List of South African flags

This article lists the flags of the various colonies and states that have existed in South Africa 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:

FlagDateDescription
1910–1957Blue field on which the Cross of Saint Andrew counterchanged with the Cross of Saint Patrick, over all the Cross of Saint George fimbriated.
1910–1912A British Red Ensign with the shield of the coat of arms of the Union of South Africa.
1912–1928A British Red Ensign with the shield of the coat of arms of the Union of South Africa on a white roundel.
Flag of South Africa
1928–1994
Orange, white, and blue horizontal stripes, on the white stripe, a backwards Union Flag towards the hoist, the Orange Free State flag hanging vertically and the flag of the South African Republic, towards the fly. Used for both the Union and later Republic of South Africa
Flag of South Africa
1994–present
Two horizontal bands of chilli red (top) and blue (bottom) with a black triangle at the hoist, over all a green horizontal (pall) (Y-shape), fimbriated white against the red and blue and gold against the black.

History

Historical flags (1652–1928)

FlagDateUseDescription
16521795, 18031806Flag of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie
18391843Natalia Republic
18571902Orange Free State
185774,
187577,
1881–1902
South African Republic (Transvaal Republic)('Vierkleur')
187071Flag of the Diggers' Republic('Diamond flag')
1874–1875South African Republic (Transvaal Republic)('Thomas François Burgers's Voortrekker flag'). A red saltire outlined in white on a dark blue field.
1875–1910Colony of Natal
1876–1910Cape ColonyA blue ensign defaced with the shield-of-arms of Cape Colony
1883–1885State of Goshen
1883Stellaland
1883–1885Stellaland
1884–1888Nieuwe Republiek
1890–1891Klein Vrystaat
1902–1910Orange River ColonyA blue ensign defaced with a springbok antelope in a disc[1]
1904–1910Transvaal ColonyA blue ensign defaced with a disc showing a lion lying on an African plain with palm trees.[2]
1910–1912Union of South Africa (Merchant flag)
1912–1951Union of South Africa (Merchant flag)
1910–1928Union of South Africa (State Ensign and naval jack)

National flags (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.
FlagDateUseDescription
1910–1957Union of South AfricaThe flag was a co-oficial flag until 1957 when the flag of the Union of South Africa became the sole official flag.
1928–1982Republic/Union of South AfricaThe flag using a darker shade of "Union" blue common before the early 1980s.
1982–1994Republic of South AfricaThe flag using a lighter shade of "Solway" blue as specified by the South African government in 1982.

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 (1966–94), Bophuthatswana (1973–94), Ciskei (1973–94), Gazankulu (1973–94), Venda (1973–94), Lebowa (1974–94), QwaQwa (1975–94), KwaZulu (1977–94), and KwaNdebele (1982–94). KaNgwane 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.
FlagDateUseDescription
1966–1994Transkei
1973–1994Bophuthatswana
1973–1994Ciskei
1973–1994Gazankulu
1973–1994Venda
1974–1994Lebowa
1975–1994QwaQwa
1977–1985KwaZulu (1)
1982–1994KwaNdebele
19851994KwaZulu (2)

Sporting flags (1992–1994)

As a result of the sporting boycott of South Africa over its policy of apartheid, South Africa did not participate in the Olympic Games between 1964 and 1988. The country was re-admitted to the Olympic movement in 1991.[3] 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 under the National Olympic Committee 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.[4][3] This flag was also used to represent the South African team at the 1992 Summer Paralympics. 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 era made it unacceptable for the new dispensation, and the State Herald, Frederick Brownell therefore designed a new flag. Approved by the Transitional Executive Council (TEC) on 20 March 1994, and officially authorised by state president F. W. de Klerk 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.
FlagDateUseDescription
1994presentRepublic of South Africa

Governmental flags

Civil Air Ensign

Military flags

South African Defence Force

South African National Defence Force

National Defence Department

South African Army

South African Air Force

South African Navy

Police flags

South African Police

South African Police Service

Provincial flags

1910–1994

Between 1910 and 1994, South Africa was divided into four provinces, Cape Province, Natal, Orange Free State 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. Each province was granted a coat of arms, in most cases designed by State Herald Frederick Brownell. Currently only one province, Mpumalanga, has adopted an official provincial flag, doing so in February 1996.[5] The other eight provinces can be represented by white banners charged with their coats of arms.

Proposed flags

Flags proposed in the 1910s

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.[6][7]

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.[6]

Flags put forward in 1927 by SAP, Government, and Senate

In June of 1927, the South African Party proposed a flag with four elements divided by a white cross, and the government proposed a version with a shield defacing the Prinsenvlag. 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) was introduced.[6]

Flags proposed in the 1960s

In the 1960s, there was pressure to change the flag, particularly from Afrikaners who resented the fact that the Union Flag was a part of the flag. The then prime minister, Dr Hendrik Verwoerd, had his assistant secretary, HC Blatt, design a "clean" flag, comprising three vertical stripes of orange, white, and blue, with a leaping springbok over a wreath of six proteas in the centre, designed, but he was assassinated before he could introduce it, and the project died with him in 1966.[8]

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.[6]

Designs shortlisted by the Commission on National Symbols

The Commission on National Symbols proposed six designs in October 1993.[9]

Designs Proposed Graphic design studios

A group of professional graphic design studios proposed several flag designs in November 1993.[9]

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 (ANC) based on a design shortlisted in October 1993. Proposal 4, designed by State Herald Frederick Brownell, was submitted to the Transitional Executive Council and approved as the final choice for the new flag.[9]

See also

Notes

  1. This replaced the Orange Free State republican flag.
  2. The flag is the colonial flag which replaced the "Vierkleur" of the South African Republic (horizonally red, white and blue with a vertical green stripe at the hoist).
  3. "July 23, 1992: South Africa returns to Olympics after 32 years". Gulf News. 22 July 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  4. "South African Olympic Flags". crwflags.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  5. "Mpumalanga Province, South Africa". crwflags.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  6. "South Africa -Proposals for New Flags". FOTW - Flags Of The World website.
  7. Crampton, William G. (1990). "Flag Competitions". The world of flags : a pictorial history. London: Studio Editions. p. 155. ISBN 9781851704262.
  8. Berry, Bruce (25 June 2015). "South Africa (1928-1994)". FOTW Flags Of The World.
  9. Brownell, Frederick Gordon (2015). Convergence and Unification : the national flag of South Africa (1994) in historical perspective (PhD thesis). University of Pretoria. hdl:2263/50847.

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.
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