Lesotho Travel Guide

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Shopping

There are many handicraft shops and centers selling items including Lesotho’s famous conical hats; grass-woven articles (mats, brooms and baskets); pottery; wool and mohair rugs; tapestries and other textiles; rock painting reproductions; traditional seed, clay bead and porcupine quill jewelry; silver and gold items; copper work (particularly chess sets of African design) and ebony items.

Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1100, Sat 0800-1200, Sun 0800-1300 (some shops in Maseru only).

Currency

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, Debit Cards, and ATMs

Limited acceptance of credit cards. Some ATMs have the facility to accept international cards but are unreliable.

Travelers Checks

These are widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Currency Restrictions

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

Banking Hours

Mon-Tues and Thurs-Fri 0830-1530, Wed 0830-1300, Sat 0830-1100.

Exchange Rate