South African Banknote Printers

Early Printers (Pre‑1921)

• Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. (London, est. 1856) – printed ZAR government notes, the first SARB series (1921–1930s), and numerous private bank issues. Known for high‑quality engraving and complex geometric lathe work.
• Thomas de la Rue & Co. (London, est. 1821) – printed for some private banks; later acquired Bradbury Wilkinson in 1986.
• Waterlow & Sons (London, est. 1844) – printed for British colonies; some South African material.
• William Brown & Co. (London) – printed the 1872 ZAR 1 Pond note.
• Paul Solomon & Co. (Cape Town) – printed Stellenbosch Bank notes and the famous "woodblock" Cape triangular stamps.
• Townshend & Son (Mafeking) – printed Mafeking siege notes (1899–1900).
• W.H. Wood (Pty) Ltd. (Pretoria) – printed the first decimal banknotes (1961) before SABN was fully operational.

Bradbury Wilkinson & Co. (1856–1986)

One of the world's most respected security printers. Their South African contracts included:

• ZAR government notes (1870s–1902).
• First SARB series (1921–1930s).
• Numerous private bank notes (Cape of Good Hope Bank, Stellenbosch Bank, etc.).

The company was acquired by De la Rue in 1986. Their imprint appears as "BRADBURY WILKINSON & CO LD" on the lower margin.

South African Bank Note Company (SABN) – 1958–present

Established in 1958 to produce South Africa's banknotes locally, the SABN is a wholly owned subsidiary of the South African Reserve Bank. Located in Pretoria, it prints all notes from the Van Riebeeck series (1967) onward, including the current Mandela series and polymer notes (2023–).

Capabilities: Intaglio, offset, letterpress, polymer printing. Collaborates with international partners for substrates and security features. Holds ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 18001 certifications.

Imprint: "S.A.B.N." appears on notes printed since the 1960s.

International Collaborations

While SABN prints the notes, it relies on international partners for specialised materials and technologies:

• De la Rue (UK) – technology transfer, consulting, and substrate supply.
• Giesecke+Devrient (Germany) – security features, banknote equipment.
• Crane (USA) – paper and polymer substrates (Crane Currency).
• Muhlbauer Group (Germany) – personalisation equipment.

Polymer notes (2023) use international substrate but are printed entirely by SABN.

Printer Identification Guide

Look for printer imprints on the bottom margin of the obverse (front) of the note:

• "BRADBURY WILKINSON & CO LD" – Bradbury Wilkinson.
• "THOMAS DE LA RUE & CO. LTD" – De la Rue.
• "WATERLOW & SONS LTD" – Waterlow.
• "W.H. WOOD (PTY) LTD." – W.H. Wood (first decimal notes).
• "S.A.B.N." – South African Bank Note Company.

Modern notes often have the imprint integrated into the design; on polymer notes, it may be microprinted or hidden within the security features.

Sources

• South African Bank Note Company. "Company History." sabn.co.za.
• Hern, Brian. The Standard Catalogue of South African Coins, Medals and Tokens.
• Pick, Albert. Standard Catalog of World Paper Money.
• South African Reserve Bank. "Banknotes" and "History of Banknotes and Coin."

Revision History