1 Rand English - Afrikaans

South Africa decimalized on 14 February 1961 — "Decimal Day" — replacing the pound system with Rand and cents at a rate of 2 Rand to the pound. This note was among the first circulating issues of the new currency, entering production almost immediately after the switch. The South African Bank Note Company, established in Pretoria in 1958 specifically to reduce dependence on foreign printers, handled the entire run domestically.

The dual-language designation reflects the constitutional equal status of English and Afrikaans, a requirement that shaped the entire series format. M.H. de Kock had been Governor since 1945; his signature appears here into the early Rissik transition period, making cross-signed examples useful for dating purposes within the 1961–1965 window.