The winner of the inaugural Best African Circulating Banknote 2026 competition, organized by the IBNS Mosaic Chapter of the International Bank Note Society, has been announced. The aim of the competition was to recognize an outstanding circulating African banknote and draw attention to the quality of modern banknote design and production across the continent.

Winner: Cape Verde

The title of Best African Circulating Banknote 2026 was awarded to the 2000 Escudos banknote from Cape Verde, securing the highest overall score of 80.85.

Second place and the special distinction of Distinguished African Circulating Banknote 2026 went to the 20,000 Francs banknote of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a score of 77.61 points.

How the Winner Was Determined

Sixteen banknotes representing sixteen African nations reached the final stage of the competition. The final score for each finalist consisted of two components:

  • evaluations by an expert jury;

  • points accumulated from the public vote.

The sum of these two metrics, calculated according to the competition's established scoring system, formed the final overall ranking.

Full Final Ranking

Rank Country Denomination Final Score
1 Cape Verde 2000 Escudos 80.85
2 Congo (DRC) 20,000 Francs 77.61
3 São Tomé and Príncipe 200 Dobras 63.02
4 Botswana 200 Pula 62.76
5 South Africa 20 Rand 61.10
6 Seychelles 50 Rupees 58.63
7 Zambia 500 Kwacha 57.24
8 Uganda 20,000 Shillings 54.70
9 Ghana 100 Cedi 54.44
10 Angola 200 Kwanza 54.09
11 Rwanda 2000 Francs 53.96
12 Tanzania 5000 Shillings 52.49
13 Gambia 200 Dalasis 52.27
14 Guinea 20,000 Francs 52.16
15 Ethiopia 200 Birr 50.46
16 Sierra Leone 10 Leones 46.53

Acknowledgments and Future Plans

The IBNS Mosaic Chapter congratulated the issuing central banks, designers, and all parties involved in the production of the winning banknote, while extending sincere thanks to the expert jury members and public voters for their contributions to this inaugural competition.

The organizers announced that the Best Circulating Banknote competition will continue as an annual initiative of IBNS Region #5, which encompasses Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. This will allow for the annual recognition and documentation of the finest examples of modern circulating banknotes in this region of the world.

Based on the official communiqué of the IBNS Mosaic Chapter.