Upgraded 'Big 5 ZiG' Banknotes Hit the Streets Today
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is officially introducing an upgraded series of Zimbabwe Gold (ZiG) banknotes into circulation today, April 7, establishing higher denomination limits and a phased distribution strategy aimed at stabilizing cash liquidity in the domestic economy.
Delicious Mathuthu 
Harare - The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) is officially commencing the circulation of its upgraded "BiG 5 ZiG" banknote series today, marking a step in the central bank’s ongoing efforts to streamline the national currency and address cash shortages.
The rollout follows the February 2026 Monetary Policy Statement and is governed by Statutory Instrument (SI) 37 of 2026.
The new series includes the immediate issuance of the ZiG 50 denomination, alongside the existing ZiG 10 and 20 notes.
RBZ Governor, Dr. John Mushayavanhu states that higher denominations, specifically the ZiG 100 and ZiG 200, will be introduced gradually based on transactional demand and domestic financial conditions.
Dr. Mushayavanhu confirmed that banking institutions have already received sufficient quantities of the new currency to meet anticipated public demand.
"The family of new BiG 5 ZiG banknote series have since been distributed throughout the whole country in sufficient quantities to meet anticipated cash demand, consistent with the stipulated daily and weekly cash withdrawal limits," he said.
The introduction of the ZiG (Zimbabwe Gold) currency in April 2024 represented a radical shift in Zimbabwe’s monetary landscape.
Replacing the inflation-ravaged Zimbabwean dollar, the ZiG is a structured currency backed by a composite basket of foreign exchange and precious metals, primarily gold.
Dr. Mushayavanhu says the upgraded 2026 series is designed to bolster public confidence and provide more practical denominations for high-value transactions, which had previously been hampered by a reliance on low-value notes and coins.
Under the new rollout, individual withdrawal limits have been set at ZiG 10,000 per week, while corporate entities can access up to ZiG 100,000 per week.
The RBZ has also authorised mobile money operators to resume cash-in and cash-out provisions in ZiG to improve liquidity access for the unbanked population.
"The Reserve Bank has also encouraged merchants and retailers, such as supermarkets, pharmacies, hardware shops, among others, to offer ZiG cashback facilities to their customers on demand," the Governor said.
Regarding the transition from older currency, the central bank clarified that the previous ZiG banknote series will remain legal tender and will co-circulate with the "BiG 5 ZiG" series indefinitely.
The older notes will only be removed from the market through natural attrition as they are deposited into the banking system.
"The Reserve Bank affirms its strong commitment to 'stay the course' with prudent monetary policy management, which is critical for sustained price, currency, and exchange rate stability now and in the future," Dr. Mushayavanhu said.
Public reception of the new notes is expected to be a litmus test for the central bank’s credibility.
To prepare the market, the RBZ conducted a month-long nationwide educational campaign throughout March 2026 to familiarise citizens and businesses with the security features and denominations of the upgraded currency.
