<P> The dollar replaced the South African rand, which had been the country's currency while it was under South African rule as South - West Africa from 1920 until 1990, at par . The rand is still legal tender, as the Namibian dollar is linked to the South African rand and can be exchanged on a one - to - one basis locally . Namibia was also part of the Common Monetary Area from independence in 1990 until the introduction of the dollar in 1993 . </P> <P> In 1990, moves were under way to replace the rand with a new Namibian currency . The name kalahar was proposed, as the Kalahari Desert is located in eastern Namibia . The name of Namibia's central bank was going to be known as the Namibia Reserve Bank . Denominations of this planned currency included 2, 5, 10, and 20 kalahar . (Note: There were two different designs for the 20 kalahar specimen notes .) These plans came to nothing, but some specimen notes were printed in a range of denominations . </P> <P> The Bank of Namibia issued the first banknotes on 15 September 1993 and, in December, issued the first national coins . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When did the currencies of the namibia first come in circulation