Flag of South Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa · ZA · Vector source, 4:3 aspect ratio
- RegionSub-Saharan Africa
- ISO codeZA
- Source formatSVG (infinitely scalable)
- Available downloadsSVG · PNG · JPG · WEBP · ICO · PDF
Download the flag of South Africa as SVG, PNG, JPG, WEBP, ICO or PDF in any resolution you need.
Basic Flag Information
| Flag Name | Flag of South Africa |
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| Country | South Africa |
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| Official Name | Republic of South Africa |
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| Capital | Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town |
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| Continent | Africa |
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| Region | Southern Africa |
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| ISO Code | ZA / ZAF |
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| Internet Domain | .za |
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| Calling Code | +27 |
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| Currency | South African rand (ZAR) |
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| Official Language(s) | Afrikaans, English, Northern Sotho, Southern Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
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| Demonym | South African |
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| Area | 1,221,037 km² |
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| Population | 57,779,622 (approx.) |
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| Coastline | Has a sea coast |
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| United Nations Member | Yes |
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Flag Specifications
| Official Flag Name | Flag of South Africa |
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| Current Version Adopted | 27 April 1994 |
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| Design First Used | 1994 |
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| Flag Proportion | 2:3 |
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| Flag Shape | Rectangular |
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| Number of Colours | 6 |
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| Main Colours | Green, Black, Gold, White, Red, Blue |
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| Designer | Frederick Brownell, State Herald of South Africa |
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| Design Type | Horizontal bands joined by a green Y with hoist triangle |
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| Nickname | The Rainbow Flag |
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| Official Status | Official national flag |
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| Governing Authority | Government of South Africa |
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Flag Colour Information
| Colour | Appearance | HEX Code | RGB | CMYK | Pantone |
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| Green | | #007A4D | 0, 122, 77 | 100, 0, 37, 52 | No official Pantone reference |
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| Black | | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | 0, 0, 0, 100 | No official Pantone reference |
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| Gold | | #FFB612 | 255, 182, 18 | 0, 29, 93, 0 | No official Pantone reference |
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| White | | #FFFFFF | 255, 255, 255 | 0, 0, 0, 0 | No official Pantone reference |
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| Red | | #DE3831 | 222, 56, 49 | 0, 75, 78, 13 | No official Pantone reference |
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| Blue | | #002395 | 0, 35, 149 | 100, 77, 0, 42 | No official Pantone reference |
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Flag Design and Symbolism
| Horizontal Y | Two bands converging into one, for the many roads of South Africa’s peoples joining in a single path forward |
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| Green | Stands for the fertility of the land and the convergence of paths. |
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| Black | Stands for the people of Africa, in the hoist triangle. |
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| Gold | Stands for the mineral wealth of the country. |
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| White | Stands for peace, and the fimbriation of the Y. |
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| Red | Stands for the blood shed in the country’s struggles. |
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| Blue | Stands for the open sky and the two oceans that meet at the Cape. |
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Flag History
| Year / Period | Event |
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| 27 April 1994 | Raised on the day of the first democratic election, designed in a week as an interim flag |
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| 1996 | Made permanent by the new constitution |
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| Present | The flag remains in official use |
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Flag Dimensions and Construction
| Official Ratio (height : width) | 2:3 |
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| Hoist (height) | 2 units |
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| Fly (width) | 3 units |
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| Layout | Horizontal bands joined by a green Y with hoist triangle |
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| Band / Stripe Construction | No stripes in the usual sense; a green pall divides the field |
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| Construction Sheet Available | Yes |
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| Governing Specification | South African National Flag specification, Government Gazette 1994 |
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How the Flag of South Africa Is Used
| Setting | Flown | Notes |
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| Government buildings | Yes | Flown on official premises |
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| Schools and public institutions | Yes | Common in daily and ceremonial use |
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| Private and civil use | Yes | May be flown by members of the public |
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| Public holidays and commemorations | Yes | Displayed on national days of remembrance |
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| Armed forces | Yes | Carried by the military as a war flag or colour |
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| Naval ensign | Yes | Flown by naval and merchant vessels |
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| Embassies and consulates | Yes | Flown at diplomatic missions abroad |
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| International sport | Yes | Used at the Olympic Games and world championships |
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| United Nations building | Yes | Flown in the row of member states |
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Other Official Flags of South Africa
| Flag Type | Purpose | In Use |
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| National flag | The primary flag shown on this page | Yes |
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| Civil flag | Flown by private citizens and organisations | Yes |
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| War flag | Carried by the armed forces on land | Yes |
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| Naval ensign | Flown at sea by naval and merchant vessels | Yes |
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| Air force ensign | Used by the air force | Yes |
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| Presidential standard | Marks the presence of the head of state | Yes |
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| Royal standard | Marks the presence of the monarch | No |
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| Historical flags | Earlier designs no longer in official use | Yes |
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Quick Facts About the Flag
| Years in Use (current design) | 32 years |
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| Adoption Date | 27 April 1994 |
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| Earliest Recorded Use | 1994 |
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| Designer | Frederick Brownell, State Herald of South Africa |
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| Nickname | The Rainbow Flag |
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| Dominant Colour | Green |
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| Flags It Resembles | No other national flag uses six colours in a single design |
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| Notable Feature | Horizontal bands joined by a green Y with hoist triangle |
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