Rwandan Franc

The Rwandan franc (RF) is the official currency of Rwanda. It is subdivided into 100 centimes. The franc became the currency of Rwanda in 1916, when Belgium occupied the previously German colony and replaced the German East African rupie with the Belgian Congo franc. Rwanda used the currency of Belgian Congo until 1960, when the Rwanda franc was introduced. Rwanda francs are issued by the National Bank of Rwanda. The banknotes feature a portrait of President Paul Kagame on the obverse and Rwandan landscapes on the reverse. The banknotes are printed by De la Rue. In 2016, the National Bank of Rwanda introduced a new 1000-franc banknote to replace the old one which had been in circulation since 2005. The new note is larger and features enhanced security features, including a watermark, a security thread, and an embossed logo of the National Bank of Rwanda.