The 1 and 2 cent coins are unofficially dead in the South African monetary system. Been to a store and only gotten small change back? Noticed all the rounding down stores do on the cents denomination? Those two coins are joining the long dead 1/2 cent coin in the grave. Their benefit and use in the economy doesn’t justify the cost of manufacture – which apparently now exceeds their face value.

Eventually all cents denominations locally will likely disappear and the use of the Rand will be much like the Japanese Yen, where there is also no equivalent to cents. But as long as the monetary policy of the Reserve Bank and the fiscal policies of the Government maintain some sembelance of sanity this shouldn’t happen for a good while to come.