The Zambian kwacha has been the official currency of Zambia since 1968. It replaced the pound at a rate of 2 kwacha = 1 pound. The kwacha (ISO 4217: ZMK) is divided into 100 ngwee.
The name derives from the Bemba word for "dawn", alluding to the Zambian nationalist slogan of a "new dawn of freedom".
The name ngwee translates as "bright" in the Nyanja language.
