The Center for Study and Reflection on the Francophone World (CERMF) has published the map of African countries that print their currencies in England and Germany. They are 22 in total and above all undermine the narrative that isolates the CFA from being an imported currency.
Almost all African countries make their currencies outside the continent, others like Zambia or Namibia make theirs in France like the CFA zone.
Yes, sovereignist pride would have liked these countries, at the same time as exercising the power to mint their own currencies, to also be able to mint them themselves at home or at least within the borders of the continent.
But there are two realities: first there is that of profitability. Installing a special printing press with its high cost requirements to run it maybe only twice a year would not be as profitable as ordering the printing of tickets.
You don't set up a printing press at home because you send invitation cards to friends every year for their birthday. (it's a far-fetched illustration but it's still an illustration...)
There is the reality of quality too. It is a fine and well protected technology which is not diffused nor democratized like other technology and to appropriate it to have quality banknotes which survive time and bad weather.
For example, the two world leaders in silver manufacturing, De La Rue and Devrient are respectively English and German but historically they are French printers who immigrated to these countries a century ago with their know-how.
I implore you to keep hatred and insults far away from this publication which only shares a truth even if it is a painful truth.
By Constant Sinzogan
