By Hon. Peace Mabe, Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
Seventy years ago, South African women transformed the course of our history through an extraordinary act of collective courage.
On 9 August 1956, more than 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest against the extension of apartheid pass laws to African women. Led by courageous leaders such as Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, the march brought together women from different racial, cultural, and political backgrounds around a common purpose: to resist oppression and demand freedom, justice, and dignity.
Their message, “Wathint’ Abafazi, Wathint’ Imbokodo” — “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”, became more than a rallying cry. It became a declaration of the strength, resilience, and political power of South African women.
As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the historic Women’s March, we honour not only its celebrated leaders but also the thousands of women whose names may never appear in our history books. These were workers, mothers, students, community organisers and rural women who understood that freedom could only be achieved through unity and collective action.
Their activism reminds us that South Africa’s liberation was not the work of a few prominent individuals. It was built through the courage and sacrifices of ordinary people who chose to stand together against injustice. The legacy of the women of 1956 continues to shape our democratic nation.
Today, women occupy positions of leadership in government, business, academia, civil society, sport, the arts and many other sectors. Women continue to lead communities, build enterprises, create employment, preserve our heritage and represent South Africa with distinction on national and international stages.
The remarkable achievements of South African women in sport, arts and culture demonstrate that the legacy of the women of 1956 remains alive. Our sportswomen are not simply participating; they are winning medals, breaking records, leading national teams and changing how the world sees South Africa.
At the recent 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Lara van Niekerk successfully defended her women’s 50-metre breaststroke title, winning gold for South Africa. Aimee Canny delivered outstanding performances to secure two silver medals, while para-swimmer Danika Vyncke won silver and set a new African record in the women’s 50-metre freestyle S13. Erin Gallagher also contributed to Team South Africa’s medal tally with bronze in the women’s 100-metre butterfly.
These achievements build on the outstanding performances of Tatjana Smith, Jo-Ané van Dyk and Simone Kruger at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Tatjana Smith won gold and silver in the pool, Jo-Ané van Dyk secured an Olympic silver medal in the women’s javelin, while Simone Kruger claimed Paralympic gold in the women’s discus.
Our national women’s teams have also continued to make history and inspire the nation. The Proteas Women reached their first-ever 50-over ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final in 2025 and progressed to the semifinals of the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. Banyana Banyana’s historic 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations victory remains a defining moment in South African football, while the SPAR Proteas, South African Women’s Hockey Team and Springbok Women continue to fly the South African flag high in the global sporting platforms.
These women are not only winning medals and breaking records. They are challenging stereotypes, inspiring young girls and claiming their rightful place in South African sporting history. Every time a South African woman steps onto a podium, breaks a record or leads a national team, she creates a wider path for the young girl watching from a township, village or school playground.
Their success must, however, be matched by equal investment, fair remuneration, improved facilities, greater sponsorship and sustained media coverage. Women athletes should not have to achieve extraordinary results before receiving ordinary support. Equality in sport must be visible in funding, salaries, broadcasting, leadership opportunities and long-term athlete development. We must ensure that women and girls have access to safe and well-maintained sporting facilities from the grassroots level to the international stage.
South African women are also commanding global stages through music, film, literature, visual arts and cultural expression. The success of DJ duo TxC at the 2025 BET Awards demonstrated the growing international influence of South African women in music. Their achievement forms part of a wider movement of women artists who are taking South African sounds, stories and creative excellence to audiences across the world.
The global rise of Tyla has demonstrated the power of South African creativity to transcend borders. From becoming the youngest African solo artist to win a Grammy Award in 2024 to securing another Grammy in 2026, Tyla has carried a distinctly South African sound and identity onto some of the world’s biggest stages. Her achievements affirm that our young artists do not have to abandon their roots to achieve international success.
