What currency is Botswana’s official money, with a name meaning “rain” in Setswana?

Botswana’s official currency, whose name means “rain” in Setswana, is the Botswana pula.

Botswana introduced the pula on 23 August 1976, replacing the South African rand. The name was chosen because rainfall is especially valuable in Botswana’s generally dry environment, and rain is associated with prosperity and life.

The pula is divided into 100 thebe, a word meaning “shield” in Setswana. The Bank of Botswana manages the currency and issues its notes and coins. The exchange-rate system has included a basket arrangement designed to support economic stability.

Botswana’s pula is sometimes confused with Zambia’s kwacha or South Africa’s rand, both familiar southern African currencies. Botswana’s currency name is unusual because its meaning refers directly to a vital natural resource.