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 |
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 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.