Bank of Botswana–P50 Commemorative Banknote

12/09/2025

1. Bank of Botswana
2. Oberthur Fiduciare

 

The P50 commemorative banknote was launch and issued in limited number on the 12 September 2025 at the Bank’s 50 years anniversary celebration event. The note is limited in terms of numbers and shall not be reprinted since the first print will be the last print.

As part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Bank of Botswana designed and produced a special limited edition P50 commemorative banknote to mark 50 years of its existence since its establishment in 1975 which is a huge milestone indeed.  The banknote was launched and unveiled at the celebration of Bank of Botswana’ 50th anniversary on 12 September 2025 by the President of Republic of Botswana, Advocate Duma Gideon Boko and officially released into circulation on 06 February 2026.  The denomination of P50 was chosen intentionally to reflect the Bank’s 50 years of service to the nation. The Bank’s golden jubilee provided a befitting moment to issue a commemorative banknote which is the first of its kind for Botswana Pula.

The commemorative P50 banknote is more than a currency note; its design theme tells a story of stewardship, resilience and national progress, highlighting Botswana’s enduring journey towards economic sovereignty and future aspirations. It is an intersection of history and the future, showcasing the Bank’s institutional legacy of preserving the value and integrity of Pula Currency, while celebrating Botswana’s heritage, achievements and national pride.  It highlights institutional strength and economic stewardship, a tribute to the past and inspiration to the future. The note features the following unique design elements:

1.  The portrait is the redeveloped Bank of Botswana Headquarters, PulaThebe, symbolising institutional stability. The building is engraved with the name “Bank of Botswana”
2.  A picture of the second-largest diamond in the world, called the Motswedi Diamond, found at Karowe Mine by Lucara Botswana mining company. The diamond changes color when the banknote is tilted. The diamond picture reflects how sound governance has transformed mineral wealth into long term national development
3.  A shield in the centre of the banknote capturing 50 years of the Bank’s existence
4. The reverse design features Botswana ‘s 2024 Gold and Silver Olympians  Messers Letsile Tebogo, Anthony Pesela, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori, with the country’s flag in the background. The note celebrates excellent performance and inspires young Batswana to compete globally.
5.  An Electrotype watermark highlighting value P50 denoting both value and 50 years of existence
6.  Oberthur’s Anima security thread which shows a running athlete when the banknote is tilted.

The P50 commemorative banknote is a legal tender and is circulating concurrently with the existing P50 note of the current family banknotes series. The commemorative banknote carries distinguished features from the existing note which has a portrait of Botswana’s founding president Sir Seretse Khama. However, it incorporates some of the tourism theme featured in the current series.

The design strategy remained centered around the core objective, which is to mark the celebration of 50 years of existence, highlighting the Bank’s prudent stewardship and steadfast execution of its mandate of preserving the value and integrity of Pula.  In recognition of the backbone of the country’s economy and the fact that Bank’s mandate will have not been possible without sound governance of the Botswana mining resources, the theme of the note thoughtfully integrates the diamond mining theme into the design features. Therefore, the note captures the Bank’s economic stewardship and transformation since inception through the redeveloped Bank of Botswana building. Moreover, by featuring the latest and second largest diamond in the world, the note highlights the backbone of the country’s economic development. Furthermore, the design strategy was to go beyond the institutional achievement and celebrate the national current achievement that is inspirational and propels the country forward hence the inclusion of the heroic performance by the Botswana 2024 Olympic athletic team, – gold and silver Olympians-. The note recognizes sport excellence and inspires young Batswana to compete globally. Both the second largest diamond and the 2024 Olympians were opportune in giving the banknote the widest recognition and put the country in the global pedestal.

The P50 commemorative launch video also narrates the design strategy and the integration of its design elements (attached).

Regarding security and innovation, the note design introduced two new features; a groundbreaking 6-mm-wide Anima™ security thread, the widest ever applied to a banknote. The thread debuts the first-ever “Animate” effect, vividly portraying “the running athlete“in motion as he sprints and crosses the finish line in victory Secondly an enhanced Arc-en-Ciel™ feature reveals a vibrant rainbow map of Botswana when the banknote is tilted, adding depth, colour, and geographic symbolism. other features remained aligned to the existing series.

As part of its Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Bank issued a special limited edition P50 commemorative banknote to mark 50 years of its existence since its establishment in 1975. The denomination of P50 was chosen intentionally, reflecting our 50 years of service to the nation. The P50 commemorative banknote narrates the story of institutional excellence and the triumph spirit of the nation of Botswana.  The banknote frontage pays homage to the Bank’s outstanding stewardship of the country’s financial system over the past five decades, featuring the redeveloped Bank of Botswana headquarters building called ” PulaThebe”, named after the Botswana currency – Pula Banknotes and Thebe coins. The redeveloped building is a beacon of stability and progress in the heart of the country’s capital city, Gaborone. It resembles how the Bank in 50 years achieved monetary sovereignty.  Still on the front side, the note goes beyond institutional achievement and features one of the extraordinary discoveries in the mining sector, the second largest diamond ever discovered in the world. Featuring the discovery is not just showing the geological wonder but it is a tribute to the economic success of our minerals.  Though sound governance and prudent management and strong institutions like the Bank, Botswana transformed diamonds from finite resource into long term national prosperity, funding the country’s infrastructure, education and social development. Moreover, the note honours sport excellence to inspire the young generation to strive for greatness, the youth is Botswana’s future diamonds and note is an inspiration to them to continue competing on world stage.  The note embodies both the histroy and aspirations for the future. it is a national pride and achievement. The commemorative banknote created an opportunity for the Bank to engage with the public at the release event , strengthening public confidence in the currency and raising awareness of its mandate.