This article lists the flags of the various colonies and states that have existed in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
since 1652, as well as other flags pertaining to South Africa, including governmental, military, police and provincial flags.
Overview
The following flags have been used as the national flag of the Union of South Africa and the Republic of South Africa:
History
Historical flags (1652–1928)
* Many flags were used in South Africa prior to
political unification in 1910.
* The original
Dutch East India Company
The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...
colony at the
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is ...
(1652–1795) flew the Dutch flag, with the
VOC logo in the centre. This flag was also flown during the period of
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic ( nl, Bataafse Republiek; french: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bon ...
rule (1803–06).
* The
Boer Republics, i.e. the
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
(1854–1902), the
South African Republic
The South African Republic ( nl, Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek, abbreviated ZAR; af, Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer Republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when i ...
(1857–1902),
Stellaland
The Republic of Stellaland ( nl, Republiek Stellaland) was, from 1882 to 1883, a Boer republic located in an area of British Bechuanaland (now in South Africa's North West Province), west of the Transvaal. After unification with the neighbouri ...
(1882–85),
Goshen (1883–85), the
Nieuwe Republiek
The Nieuwe Republiek ("New Republic") was a small Boer republic which existed from 1884 to 1888 in present-day South Africa.
It was recognised only by Germany and the South African Republic. Its independence was proclaimed on August 16, 1884 ...
(1884–88), and the
Klein Vrystaat
( Afrikaans for "Little Free State") was a short-lived Boer republic in what is now South Africa (around the town of Piet Retief).
History
From around 1876, a group of Boers lived on land bought from the Swazi king Mbandzeni. In 1886, a fo ...
(1886–1891) had their own flags. Several derived from the Dutch flag.
* The British colonies that existed in the 19th century flew the British flags, and from the early 1870s some, i.e.
Natal,
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when it united with ...
, and later the
Orange River Colony
The Orange River Colony was the British colony created after Britain first occupied (1900) and then annexed (1902) the independent Orange Free State in the Second Boer War. The colony ceased to exist in 1910, when it was absorbed into the Union ...
and the
Transvaal, added their own colonial flag badges.
* The Union of South Africa, formed in 1910, initially used a
red ensign defaced with a badge depicting the Union coat of arms. The first South African national flag, introduced in 1928, superseded it.
National flag (1928–1994)
* The
Hertzog administration introduced the flag after several years of political controversy. Approved by Parliament in 1927, it was first hoisted on 31 May 1928.
* The flag reflected the Union's predecessors. The basis was the
Prince's Flag (royal tricolour) of the Netherlands, with the addition of a Union Jack to represent the Cape and Natal, the former Orange Free state flag, and the former South African Republic flag.
* Until 1957, the flag was flown subordinate to the British Union Jack.
* The flag remained unchanged when South Africa became a republic on 31 May 1961.
Homeland flags (1966–1994)
* Nine of the ten Black 'homelands' which were created inside South African Federation under the apartheid system, had their own flags, i.e.
Transkei
Transkei (, meaning ''the area beyond he riverKei''), officially the Republic of Transkei ( xh, iRiphabliki yeTranskei), was an unrecognised state in the southeastern region of South Africa from 1976 to 1994. It was, along with Ciskei, a Ba ...
(1966–94),
Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana (, meaning "gathering of the Tswana people"), officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana ( tn, Riphaboliki ya Bophuthatswana; af, Republiek van Bophuthatswana), was a Bantustan (also known as "Homeland"; an area set aside for mem ...
(1973–94),
Ciskei
Ciskei (, or ) was a Bantustan for the Xhosa people-located in the southeast of South Africa. It covered an area of , almost entirely surrounded by what was then the Cape Province, and possessed a small coastline along the shore of the Indian O ...
(1973–94),
Gazankulu
Gazankulu was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Tsonga people. It was located in both the Northern Transvaal, now Limpopo province and Eastern Transvaal, now Mpumalang ...
(1973–94),
Venda
Venda () was a Bantustan in northern South Africa, which is fairly close to the South African border with Zimbabwe to the north, while to the south and east, it shared a long border with another black homeland, Gazankulu. It is now part of t ...
(1973–94),
Lebowa
Lebowa was a bantustan ("homeland") located in the Transvaal in northeastern South Africa. Seshego initially acted as Lebowa's capital while the purpose-built Lebowakgomo was being constructed. Granted internal self-government on 2 October ...
(1974–94),
QwaQwa
QwaQwa was a bantustan ("homeland") in the central eastern part of South Africa. It encompassed a very small region of in the east of the former South African province of Orange Free State, bordering Lesotho. Its capital was Phuthaditjhaba. It ...
