Botswana's currency takes its name from the Setswana word for "rain" — a deliberate choice in a country where the Kalahari dominates and rainfall is both scarce and economically decisive. The pula replaced the South African rand at par in 1976, two years after the Bank of Botswana was established, marking a clean monetary break from the country's economic dependency on Pretoria.
By 1994, Botswana's diamond revenues had made it one of Africa's strongest economies, and the nickel-brass bimetal series reflected a conscious effort to issue durable coinage suited to active commercial circulation rather than prestige.
Botswana's currency takes its name from the Setswana word for "rain" — a deliberate choice in a country where the Kalahari dominates and rainfall is both scarce and economically decisive. The pula replaced the South African rand at par in 1976, two years after the Bank of Botswana was established, marking a clean monetary break from the country's economic dependency on Pretoria.
By 1994, Botswana's diamond revenues had made it one of Africa's strongest economies, and the nickel-brass bimetal series reflected a conscious effort to issue durable coinage suited to active commercial circulation rather than prestige.