The South African Flag

Although the colors have no official meaning attached to them the South African flag incorporates the colors black, green and yellow of Nelson Mandela’s political party, the African National Congress and the former Boer republics flags (red, white, and blue). Some think the meanings of the colors were Red for bloodshed, blue of open blue skies, green for the land, black for the black people, white for the European people and yellow for the natural resources such as gold.

The central design of the flag, beginning at the flagpost in a “V” form and flowing into a single horizontal band to the outer edge of the fly, can be interpreted as the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity.   The theme of convergence and unity ties in with the motto “Unity is Strength” of the previous South African Coat of Arms.