rand

rand — noun

1. the official currency of South Africa — one rand is divided into 100 cents, and

1.nounB1
Definition

the official currency of South Africa — one rand is divided into 100 cents, and is used to buy goods and pay for services throughout the country.

Example

Eve exchanged her American dollars for rand at the Johannesburg airport.

exchange [currency] for rand

Diya paid 350 rand for a guided tour of the safari park.

pay [amount] rand for [item]

Common collocations
  • pay in rand
  • worth [X] rand
  • rand weakens / strengthens
  • rand against the dollar
  • [X] rand a month / a day
Synonyms
  • ZAR

    the three-letter ISO currency code used in banking and foreign exchange markets; the equivalent of USD or EUR

  • R

    the symbol used before amounts, like the dollar sign ($); e.g. 'R50' means 50 rand

  • South African rand

    the full official name, used to avoid confusion with other currencies called 'rand'

Grammar Patterns

[number] + rand

rand + per + [unit]

Usage Note

Unlike most English currency names, 'rand' usually stays the same in the plural: '50 rand' (not '50 rands'), especially in formal financial writing.

Common Mistakes

I have 200 rands in my pocket.
I have 200 rand in my pocket.
'Rand' does not usually add an -s in the plural.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three terms refer to the same South African currency but are used in different contexts. 'Rand' is the everyday spoken and written name used in general conversation, shopping, and news reports. 'ZAR' is the official three-letter ISO 4217 currency code — you will see it in bank statements, currency converter apps, and financial markets (e.g. 'USD/ZAR exchange rate'). 'R' is the symbol placed before the amount, similar to $ or £ — shop price tags and receipts in South Africa show 'R45' rather than '45 rand'. When writing a travel diary, use 'rand'; when checking an online exchange rate, look for 'ZAR'; when reading a menu in Cape Town, you will see 'R'.

rand ↗ZARR

Common collocations

Nouns

  • rand note
  • rand coin
  • rand zone

Phrases

  • weak rand
  • strong rand
  • rand exchange rate

Prepositions

  • in rand
  • for [amount] rand
  • against the dollar

Etymology

AfrikaansEnglish

The name 'rand' comes from the Witwatersrand ('White Waters Ridge'), a rocky ridge in South Africa where large gold deposits were discovered in 1886. When South Africa introduced its own decimal currency in 1961, replacing the South African pound, the new unit was named after this famous gold-rich region.