(1975–94),
KwaZulu
KwaZulu was a semi-independent bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a homeland for the Zulu people. The capital was moved from Nongoma to Ulundi in 1980.
It was led until its abolition in 1994 by Chief Mangosuthu ...
(1977–94), and
KwaNdebele
KwaNdebele was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government as a semi-independent homeland for the Ndebele people. The homeland was created when the South African government purchased nineteen white-owned farms and install ...
(1982–94).
KaNgwane
KaNgwane () was a bantustan in South Africa, intended by the apartheid government to be a semi-independent homeland for the Swazi people. It was called the "Swazi Territorial Authority" from 1976 to 1977. In September 1977 it was renamed KaNgwan ...
was the only homeland that never adopted its own distinctive flag, instead using the national flag of South Africa.
* All these flags became obsolete when South Africa reincorporated the homelands on 27 April 1994.
Sporting flags (1992–1994)
As a result of the
sporting boycott of South Africa over its policy of
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
, South Africa
did not participate in the Olympic Games between 1964 and 1988. The country was re-admitted to the Olympic movement in 1991. As a result of a dispute over what flag and national anthem to use following readmission, the team participated in the
1992 Summer Olympic Games
The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...
under a specially designed sporting flag. The flag consisted of a white field charged with grey diamond, which represented the countries mineral wealth, three cascading bands of blue, red and green, which represented the sea, the land and agriculture respectively and the Olympic rings. This flag was also used to represent the South African team at the
1992 Summer Paralympics
)( es, Deporte Sin Límites)
, nations = 82 (BCN)75 (MAD)
, athletes = 3,020 (BCN)1,600 (MAD)
, opened_by = Queen Sofía
, opening = 3 September (BCN)15 September (MAD)
, closing = 14 September (BCN)22 September (MAD)
, eve ...
. Team uniforms included the emblem of
Olympic Committee of South Africa, which depicted Olympic rings surrounded by olive branches, with the name of the country above. The team would use Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" as its victory anthem at these games. At the
1994 Winter Games, South Africa participated under the flag of its Olympic committee.
National flag (1994–present)
* South Africa was reconstituted as a unitary democratic state, with equal rights for men and women of all races in 1994. The old flag's long association with the
apartheid
Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
era made it unacceptable for the new dispensation, and the
State Herald,
Frederick Brownell
Frederick Gordon Brownell } (8 March 1940 – 10 May 2019) was a South African herald, vexillologist, and genealogist.
He designed the flags of Namibia and South Africa.
Family and early life
Brownell was born in Bethlehem, in what was th ...
therefore designed a new flag. Approved by the
Transitional Executive Council
The Transitional Executive Council (TEC) was a multiparty body in South Africa that was established by law to facilitate the transition to democracy, in the lead-up to the country's first non-racial election in April 1994.
As part of the multi ...
(TEC) on 20 March 1994, and officially authorised by state president
F. W. de Klerk
Frederik Willem de Klerk (, , 18 March 1936 – 11 November 2021) was a South African politician who served as state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president from 1994 to 1996 in the democratic government. As South ...
on 20 April 1994, it was officially hoisted a week later, on 27 April 1994.
* The new flag was intended as an interim measure, but it proved so popular that when the final Constitution was prepared in 1996, it became the permanent flag.
Governmental flags
Civil Air Ensign
Military flags
South African Defence Force
The South African Defence Force (SADF) (Afrikaans: ''Suid-Afrikaanse Weermag'') comprised the armed forces of South Africa from 1957 until 1994. Shortly before the state reconstituted itself as a republic in 1961, the former Union Defence F ...
South African National Defence Force
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) comprises the armed forces of South Africa. The commander of the SANDF is appointed by the President of South Africa from one of the armed services. They are in turn accountable to the Minister ...
National Defence Department
South African Army
The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servic ...
South African Air Force
"Through hardships to the stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment ...
South African Navy
The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force.
The Navy is primarily engaged in maintaining a conventional military deterrent, participating in counter-piracy operations, fishery pro ...
Police flags
South African Police
The South African Police (SAP) was the national police force and law enforcement agency in South Africa from 1913 to 1994; it was the ''de facto'' police force in the territory of South West Africa (Namibia) from 1939 to 1981. After South Af ...
South African Police Service
The South African Police Service (SAPS) is the national police force of the Republic of South Africa. Its 1,154 police stations in South Africa are divided according to the provincial borders, and a Provincial Commissioner is appointed in ea ...
Provincial flags
1910–1994
Between 1910 and 1994, South Africa was divided into four provinces,
Cape Province
The Province of the Cape of Good Hope ( af, Provinsie Kaap die Goeie Hoop), commonly referred to as the Cape Province ( af, Kaapprovinsie) and colloquially as The Cape ( af, Die Kaap), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequen ...
