Worker’s Day, otherwise known as May Day, is an internationally celebrated holiday which South Africa has recognized since 1895. This celebration dates back to 1886, where companies and federations officially recognized that 8 hours should constitute a work day for laborers and workers.

In South Africa this day actually has a lot more history and significance than most people know. In 1957 the Communist Party of South Africa called for a May Day strike to protest against the various acts that were being put into place by the government. The strike resulted in the death of 18 people across Soweto. Nelson Mandela, who would later become the first democratically elected president, found shelter from the gunfire in a nurses home.