At the base of the grouping of symbols analogous to the crest of conventional heraldry is a protea flower, resting on the crossed spear and knobkierie.

The national flower is Protea cynaroides, a fynbos species found in nature between the Boland and the Albany district (Grahamstown area). Typically it has whitish florets in an inflorescence surrounded by bracts (“petals”) that are usually pink, but in some varieties can be bright red. It characteristically has an inflorescence 150 mm or more in circumference, although one local variety (found in the Port Elizabeth district) has inflorescences only 60 mm across.

Proteaceous species are one of the characteristic vegetation types of fynbos. Fynbos, in turn, is the dominant division (the other is forest) of the Cape Floral Kingdom, and is a veld type which displays a high species diversity and a high degree of adaptation to local climatic and soil conditions.

P cynaroides also represents the protea family in other parts of the country, and of other parts of Africa. Non-fynbos species of protea grow in many parts of the eastern half of the country, while other species are found to the north of South Africa, especially in high-lying regions. One species, P gaguedi, is found in nature from Zimbabwe in the south to Ethiopia in the north, and westwards as far as the highlands of Senegal.

However, the protea shown is a stylisation of P cynaroides, and is drawn as a series of triangles and trapezoids. The bracts appear in green and gold, while the head of the inflorescence is composed of triangles in colours derived from the national flag in use since 1994.

The official description reads: “The protea is an emblem of the beauty of our land and the flowering of our potential as a nation in pursuit of the African Renassance. The protea symbolises the holistic integration of forces that grows from the earth and are nurtured from above. The most popular colours of Africa have been assigned to the protea – green, gold, red and black.”

Another part of the official description states: “The petals of the protea are rendered in a triangular pattern reminiscent of the crafts of Africa.” (The so-called petals are in fact groupings of the heads of the florets.)

Emerging from behind the protea are the head, neck and wings of a secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius).

Found in many parts of South Africa, as well as of African countries far to the north, the secretary bird is the only living bird of prey of terrestrial habits. It has a slender, powerful bird 120 cm long and with a 210 cm wingspan. It has 20 black crest feathers sticking horizontally and slightly down out of the back of the head, which make it look as if it is carrying quill pens behind its ears, as secretaries once did.

In nature it has a light grey body, black thighs and flight feathers, and white wing linings. Its tail has a pair of long central streamers, and its legs are long and have thick scales to protect the bird from snakebite.

In the arms, this bird is coloured entirely unnaturally in three shades ranging from gold to brown.

The official description reads: “The secretary bird is characterised in flight, the natural consequence of growth and speed. It is the equivalent of the lion on earth. A powerful bird whose legs serve it well in its hunt for snakes symbolising protection of the nation against its enemies. It is a messenger of the heavens and conducts its grace upon the earth, in this sense it is a symbol of divine majesty. Its uplifted wings is [sic] an emblem of the ascendance of our nation, whilst simultaneously offering us its protection. It is depicted in gold, which clearly symbolises its association with the sun and the highest power.”

The final part of the device is the rising sun, depicted as a semi-circle of golden triangles (introducing a further two shades of gold) floating in mid-air above the secretary bird’s head.

The official description reads: “An emblem of brightness, splendour and the supreme principle of the nature of energy, it symbolises the promise of rebirth, the active faculties of reflection, knowledge, good judgement and willpower. It is the symbol of the source of life, of light and the ultimate wholeness of Humanity.”

The need for new arms:

It became clear even before the 1994 elections that a new national coat of arms was needed for South Africa, since the old arms were based on those of its constituent colonies (provinces). This writer, in a proposal to the Commission on National Symbols (part of the Congress for a Democratic South Africa which drafted the interim Constitution) proposed that time first be given to the new provinces to adopt their own arms, and that new national arms be considered afterwards. Other correspondents appear to have made similar representations. This time frame was in fact followed, but the arms, when adopted, were unrelated to the arms of any provinces, either the current nine or the previous four.

Design process:

Proposals for a new coat of arms were put forward by the Heraldry Council, but were rejected for reasons the Government declined to specify. During 1999 the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology requested ideas for a new coat of arms from the public. A brief was written based on ideas received and input from the Cabinet. Design South Africa, a body representing design agencies across the country, was approached to brief 10 of the top designers. Three designers were chosen to present their concepts to the Cabinet. The work of Iaan Bekker, who has previously designed numerous corporate identities for public and private sector organisations, was eventually chosen.

Post-apartheid South Africa:
The apartheid era in South Africa officially came to an end with the holding of all-race elections over three days, beginning on 27 April 1994. On that day an interim Constitution came into effect and a new national flag was hoisted.

The country – often referred to as the New South Africa – remained a parliamentary democracy, but for the first time that democracy was based on the votes of the entire adult population. The head of state was now called President (no longer State President), and Parliament comprised the President, the National Assembly (replacing the House of Assembly) and the Senate.

The country now comprised nine provinces, as opposed to the previous four: two of the old provinces – the Orange Free State (Free State Province) and Natal (KwaZulu-Natal) – retained their territory, while the two large provinces of the Transvaal and the Cape were subdivided – the Cape into Western, Eastern and Northern Cape, and the Transvaal into the PWV Province (now Gauteng), Eastern Transvaal (now Mpumalanga) and Northern Province (now Limpopo), while pieces of both Transvaal and the Cape made up North West Province. The “independent” and non-independent homelands of the apartheid era disappeared, and were integrated into the provinces into which they now fell.

Pretoria remained the administrative capital, while Parliament remained in Cape Town. The idea of moving Parliament to another centre has been mooted, but has met with strong opposition, especially from the Western Cape, and as of early 2002 no action had been taken in this regard.

The interim Constitution was characterised by a strong human rights focus and a breaking away from the previously accepted doctrine of the sovereignty of Parliament. The Constitution was now seen as sovereign, and a Constitutional Court was added to the existing judicial structure with the function of interpreting the Constitution.

The Supreme Court was renamed the High Court, but retained its previous division into an Appellate Division seated at Bloemfontein and various provincial and local divisions.

The Constitutional Court, however, was based in Johannesburg, which had not previously been a formal capital. However, during the rule of Lord Milner, British High Commissioner for South Africa, it was a de facto capital when he resided in Johannesburg after his appointment in 1901 as Governor of the Orange River and Transvaal colonies, ruling through Administrators based in Bloemfontein and Pretoria. It therefore has a history as a capital city under an oppressive régime.

Relationship with the Commonwealth:

South Africa, which had been a founder member of the Commonwealth of Nations, had not been part of that organisation since 1961. In 1994 it was welcomed back with open arms.

This meant that the British sovereign, Queen Elizabeth, once again had a role to play in South Africa. She had been Queen of South Africa from 1953 to 1961 (this was the first Commonwealth member outside Britain to create a separate title for the sovereign) and Head of the Commonwealth, but although remaining Head of the Commonwealth she had ceased to have any link with South Africa. Now once more, in her capacity as Head of the Commonwealth, she was linked with the country, and in 1995 she paid a visit to South Africa in that role.

During that visit she also flew her personal flag, not to be confused with the so-called Royal Standard (in fact a banner of the royal arms).

South Africa’s rejoining the Commonwealth also meant that Mozambique was entirely surrounded by Commonwealth members, and in 1995 this former Portuguese colony was admitted to the Commonwealth despite not having any British colonial links or even the English language in common use.

With kind permission from Mike Oettle: Armoria – Heraldry in South Africa