Information notice on the official gold and foreign exchange reserves of theSouth African Reserve Bank as at 30 September 2009 This notice provides detail of the US dollar equivalent of the level of the South African Reserve Bank’s official gold and foreign exchange reserves, foreign deposits received from customers and the level of outstanding foreign loans published today in the Bank’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities as at 30 September 2009. It also presents the level of foreign exchange forward and international liquidity positions as at the same date.  As at30 September 2009(million)As at31 August 2009(million)Change (3) (million)Gold reserves (1)US$4 029US$3 798US$231Foreign exchange reservesUS$35 113US$34 156US$957Gross reservesUS$39 142US$37 953US$1188Foreign loans-US$350-US$652US$302Foreign deposits received-US$879-US$381-US$498Forward position (2)US$1US$1US$0International liquidity position(Net reserves)US$37 914US$36 922US$992EUR/US$ exchange rateGBP/US$ exchange rateUS$/ZAR exchange rateMarket gold price (1)Statutory gold priceUS$1.4622US$1.6042R7.4400US$1003.850R7 468.644US$1.4274US$1.6208R7.7850US$946.350R7 367.335  The gross gold and foreign exchange reserves increased to US$39,1 billion and the international liquidity position to US$37,9 billion at the end of September 2009.  The change in the gold and foreign exchange reserves was mainly due to the foreign exchange operations of the Bank, the special allocation to South Africa of SDR179,9 million (US$283 million) by the IMF and an increase in foreign deposits received from the proceeds of the National Treasury’s international bond issue. Valuation adjustments and the repayment of foreign loans also impacted on the change in the level of the official reserves. (1)  Gold in US dollar terms is reflected at mid-market rates. For reporting purposes all foreign currency figures have been converted to US dollar at mid-market rates at month end.(2)  The forward position comprises unsettled foreign currency spot transactions.(3)  Figures might not add up due to rounding.The Special Drawing Right (SDR) is an interest-bearing international asset created by the IMF in 1969 to supplement other reserve assets of member countries. It is allocated in terms of a member’s quota which is based on its relative size in the world economy. South Africa’s quota is currently SDR1,868 billion. In response to the global economic crisis, the IMF approved a general allocation of SDR’s equivalent to US$250 billion to member countries with effect from 28 August 2009, and a special allocation of SDR21,5 billion on 9 September 2009 ​