Commemorative R2 coins honour Charlotte Maxeke and 1956 marchers
The South African Reserve Bank has issued two commemorative R2 circulation coins honouring Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke and the 1956 women’s march. Governor Lesetja Kganyago launched the legal tender pieces in Pretoria on August 26, 2026.
Pioneers cast in legal tender
Governor Lesetja Kganyago unveiled two new R2 circulation coins marking the first time women appear on South African commemorative coins.
The designs honour Charlotte Mannya-Maxeke, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1901 and founded the Bantu Women’s League in 1918, as well as the more than 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on August 9, 1956, to protest pass laws.
Kganyago noted that currency carries profound public meaning beyond facilitating payments.
“Kill that spirit of self and do not live above your people, but live with them,” Maxeke stated, words echoed by the Governor.
Produced by the South African Mint Company, the coins enter circulation at normal face value.
Milestones across seven decades
The issuance forms part of a broader series aligned with the Milestones of Freedom programme.
SARB released an R2 coin in June marking the 1976 student uprisings and plans another later this year for the 30th anniversary of the Constitution.
Kganyago contextualised the historical achievements against persistent structural hurdles, noting that only 6.7 percent of South African women held tertiary qualifications in 1996 and 13.1 percent by 2022, illustrating both progress and remaining educational divides.
Overdue recognition on everyday metal
Putting anti-apartheid heroines on circulation coins corrects an indefensible omission in South African iconography.
Still, noting that only 13.1 percent of women hold degrees proves that symbolic honours outpace structural change.
Everyday currency preserves history, but closing gender gaps requires actual policy reform.
Source: Lesetja Kganyago | Women who opened the doors
IN: