What is the currency of Lesotho?

The currency of Lesotho is the Lesotho loti.

The loti is issued by the Central Bank of Lesotho and has the ISO 4217 code LSL. Its plural is maloti, and it is divided into 100 sente, whose plural form is lisente. Lesotho banknotes are issued in maloti denominations, while coins carry loti or lisente values.

Lesotho first issued the loti in 1966, but its own coins and notes entered practical circulation later. In 1980, the country introduced loti coins and banknotes to reduce reliance on South African money. The name loti comes from the Sesotho word for “mountain,” an especially fitting reference for the mountainous Kingdom of Lesotho.

A common mix-up is the South African rand. The rand remains legal tender in Lesotho and is pegged to the loti at a one-to-one rate through the Common Monetary Area. Even so, the loti is Lesotho’s national currency and the canonical answer to this quiz question.