The South African Reserve Bank has issued a new commemorative R2 coin to honor the women who marched against apartheid pass laws in 1956, marking 70 years since one of the country’s most significant protests.

The coin became legal tender on Aug. 9, South Africa’s National Women’s Day.

The date marks the 1956 march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, when more than 20,000 women of different races gathered to oppose laws that restricted the movement of Black South Africans.

The 1956 Women’s March remains a defining moment in the country’s history.

The protesters delivered petitions against the extension of pass laws to Black women and stood in silence for more than 30 minutes outside the Union Buildings.

The protest ended with the women singing “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo,” a freedom song widely translated as “You strike a woman, you strike a rock.”

The words later became closely associated with the fight against apartheid.

A protest against apartheid pass laws

The march came as the apartheid government expanded a pass system that controlled where Black South Africans could live and work.

The 1952 Natives (Abolition of Passes and Co-ordination of Documents) Act brought several documents into a single reference book, commonly known as the “dompas.”

Black men had long been the main target of the pass laws, but the government began extending the system to Black women in the 1950s.

Opposition grew, leading thousands of women to organize the peaceful march on Aug. 9, 1956.

From protest to National Women’s Day

The pass laws remained in place for decades before being repealed in 1986.

After apartheid ended, Aug. 9 was established as National Women’s Day, with the first official celebration held in 1995 under South Africa’s new democratic government.

The new R2 coin puts the women of 1956 at the center of the latest commemorative issue.

It serves as a reminder of the role women played in challenging apartheid and shaping South Africa’s democratic history.

SARB expands commemorative coin program

The South African Reserve Bank is the country’s central bank and is responsible for issuing South Africa’s banknotes and coins. It also uses commemorative currency to mark important events, people and milestones in the country’s history.

The new R2 coin follows four commemorative coins that entered circulation in June 2026.

Three R2 coins marked the 50th anniversary of the 1976 youth uprising, the 125th anniversary of Charlotte Maxeke’s graduation and the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s Constitution.

A commemorative R5 coin also carried an education theme.

The coins are special-edition issues and do not replace South Africa’s existing circulation coins.