SA25 – Commemorating 25 Years of Constitutional Democracy in South Africa

The South African Mint (the Mint), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), launched a campaign to mark 25 years of South Africa’s democracy in April 2019.

The year 2019 marks an important anniversary in South Africa’s recent history. Twenty-five years ago, in April 1994, the country held its first democratic elections, a significant step towards the formation of a new country and the adoption of the constitution.

As the country’s sole issuer of legal tender coins and a foremost storyteller and preserver of South African history and heritage, the Mint was well-placed to celebrate this milestone through coinage.

A new series of commemorative circulation and collectable coins was issued through a program designed to generate maximum public participation, raise awareness of coins and to sow the seed to collect coins.

The SA25 coin program was developed, involving everyday South Africans in the development of the coin themes and designs, reinvigorating national pride. The program was conceptualised and developed three years prior to the anniversary and put through the mandatory consultation and approval processes with key stakeholders.

Legal regulation dictates that all legal tender coin concepts (theme and design) are approved by the SARB and then the Cabinet (the most senior level of the executive branch of the Government of South Africa). The concept for commemorating South Africa’s 25 years of democracy too, underwent the same approval process.

To read more, please download the case study with this link