,
Natal,
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
and
Transvaal. These provinces had their own coat of arms but not their own flags.
1994–present
In April 1994, South Africa was divided into
nine provinces
The term Nine Provinces or Nine Regions (), is used in ancient Chinese histories to refer to territorial divisions or islands during the Xia and Shang dynasties and has now come to symbolically represent China. "Province" is the word used to ...
. Each province was granted a coat of arms, in most cases designed by State Herald
Frederick Brownell
Frederick Gordon Brownell } (8 March 1940 – 10 May 2019) was a South African herald, vexillologist, and genealogist.
He designed the flags of Namibia and South Africa.
Family and early life
Brownell was born in Bethlehem, in what was th ...
. Currently only one province,
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga () is a province of South Africa. The name means "East", or literally "The Place Where the Sun Rises" in the Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu languages. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, bordering Eswatini and Mozambique. ...
, has adopted an official provincial flag, doing so in February 1996. The other eight provinces can be represented by white banners charged with their coats of arms.
Proposed flags
Flags proposed in the 1910s
File:Flag of South Africa poposal 1910 white.svg, 1910 proposal (white)
File:Flag of South Africa proposal 1910 red.svg, 1910 proposal (red)
Flags proposed in the 1920s
Flags from the 1925/1926 Public Flag Competition
The government of South Africa opened a competition open to the public. While the "Walker Flag" had some support, ultimately none of the designs were chosen.
Flags from the 1927 Flag Commission
In 1927, the government set up a flag commission, which came up with three designs, the "Cross Flags". Due to the opposition insisting on the Union Jack being featured, the commission created three more designs at the Flag Conference in April and May of 1927.
Flags put forward in 1927 by SAP, Government, and Senate
In June of 1927, the
South African Party
nl, Zuidafrikaanse Partij
, leader1_title = Leader (s)
, leader1_name = Louis Botha,Jan Smuts, Barry Hertzog
, foundation =
, dissolution =
, merger = Het Volk South African PartyAfrikaner BondOrangia Unie
, merged ...
proposed a flag with four elements divided by a white cross, and the government proposed a version with a shield defacing the
Prinsenvlag
The Prince's Flag ( nl, Prinsenvlag) is a Dutch flag, first used in the Dutch Revolt during the late 16th century.
The Prince's Flag is based on the flag of Prince William of Orange-Nassau, hence the name. The colours are orange, white and ...
. The Senate then combined elements from both into a third proposal. Finally, in October of 1927, a compromise was reached and the
Flag of South Africa (1928–1994)
The flag of South Africa from 1928 to 1994 was originally used by the Union of South Africa from 1928 to 1961 and later the Republic of South Africa until 1994. It was also used in South West Africa (today Namibia) until 1990 when the territor ...
was introduced.
Flags proposed in the 1960s
In the 1960s, there was pressure to change the flag, particularly from
Afrikaners
Afrikaners () are a South African ethnic group descended from predominantly Dutch settlers first arriving at the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th and 18th centuries.Entry: Cape Colony. ''Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 4 Part 2: Brain to Cas ...
who resented the fact that the Union Flag was a part of the flag. The then prime minister, Dr
Hendrik Verwoerd
Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd (; 8 September 1901 – 6 September 1966) was a South African politician, a scholar of applied psychology and sociology, and chief editor of '' Die Transvaler'' newspaper. He is commonly regarded as the architect ...
, had his assistant secretary, HC Blatt, design a "clean" flag, comprising three vertical stripes of orange, white, and blue, with a leaping
springbok
The springbok (''Antidorcas marsupialis'') is a medium-sized antelope found mainly in south and southwest Africa. The sole member of the genus ''Antidorcas'', this bovid was first described by the German zoologist Eberhard August Wilhelm ...
over a wreath of six
protea
''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos'').
Etymology
The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form a ...
s in the centre, designed, but he was assassinated before he could introduce it, and the project died with him in 1966.
File:Flag of South Africa poposal 1965 Springbok Protea.svg, Proposal for the Flag of South Africa, 1965, the "Verwoerd Flag"
Flags proposed in the 1990s
1992 Contest by the "Natal Witness"
The
Natal Witness newspaper held a competition for a new flag design, which was won by Lalsingh Ramlukan with a design featuring four cupped hands and a blue dove.
Designs shortlisted by the Commission on National Symbols
The Commission on National Symbols proposed six designs in October 1993.
File:South Africa Flag Proposals 1993 Shortlist No.1.svg, Proposal 1
File:South Africa Flag Proposals 1993 Shortlist No.2.svg, Proposal 2
File:South Africa Flag Proposals 1993 Shortlist No.3.svg, Proposal 3
File:South Africa Flag Proposals 1993 Shortlist No.4.svg, Proposal 4
File:South Africa Flag Proposals 1993 Shortlist No.5.svg, Proposal 5
File:South Africa Flag Proposals 1993 Shortlist No.6.svg, Proposal 6
Designs Proposed Graphic design studios
A group of professional graphic design studios proposed several flag designs in November 1993.
