Ora (currency) Ora (currency) The Ora (symbol:Φ, ) is the local currency of Orania, an Afrikaner enclave in South Africa. It is pegged at par with the South African rand. The name, recalling that of the town where it circulates, derives from Latin "aurum", meaning "gold". The currency is not sanctioned by the South African Reserve Bank. The first notes were issued in April 2004 to provide an internal currency for Orania as part of its quest for self-determination. The idea of the Ora originated in 2002, when Professor Johan van Zyl argued that a community that intended to empower itself should
Optimum currency area Optimum currency area In economics, an optimum currency area (OCA), also known as an optimal currency region (OCR), is a geographical region in which it would maximize economic efficiency to have the entire region share a single currency. The underlying theory describes the optimal characteristics for the merger of currencies or the creation of a new currency. The theory is used often to argue whether or not a certain region is ready to become a currency union, one of the final stages in economic integration. An optimal currency area is often larger than a country. For instance, part of the