South African Flag

Our South African flag is very colourful (6 colours!) and so, it’s the type of flag that it’s hard to forget! It makes an impact in your mind and that is exactly what South Africa does to you when you visit it for the first time. On that aspect, the Flag represents very well the country.

Origin and colours of the current flag

This beautiful flag was adopted in 1994 for the new democracy. And it’s seen as a symbol of the modern South African state. The strips’s colours (red/orange and blue) are the same than on the previous flag and it has the three equal horizontal strips (black, gold and green) as the flags of the liberation movements, particularly the African National Congress, the Pan African Congress and Inkatha.

Symbolism and Meaning

Funny enough, the colours don’t relate to any official symbolism even though it’s tempting to give interpretations as some official government publications and speeches often do such as… Black and White for the mix of population living in South Africa, Red for the fight and war that lead to freedom, Green for the agriculture, Blue for the Ocean or the Sky, Yellow for the mineral wealth…

However, the design does have a meaning. The green Y shape represents the unity of the past and the present to form an united South Africa.

From South African Flag to Frequently asked questions From SA Flag to Voila Cape Town