Originally Posted by
service1010
Every week I went to the bank to withdraw $ hoping for 'big heads' and clean money. Sometimes lucky, sometimes not. I wasn't sure if it really mattered, but good to know my effort will be worth it
Definitely worth it/borderline essential across Africa... untorn, uncreased, must be 2009 series or later (and ideally 2013 or later). If you're changing money you generally get a slightly better rate with $50s (and sometimes with $20s) vs $10s and $5s, not based on the sum that you're changing but the denomination of the notes. One exception is Zimbabwe, where they're so desperate for actual cash that they'll accept any kind of dollar bills that you have....