick, Albert (1994). Standard Catalog of World Paper Money: General Issues. Colin R. Bruce II and Neil Shafer (editors) (7th ed.). Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-207-9.
  • Schön, Günter und Gerhard, Weltmünzkatalog 1900–2010, 39. Auflage, 2011, Battenberg Gietl Verlag, ISBN 978-3-86646-057-7
Preceded by:
South African rand
Reason: creation of independent currency
Ratio: at par		 Currency of Botswana
1976 –		 Succeeded by:
Current
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