African currency symbols and codes
All African currency symbols and ISO codes
Every currency issued on the African continent, with the symbol you will see written on price tags, the three-letter ISO 4217 code used by banks and converters, and what each currency divides into. Click any currency for its full guide and converter.
| Currency | Code | Symbol | Subunit | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar | DZD | DA | 100 centimes | North Africa |
| 🇦🇴 Angolan Kwanza | AOA | Kz | 100 cêntimos | Southern Africa |
| 🇧🇼 Botswana Pula | BWP | P | 100 thebe | Southern Africa |
| 🇧🇮 Burundian Franc | BIF | FBu | 100 centimes (rarely used) | East Africa |
| 🇨🇻 Cape Verdean Escudo | CVE | Esc | 100 centavos | West & Central Africa |
| Central African CFA Franc | XAF | FCFA | 100 centimes | West & Central Africa |
| 🇰🇲 Comorian Franc | KMF | CF | no widely used subunit | East Africa |
| 🇨🇩 Congolese Franc | CDF | FC | 100 centimes (largely unused) | West & Central Africa |
| 🇬🇲 Dalasi | GMD | D | 100 butut | West & Central Africa |
| 🇩🇯 Djiboutian Franc | DJF | Fdj | 100 centimes (rarely used) | East Africa |
| 🇸🇹 Dobra | STN | Db | 100 cêntimos | West & Central Africa |
| 🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound | EGP | E£ | 100 piastres | North Africa |
| 🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr | ETB | Br | 100 santim | East Africa |
| 🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi | GHS | GH₵ | 100 pesewas | West & Central Africa |
| 🇬🇳 Guinean Franc | GNF | FG | 100 centimes (defunct) | West & Central Africa |
| 🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling | KES | KSh | 100 cents | East Africa |
| 🇸🇱 Leone | SLE | Le | 100 cents | West & Central Africa |
| 🇱🇷 Liberian Dollar | LRD | L$ | 100 cents | West & Central Africa |
| 🇱🇾 Libyan Dinar | LYD | LD | 1,000 dirhams | North Africa |
| 🇸🇿 Lilangeni | SZL | L | 100 cents | Southern Africa |
| 🇱🇸 Loti | LSL | L | 100 lisente | Southern Africa |
| 🇲🇬 Malagasy Ariary | MGA | Ar | 5 iraimbilanja (non-decimal) | East Africa |
| 🇲🇼 Malawian Kwacha | MWK | MK | 100 tambala | Southern Africa |
| 🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee | MUR | ₨ | 100 cents | East Africa |
| 🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham | MAD | DH | 100 centimes | North Africa |
| 🇲🇿 Mozambican Metical | MZN | MT | 100 centavos | Southern Africa |
| 🇪🇷 Nakfa | ERN | Nfk | 100 cents | East Africa |
| 🇳🇦 Namibian Dollar | NAD | N$ | 100 cents | Southern Africa |
| 🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira | NGN | ₦ | 100 kobo | West & Central Africa |
| 🇲🇷 Ouguiya | MRU | UM | 5 khoums (non-decimal) | West & Central Africa |
| 🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc | RWF | FRw | 100 centimes | East Africa |
| 🇸🇨 Seychellois Rupee | SCR | ₨ | 100 cents | East Africa |
| 🇸🇴 Somali Shilling | SOS | Sh | 100 cents | East Africa |
| 🇿🇦 South African Rand | ZAR | R | 100 cents | Southern Africa |
| 🇸🇸 South Sudanese Pound | SSP | £ | 100 piastres | East Africa |
| 🇸🇩 Sudanese Pound | SDG | SDG | 100 piastres | North Africa |
| 🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling | TZS | TSh | 100 cents | East Africa |
| 🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar | TND | DT | 1,000 millimes | North Africa |
| 🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling | UGX | USh | 100 cents (rarely used) | East Africa |
| West African CFA Franc | XOF | CFA | 100 centimes | West & Central Africa |
| 🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha | ZMW | ZK | 100 ngwee | Southern Africa |
| 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe Gold | ZWG | ZiG | 100 cents | Southern Africa |
Symbol and code lookup for the most-searched currencies
If you only need one, these are the currencies people look up most often. Each entry gives the written symbol, the three-letter code your bank will use, and what the currency divides into.
🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound symbol: E£
The Egyptian Pound uses the symbol E£ and the ISO 4217 code EGP. It divides into 100 piastres. Issued by the Central Bank of Egypt. Full Egyptian Pound guide →
🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira symbol: ₦
The Nigerian Naira uses the symbol ₦ and the ISO 4217 code NGN. It divides into 100 kobo. Issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Full Nigerian Naira guide →
🇿🇦 South African Rand symbol: R
The South African Rand uses the symbol R and the ISO 4217 code ZAR. It divides into 100 cents. Issued by the South African Reserve Bank. Full South African Rand guide →
🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling symbol: KSh
The Kenyan Shilling uses the symbol KSh and the ISO 4217 code KES. It divides into 100 cents. Issued by the Central Bank of Kenya. Full Kenyan Shilling guide →
🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham symbol: DH
The Moroccan Dirham uses the symbol DH and the ISO 4217 code MAD. It divides into 100 centimes. Issued by the Bank Al-Maghrib. Full Moroccan Dirham guide →
🇬🇭 Ghanaian Cedi symbol: GH₵
The Ghanaian Cedi uses the symbol GH₵ and the ISO 4217 code GHS. It divides into 100 pesewas. Issued by the Bank of Ghana. Full Ghanaian Cedi guide →
🇪🇹 Ethiopian Birr symbol: Br
The Ethiopian Birr uses the symbol Br and the ISO 4217 code ETB. It divides into 100 santim. Issued by the National Bank of Ethiopia. Full Ethiopian Birr guide →
🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling symbol: TSh
The Tanzanian Shilling uses the symbol TSh and the ISO 4217 code TZS. It divides into 100 cents. Issued by the Bank of Tanzania. Full Tanzanian Shilling guide →
🇺🇬 Ugandan Shilling symbol: USh
The Ugandan Shilling uses the symbol USh and the ISO 4217 code UGX. It divides into 100 cents (rarely used). Issued by the Bank of Uganda. Full Ugandan Shilling guide →
🇩🇿 Algerian Dinar symbol: DA
The Algerian Dinar uses the symbol DA and the ISO 4217 code DZD. It divides into 100 centimes. Issued by the Bank of Algeria. Full Algerian Dinar guide →
🇹🇳 Tunisian Dinar symbol: DT
The Tunisian Dinar uses the symbol DT and the ISO 4217 code TND. It divides into 1,000 millimes. Issued by the Central Bank of Tunisia. Full Tunisian Dinar guide →
🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha symbol: ZK
The Zambian Kwacha uses the symbol ZK and the ISO 4217 code ZMW. It divides into 100 ngwee. Issued by the Bank of Zambia. Full Zambian Kwacha guide →
🇱🇷 Liberian Dollar symbol: L$
The Liberian Dollar uses the symbol L$ and the ISO 4217 code LRD. It divides into 100 cents. Issued by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL). Full Liberian Dollar guide →
🇩🇯 Djiboutian Franc symbol: Fdj
The Djiboutian Franc uses the symbol Fdj and the ISO 4217 code DJF. It divides into 100 centimes (rarely used). Issued by the Central Bank of Djibouti. Full Djiboutian Franc guide →
Symbol or code — which should you use?
Use the ISO code when money is moving
Bank transfers, remittance forms and currency converters all key off the three-letter ISO 4217 code — EGP, NGN, ZAR. Codes are unambiguous worldwide, which symbols are not.
Symbols are for reading prices, not sending money
You will see the symbol on price tags, menus and banknotes. But several African currencies use overlapping abbreviations — four different countries write their currency as some form of “shilling”, and more than one uses a plain letter. Relying on the symbol alone is how people send money to the wrong currency.
The dollar sign is not always the US dollar
Liberia writes its dollar as L$ and Namibia as N$, both distinct from US$. Zimbabwe’s current currency is Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG), not a dollar at all despite years of “Zimbabwean dollar” usage. Always confirm the code.
Typing African currency symbols
Most are ordinary Latin letters you can type directly (DH, KSh, R, Kz). The exceptions are the naira ₦ (U+20A6), the cedi ₵ (U+20B5) and the Ethiopian birr’s Amharic form ኍት. Copy them from the table above rather than trying to type them.
Reading the symbols
Many African currencies share a symbol
Several use plain letters rather than a unique glyph — the Kenyan, Tanzanian, Ugandan and Somali shillings are all abbreviated in ways that overlap, which is why the ISO code matters more than the symbol when sending money. Always confirm the three-letter code.
Arabic-script symbols
North African currencies usually have both a Latin abbreviation and an Arabic one — the Egyptian pound is E£ or ج.م, the Moroccan dirham is DH or د.م. Both appear on banknotes and price displays.
Codes that do not match the country name
XOF and XAF begin with X because ISO reserves that prefix for currencies not tied to a single country. ZWG is Zimbabwe Gold, introduced in 2024. SLE replaced SLL when Sierra Leone redenominated in 2022.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the symbol for the Kenyan shilling?
The Kenyan shilling is written KSh, and sometimes /= after the amount. Its ISO 4217 code is KES. Note that the Tanzanian, Ugandan and Somali shillings are separate currencies with their own codes.
What is the currency symbol for the Moroccan dirham?
The Moroccan dirham is written DH in Latin script and د.م. in Arabic. Its ISO 4217 code is MAD.
Do any African currencies use the dollar sign?
Yes, but with a prefix: Liberia writes L$ and Namibia writes N$. Neither is the US dollar. Zimbabwe's current currency is Zimbabwe Gold (ZWG) rather than a dollar.
Which African currency symbols are not on a standard keyboard?
The naira ₦, the cedi ₵ and the Amharic form of the Ethiopian birr ብር are the main ones. Copy them from the table above rather than typing them.
What is the currency symbol for the Egyptian pound?
The Egyptian pound is written E£ in Latin script and ج.م in Arabic. Its ISO 4217 code is EGP.
What is the currency code for South Africa?
South Africa's currency is the rand, ISO code ZAR. The symbol is R.
What is the symbol for the Nigerian naira?
The naira uses ₦, a capital N with two horizontal strokes. Its ISO code is NGN.
Why do some African currency codes start with X?
ISO 4217 reserves codes beginning with X for currencies not issued by a single country. The West African CFA franc (XOF) and Central African CFA franc (XAF) are each shared by several countries, so they take X codes.
How many currencies are there in Africa?
Around 42 distinct currencies circulate across Africa's 54 countries, because the two CFA franc zones are each shared by several nations and the South African rand circulates in neighbouring states.