Artists such as DBN Gogo, Kamo Mphela, Pabi Cooper and Nkosazana Daughter have become prominent ambassadors of the amapiano movement, introducing international audiences to South African music through performances, tours, festivals and collaborations. Their artistry has helped transform amapiano from a sound developed in South African townships into one of the country’s most recognisable cultural exports.
These artists are demonstrating that South African women are not merely contributors to the growth of amapiano; they are among the producers, vocalists, DJs, dancers and creative leaders driving its global success. Through their music, choreography, fashion and visual storytelling, they are reshaping perceptions of African womanhood and creating new possibilities for the next generation of women in the creative industries.
At the 2025 National Arts and Culture Awards, women were recognised across several disciplines. Barbara Boswell received the Outstanding Book: Fiction Award, Nontobeko Ntombela was recognised as Outstanding Curator, Malebogo Naticia Molokoane received the Outstanding Visual Artist Award, and Napo Masheane was honoured for outstanding performance poetry. Women filmmakers Jacintha de Nobrega, Xoliswa Sithole and Catharina Weinek were also recognised for their work in documentary film, documentary series and fiction film respectively.
These women are not simply collecting awards. Through their creativity, they are preserving memory, challenging inequality, redefining African womanhood and ensuring that South African stories are seen and heard. Their achievements confirm that women are not on the margins of our national story; they are among its principal authors.
The successes of women in sport, arts and culture represent the living legacy of the women who marched in 1956. They demonstrate what becomes possible when women are provided with opportunities, resources and platforms to lead. They also remind us that talent exists in every community, but opportunity does not.
Women artists must be protected from exploitation and given greater access to funding, markets, creative spaces and platforms. They must also be empowered to retain ownership of their work and intellectual property so that their creativity can provide sustainable livelihoods.
However, although strides have been made towards the empowerment of women, we must also note that it is not yet “Uhuru” because, many women continue to face poverty, unemployment, discrimination, unequal pay and limited access to economic opportunities. Women in rural communities and women with disabilities often experience additional barriers to participation and development.
The continued scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains one of the greatest threats to the freedom, safety and dignity of women in our country. We cannot
claim to have fully honoured the women of 1956 while women and girls continue to live in fear in their homes, workplaces, schools and communities.
The freedom they fought for must be reflected in the daily lives of every woman and girl. It must mean the freedom to walk safely, to learn, to work, to lead, to participate in sport and cultural life, and to pursue one’s dreams without fear of violence, discrimination or exclusion.
Honouring the legacy of our trailblazing leaders therefore requires action from all sectors of society. Government must continue strengthening programmes that advance women’s empowerment and participation. The private sector must create fair opportunities for women to enter, lead and thrive in the workplace. Communities must challenge harmful attitudes and practices that undermine women’s dignity. Men and boys must become active partners in building a society founded on equality and mutual respect.
We must also invest in the next generation. Every girl must grow up knowing that her voice matters and that she has the right to occupy any space she chooses. Through education, sport, arts and culture, we can create environments in which girls develop confidence, discover their talents and become leaders in their communities.
Our history must also be preserved and shared. The stories of women who contributed to the liberation and development of South Africa must be documented, taught and celebrated. When young people understand the sacrifices that shaped our democracy, they are better equipped to protect it and carry its values forward.
The generation of 1956 has entrusted us with a powerful legacy. It is now our responsibility to ensure that their courage is translated into meaningful and lasting change.
As we mark the 70 years since the historic march of 1956 in 2026 and dedicating the month of August to this historic march, let us draw strength from the women who came before us. Let us honour them by continuing their collective activism, confronting
inequality and building a South Africa in which every child, be it a girl or boy and every woman is safe, respected, empowered and free.
The march of 1956 did not end at the Union Buildings. It continues wherever women organise, lead, create, compete, teach, nurture and stand against injustice.
Seventy years later, the message remains clear: when women rise together, they do not only transform their own lives, they shape the future of the entire nation.
By Hon. Peace Mabe, Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture
