The Race Classification Benches: Cape Town’s Quiet Confrontation with Its Past

Tucked away outside the High Court Annex on Queen Victoria Street in Cape Town, two unassuming benches serve as a poignant reminder of South Africa's apartheid past.

One bears the inscription "Whites Only," the other "Non-Whites Only." These benches are part of an art installation by Roderick Sauls, commemorating the Race Classification Board, which from 1950 to 1991, operated out of the very building these benches face.

Under the Population Registration Act, it was responsible for deciding every South African’s racial classification, often based on absurd, invasive, and degrading “tests.”

Your race, as determined by this board, decided where you could live, work, study, and whom you could marry. And reclassification wasn’t uncommon. In fact, it could change your entire life overnight.

One of the most infamous methods used during these classifications was the “pencil test.” A pencil would be inserted into a person’s hair: if it fell out, they might be classified as white; if it stayed in place, they could be deemed coloured or black. It sounds surreal, but it was heartbreakingly real, and often split families apart. These classifications were also documented in ID books, further entrenching systemic racism into daily life. And all of this happened right here, in this quiet corner of Cape Town’s city centre.

Roderick Sauls' decision to recreate the segregated benches was part of the Sunday Times Heritage Project. His goal wasn’t to shock, but to gently, but (powerfully) remind.

“They’re designed to provoke reflection without offence,” he said.

By placing these benches back into public space, Sauls reclaims that space: not with nostalgia, but with purpose. They make history visible. They force us to sit with it, even if just for a moment.

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Where to Find Them

You’ll find the benches outside the Cape High Court Annex, across the road from the Company’s Garden and near the South African Museum. They don’t scream for attention, and are easy to miss if you’re rushing between tourist spots in the city centre.

Why It Matters

In a city that wears its layers of history so visibly, from colonial buildings to freedom murals, these benches are one of the most understated yet moving monuments. They remind us that apartheid wasn’t just about violence and protest, it was also about everyday indignities, enforced by quiet desks and ink stamps in government buildings.

These benches offer no answers. But they ask an important question: ‘How do we remember without repeating?’

Cape Town is full of beauty, creativity, and resilience, but also full of reminders that freedom wasn’t always free. The Race Classification Benches aren’t a major tourist attraction, but if you’re curious about the city's deeper truths, they’re absolutely worth a visit.  To dive deeper into this and other historical locations in the city centre, watch episode one of my Beginner’s Guide to Cape Town Youtube series here.

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Sources:

https://sahistory.org.za/

https://sthp.saha.org.za/memorial/race_classification_board.htm

https://sthp.saha.org.za/memorial/articles/an_appalling_science.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pencil_test_(South_Africa)?utm_source=chatgpt.com

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