The Lesotho loti is Lesotho’s official currency alongside the South African rand.
Lesotho introduced the loti in 1980, several years after independence, to establish a national monetary unit. The name “loti” comes from “maloti,” the Sesotho word associated with mountains. One loti is divided into 100 lisente, the plural of sente.
The Central Bank of Lesotho issues loti banknotes and coins. The South African rand is also legal tender in Lesotho, and the loti is maintained at parity with the rand. This arrangement reflects Lesotho’s close economic and geographic relationship with South Africa.
The loti is easily confused with the currencies of other small southern African states. Botswana uses the pula, Eswatini uses the lilangeni, and Namibia uses the dollar. These currencies are distinct even though the countries share regional monetary links.