File:South Africa Flag Designs Nov 1993 1.svg,
File:South Africa Flag Designs Nov 1993 2.svg,
File:South Africa Flag Designs Nov 1993 3.svg,
File:South Africa Flag Designs Nov 1993 4.svg,
File:South Africa Flag Designs Nov 1993 5.svg,
File:South Africa Flag Designs Nov 1993 6.svg,
Designs shortlisted by the Joint Technical Working Committee
The Joint Technical Working Committee shortlisted 5 designs in February 1994. A further design was proposed also by the
African National Congress
The African National Congress (ANC) is a social-democratic political party in South Africa. A liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid, it has governed the country since 1994, when the first post-apartheid election install ...
(ANC) based on a design shortlisted in October 1993. Proposal 4, designed by State Herald
Frederick Brownell
Frederick Gordon Brownell } (8 March 1940 – 10 May 2019) was a South African herald, vexillologist, and genealogist.
He designed the flags of Namibia and South Africa.
Family and early life
Brownell was born in Bethlehem, in what was th ...
, was submitted to the
Transitional Executive Council
The Transitional Executive Council (TEC) was a multiparty body in South Africa that was established by law to facilitate the transition to democracy, in the lead-up to the country's first non-racial election in April 1994.
As part of the multi ...
and approved as the final choice for the new flag.
[https://repository.up.ac.za/xmlui/bitstream/handle/2263/50847/Brownell_Convergence_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y ]
File:Rejected Flag Proposal fpr South Africa from February 1994 No.1.svg, Proposal 1
File:Rejected Flag Proposal fpr South Africa from February 1994 No.2.svg, Proposal 2
File:Rejected Flag Proposal fpr South Africa from February 1994 No.3.svg, Proposal 3
File:Flag of South Africa.svg, Proposal 4
File:Rejected Flag Proposal for South Africa from February 1994 No. 5.svg, Proposal 5
File:Rejected Flag Proposal for South Africa from February 1994 (ANC).svg, Proposal by ANC
See also
*
Flag of South Africa
The flag of South Africa was designed in March 1994 and adopted on 27 April 1994, at the beginning of South Africa's 1994 general election, to replace the flag that had been used since 1928.
The flag has horizontal bands of red (on the top) ...
*
National symbols of South Africa
Since unification in 1910, South Africa has used a range of national symbols to identify the country: coats of arms, official seals, flags, national anthems, and floral, bird, animal, and other emblems.
Coats of arms
* 1910 coat of arms – gr ...
*
Coat of arms of South Africa
*
Flag of the South African Republic
Two flags were used as the flag of the South African Republic, which existed from 1852 to 1877, 1881 to 1902, and 1914-15: (1) the so-called 'Vierkleur' ( en, Four-colour) from 1857 to 1874, and again from 1875 to 1877 and 1881 to 1902, and ( ...
*
Flag of the Orange Free State
*
Flag of the Cape Colony
The flag of Cape Colony was the official flag of the Cape Colony from 1876 to 1910. It formed part of a system of colonial flags that was used throughout the British Empire.
History
In a series of decisions made in 1864, 1865, and 1869, the UK's ...
*
Flag of Stellaland
The flag of Stellaland was the official flag of the short-lived southern African Republic of Stellaland, which existed from 1883 to 1885.
History
Stellaland arose from a war in Bechuanaland in 1881–82. It was established by a group of mercen ...
*
Flag of the Natalia Republic
The flag of the Natalia Republic was the official flag of this short-lived South African state, which existed from 1839 to 1843.
History
Emigrant Boers ('voortrekkers') from the Cape Colony established an independent state in 1839, on territory c ...
Notes
References
* Beckett, D. (2002) ''Flying with Pride''.
* Brownell, F.G. (1993) ''National and Provincial Symbols''.
* Burgers, A.P. (1997) ''Sovereign Flags of South Africa''.
* Burgers, A.P. (2008). ''The South African Flag Book''.
* Pama, C. (1965) ''Lions and Virgins''.
* Pama, C. (1984) ''Die Vlae van Suid-Afrika''.
External links
Southern African Vexillological Association (SAVA)at
Flags of the World
This gallery of sovereign state flags shows the national or state flags of sovereign states that appear on the list of sovereign states. For other flags, please see flags of active autonomist and secessionist movements, flags of extinct states ...
{{Lists of flags
South African heraldry
Flags
A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic desi ...
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...
Historical flags