Flag of South Africa (1928–1994)
Officially Union of South Africa
Locally Unie van Suid-Afrika
What the flag looks like
Three equal horizontal stripes of orange, white and blue, with three small flags in the center of the white stripe: the Union Jack, the flag of the Orange Free State and the flag of the South African Republic (Transvaal).
What it means
The orange, white and blue came from the Dutch Prince's Flag of the early settlers, and the three small flags stood for Britain and the two former Boer republics.
How to remember it
The flag of the Union and of apartheid-era South Africa
is orange-white-blue with three tiny flags in the middle; the Netherlands
has red on top and no flags.
Fun facts
- Until 1957 the Union Jack was also an official national flag, flown alongside this one.
- It was replaced on 27 April 1994, the day of South Africa's first elections open to all races.
South Africa (1928–1994) at a glance
- Flag used
- 1928–1994
- Apartheid
- 1948–1994
- Today
- South Africa
- Capital
- Pretoria
- Region
- 1928–1994
- Languages
- English, Afrikaans
- Currency
- South African pound, South African rand (R)
- Flag adopted
- 1928
Flags often confused with South Africa (1928–1994)
- Netherlands: The old South African flag and the Netherlands both have three horizontal stripes with white in the middle and blue at the bottom. South Africa's top stripe is orange and it carries three small flags in the center; the Netherlands has red on top and no emblem.
- Dutch Republic: The Prince's Flag and South Africa's 1928–1994 flag are both orange, white and blue. The Prince's Flag is plain; South Africa's has three small flags in the center of the white stripe.