How to spot the fake banknotes

A banknote has a distinctive sound and feel when flicked between the fingers.

The watermark – shadow picture of an animal – embedded on the note is visible on the front left of the note when held up to the light. A denomination value has been added.
When holding the banknote up to the light, an “R” is formed by a two-part print on both sides of the note.
A security thread is on the front of the note as a silver line. Held up to the light it makes a solid dark line.
On the R10 and R20 notes the thread remains two millimetre wide with the letters “SARB” and a denomination numeral.
The R50, R100 and R200 notes now have a four-millimetre-wide security thread with the text “SARB” and “RAND”, a denomination numeral and a holographic image of the coat-of-arms, which shows when the note is tilted.
Every banknote has a unique serial number made up of letters and numbers. No two banknotes are the same.Features you can feel
A banknote has a distinctive sound and feel when flicked between the fingers. This comes from a combination of the cotton paper used and the intaglio, or raised printing, on the note.Features you can see by tilting the note
The denomination value on the R50, R100 and R200 notes is printed in colour-changing ink, on the front bottom right. It changes from green to gold on the R50 and R100 notes, and from magenta to green on the R200 note.
The R50, R100 and R200 notes have a holographic coat-of-arms in the security thread.
A shimmering gold band with the coat-of-arms and the denomination value appears on the back of all new notes.
A hidden image is contained in the geometric shape on the front, which shows the denomination numeral.
Features for the blind include a raised diamond on the middle of the note, at the bottom of the front. The diamond indicates the denomination, ie R10 – one diamond; R20 – two; R50 – three; R100 – four; and R200 – five.