The current national flag of the Republic of South Africa is made up of 6 colors:
- Chili red
- National flag white
- Spectrum green
- National flag blue
- Blue black
- Gold yellow
The flag was designed by Mr. Fred Bronwell. Its debut came after the country’s first democratic elections, which took place in April 1994. The flag has thus become a symbol of the unity of the different race groups in South Africa. The flag was designed using a combination of colors from historic South African flags.
- The chili red may have been adopted from the Dutch flag
- The blue and white were colors on both the Dutch and old South African flags
- The black, green and yellow were colors on the ANC flag
The flag was not designed with the intention of having each of the colors represent a certain aspect in South Africa. The Y or V form of the flag was chosen to symbolize the unity, or coming together, of South Africa’s different groups.
Many South Africans choose to associate each color on the flag with something, or some event, that is significant in their view. As a result, many unofficial interpretations of the national flag exist in South African communities. A common interpretation is as follows:
Red: bloodshed of activists
White: white population
Blue: skies or the ocean, since SA is bordered by 2 oceans
Yellow: minerals
Green: agriculture and land
Black: the non-white population or Mr Mandela, the ex-head of SA.
Since these are unofficial interpretations, they may vary widely. The South African government’s official website stresses the following:
