What does the South African flag represent?
Well, there are two possible answers to that question. It depends whether you mean, what does the design of the flag symbolise, or what does the flag mean to South Africans? In terms of design, it represents a Rainbow Nation coming together in unity. The flag was designed by a former South African State Herald, Fred Brownell, and was first used on 27 April 1994. The central Y shape 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. It’s the only six-coloured national flag in the world. To give you a sense what the flag means to South African people, here’s a quote from a great article at http://www.southafrica.info/about/history/flag.htm – “Few would have imagined, almost a decade ago, that this collection of colourful shapes could become such a potent symbol of unity and progress.
