South Africa: Flag and Facts
South Africa's flag has red and blue bands split by a green Y lying on its side, with a black triangle inside the Y edged in yellow and white stripes along the green.
- Official name
- Republic of South Africa
- Capital
- Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town
- Region
- Southern Africa
- Population
- 61 million (2025)
- Languages
- Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho
- Currency
- South African rand
- Area
- 1,221,037 km² (471,445 sq mi)
- People
- South African
- Calling code
- +27
- Highest point
- Ntheledi (Mafadi) 3,450 m
- Independence
- 31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four…)
- National symbols
- springbok (antelope), king protea flower
About South Africa
Some of the oldest human remains ever found came from South African soil. Bantu-speaking groups moved into the northeast by about A.D. 500. Dutch traders came ashore near the southern tip in 1652 and started Cape Town as a stop on the spice route. Britain grabbed the Cape in 1806, and many Boers moved north to set up their own republics. Diamonds turned up in 1867 and gold in 1886, drawing waves of newcomers.
The Union of South Africa formed in 1910, and a republic was declared in 1961. Majority rule began on 27 April 1994, now marked each year as Freedom Day. The country has three capitals: Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Cape Town. A huge interior plateau sits behind rugged hills and a narrow coastal plain, and about 61 million people share a long list of official languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu.
Did you know?
- Johannesburg is the biggest urban area, with about 10.3 million people.
- The springbok antelope and the king protea flower are both national symbols.
- Ntheledi, also called Mafadi, tops out at 3,450 meters.
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Questions about South Africa
What is the capital of South Africa?
It has three: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein.
What does the Y on the South African flag mean?
No official meaning is attached to the colors, but the Y stands for different parts of society coming together and moving forward in unity.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.