Imagine female freedom fighters on our bank notes: this artist made it happen and it looks epic

Local artists are designing reimagined bank notes that include women freedom fighters in honour of Women’s month.

Anja Venter, Rendani Nemakhavhani and Zanele Montle have teamed up with Capitec Bank on their #ReimagineTheRandSA initiative which seeks to encourage gender equality and motivate young girls and women. 

Capitec spokesperson Chandré Matlala said women make up more than 52% of their client base, which is why the company wants to celebrate them and amplify their contribution to society. 

Venter has designed the first bank note, which features struggle icons Lilian Ngoyi, Sophia Williams de Bruyn, Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph, leading figures in the fight for equal rights in SA.

On Monday, South Africans commemorated the 1956 Women’s March which saw 20,000 women from all racial backgrounds march to the Union Buildings in Pretoria against the pass laws imposed by the apartheid government.

Venter said celebrating women is holding up a mirror to young women and girls who will have role models to look up to. She said growing up, she had few role models because of a lack of female representation in mainstream media. 

“There weren’t as many visible role models who were women in creative professions. It’s not that they didn’t exist, it’s that there wasn’t as much representation. I think having women on money shows young girls they can reach those milestones too. That they matter and can make a difference,” said Venter.

Graphic designer, art director and creative director Nemakhavhani drew her inspiration from the strength of black women. She will put iconic singer and activist Miriam Makeba on her bank note because “her story hasn’t been told enough.

“Although she was banned from the country for a very long time, she never spoke badly about SA. Wherever she went in the world, she’d speak about what was happening and how important it was to liberate her people. She played a critical role in convincing people outside SA to support the struggle,” she said. 

For art teacher Montle, women empowerment needs to go beyond their faces reflected on bank notes. She said women must be taught about financial literacy and represented in positions of power at government level. 

“Women need to be educated on finances and how to use money. How to make money is  a healthy habit. We need more people to be financially upskilled on how to run a business and use money as a source of empowerment,” she said.