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.[3] [4]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
Code	BWP
Denominations
Subunit
1/100	Thebe
Symbol	P
Banknotes	10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 pula[1]
Coins	5, 10, 25, 50 thebe, 1, 2, 5 pula
Demographics
Official user(s)	Botswana
Unofficial user(s)	Zimbabwe[2]
Issuance
Central bank	Bank of Botswana
Website	www.bankofbotswana.bw
Valuation
Inflation	2.50% (April 2020)
Source	Bank of Botswana, 7 July 2016
Method	CPI

A sub-unit of the currency is known as thebe, or "shield",[5] and represents defence.[6] The names were picked with the help of the public.[6]

History

The Pula was introduced on August 23, 1976, subsequently known as ‘Pula Day’, replacing the South African rand at par[7].

Coins

In 1976, coins were introduced in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 thebe. 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.[8]

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. [9] 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.[10]

A new series of coins was introduced in 2013.[11] All previous coins were demonetised with effect from 28 August 2014, and remained exchangeable to current coins for 5 years until 28 August 2019.[12]

Botswana pula coins
Image	Value	Composition	Diameter	Weight	Thickness	Edge	Issued	Demonetized
	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,[13] 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.[13] 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[14] 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.[15]

Banknotes of the Botswana pula (2009 issue)
Image	Value	Main colour	Obverse	Reverse	Watermark
	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. "Pula currency". FactRepublic.com. 2018-11-09. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
4. "History of Botswana Currency | Bank of Botswana". www.bankofbotswana.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
5. 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)
6. 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.
7. "History of Botswana Currency | Bank of Botswana". www.bankofbotswana.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-25.
8. "History of Botswana Currency | Bank of Botswana". www.bankofbotswana.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
9. "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.
10. "Coinage of Botswana". www.worldofcoins.eu. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
11. "New Family of Coins | Bank of Botswana". www.bankofbotswana.bw. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
12. https://web.archive.org/web/20141030045317/http://www.gov.bw/en/News/DEMONETISATION-OF-OLD-COIN-/
13. Linzmayer, Owen (2011). "Botswana". The Banknote Book. San Francisco, CA: www.BanknoteNews.com. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
14. Botswana issues new note series, BanknoteNews.com, Retrieved 2011-09-05.
15. 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

External links

• Historical banknotes of Botswana

Preceded by: South African rand Reason: creation of independent currency Ratio: at par	Currency of Botswana 1976 –	Succeeded by: Current