South Africa’s national symbols

The Department of Arts and Culture is the custodian of all our national symbols and is tasked with educating all South Africans in their meaning and history.

Decoding the coat of arms

A coat of arms of any country is the highest visual symbol of that country, and is part of the great seal, which confers absolute authority on all documents bearing it. South Africa’s new coat of arms was launched on Freedom Day, 27 April 2000, during former president Thabo Mbeki’s administration. It was created by designer Iaan Bekker and replaced the former coat of arms which had been in use since 1932.

The coat of arms is elegant and contemporary in design and distinctly egg-shaped. In the lower portion, known as the oval shape of foundation, the first element is the motto in a green curve, which is completed by two symmetrically placed pairs of elephant tusks pointing upwards. Within the oval shape formed by the tusks are two symmetrical ears of wheat symbolising fertility, which in turn frame a centrally placed gold shield, reminiscent of a drum.

The shield contains two human figures from the famous Linton panel of Khoisan rock art, facing one another in greeting and in unity. The Linton panel resides in the Iziko South African Museum in Cape Town.

Above the shield are a spear and a knobkierie, crossed in a single unit, but lying down in a gesture of peace. These elements are arranged harmoniously to give focus to the shield and complete the lower oval shape of foundation.

Above the foundation is a stylised protea, whose petals are rendered in a triangular pattern often found in African crafts, and in popular colours associated with the continent – green, gold, red and black.

A secretary bird hovers above the protea and the flower forms its lower body and chest – this part also looks like a diamond, one of the South African success stories. The secretary bird, known for its ability fight off its enemies, usually snakes, stands with its wings regally uplifted, while its distinctive head feathers crown a strong and vigilant head. Its legs are formed by the spear and knobkierie below.

The sun rising above the horizon is placed between the wings of the secretary bird and completes the oval shape of ascendance.

South Africa’s motto is !ke e: /xarra //ke, written in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people. Literally translated it means “diverse people unite” and replaces the former Ex unitate vires, Latin for “unity is strength”.

National flag

The new national flag of the Republic of South Africa was designed by former state herald Fred Brownell. It was adopted on Freedom Day, 27 April 1994, and first flown on 10 May 1994 – the day of former president Nelson Mandela’s inauguration. It’s the only six-coloured flag in the world.

The central design of the flag, beginning at the flag-pole 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.

National anthem
The current national anthem is a combination of two well-known pieces of music – Enoch Sontonga’s Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika, and The Call of South Africa (Die Stem van Suid Afrika), written in 1918 by author and poet CJ Langenhoven.

The music to The Call, which had been South Africa’s official national anthem since 1952 (and the Afrikaans version since 1957), was composed by Rev ML de Villiers in 1921.

Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was composed by Sontonga, a Methodist mission schoolteacher, in 1897. The words of the first stanza were originally written in isiXhosa as a hymn. Seven additional stanzas in isiXhosa were later added by the poet Samuel Mqhayi. It became a symbol of African freedom and defiance during the years of apartheid, and has been translated into most of South Africa’s official languages.

Watch the Soweto Gospel Choir singing the national anthem:

National animal

The country’s national animal is the springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis), which gets its common name from its characteristic pronking or leaping display – from the Afrikaans word pronk. The beloved animal has lent its name to the South African national rugby team, fondly known as “the Boks” or “die Bokke”.

The springbok stands 75cm high and weighs about 40kg. It has adapted to dry, barren areas and open grass plains and is thus found especially in the Free State, North West province and in the Karoo up to the west coast. Springbok move in small herds during winter, but often crowd together in bigger herds in summer. They breed throughout the year and lambs are born after a six-month gestation period.

Both sexes have horns, but those of the ram are thicker and rougher.

National bird

The national bird of South Africa is the blue crane (Anthropoides paradisia), the distribution of which is almost entirely restricted to the country. Standing about a metre tall, the bird is a light blue-grey, with a long neck supporting a rather bulbous head, long legs and elegant wing plumes which sweep to the ground.

Blue cranes lay their eggs in the bare veld, often close to water. They are common in the Karoo, but are also seen in the grasslands of KwaZulu-Natal and the highveld, usually in pairs or small family parties. They eat seeds, insects and reptiles.

Although usually quiet, the blue crane can emit a distinctive high-pitched and rattling croak which can be heard from some distance.

With only some 25 000 individuals left in the country, the blue crane is listed as vulnerable on the Red List of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

National flower

The giant or king protea (Protea cynaroides) is found in the south-western and southern areas of the Western Cape, from the Cedarberg up to just east of Grahamstown. The artichoke-like appearance of the flower heads of the king protea leads to the specific name cynaroides, which means “like cynara” (the artichoke). A number of varieties in colour and leaf shapes are found, but the pink flower is the most striking and well-known.

South Africa’s national flower is the largest of the proteas, which make up an important part of the Cape Floral Region, a major global biodiversity hotspot and a Unesco World Heritage site. The proteas also give their name to South Africa’s national cricket team.

National fish

South Africa’s national fish is the galjoen (Dichistius capensis) or black bream. The galjoen is found along the South African coast from Namibia in the west to Durban in the east, and in no other area on earth. It keeps to mostly shallow water and is often found in rough surf, sometimes right next to the shore. The galjoen is a familiar sight to every keen angler. The diet of the galjoen consists mainly of red bait (ascidians), small mussels and barnacles.

The record size is over 55cm and 7kg, however the average is much smaller.

National tree

The real yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius),a member of an ancient family of trees, is found all across South Africa, from Table Mountain, along the southern and eastern Cape coast, in the ravines of the Drakensberg up to the Soutpansberg and the Blouberg in Limpopo. The bark of the real yellowwood is khaki-coloured to grey when it is old, deeply split and peels off in strips. The crown is relatively small in relation to its height and is often covered with grey lichen. Male and female cones resemble pine cones and are white, light green or pink.

Source: Department of Arts and Culture, South African Government Online