Money and duty free for Lesotho

Currency and Money

Currency information

Loti (LSL) = 100 lisente. Notes are in denominations of LSL200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 lisente. The plural of 'loti' is 'maloti' and the singular of 'lisente' is 'sente'. The South African Rand is accepted as legal currency on a par with the Loti (Rand R1 = 100 cents).

Credit cards

There is limited acceptance of credit cards.

ATM

There are ATMs in the main towns but their facility for accepting international cards is unreliable. Standard Lesotho Bank, Nedbank and First National Bank do offer exchange services in their Maseru branches.

Travellers cheques

These are widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Banking hours

Mon-Fri 0830-1530; Sat 0830-1230.

Currency restrictions

There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency.

Lesotho duty free

Overview

The following goods may be imported into Lesotho without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes and 20 cigars and 250g of tobacco.
• 1L of spirits and 2L of wine.
• 50ml of perfume.
• Gifts to the value of LSL500.

Visitors from Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Eswatini (Swaziland) may not import alcohol.

Banned Imports

Counterfeit coins or notes, dangerous weapons, blasphemous material, indecent or obscene works, or articles of an inflammatory nature such as certain pamphlets or posters.