The flag has horizontal bands of red (on the top) and blue (on the bottom), of equal width, separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal "Y" shape, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side (and follow the flag's diagonals).

The only symbolism in the flag is the V or Y shape, which can be interpreted as "the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity".

The flag consists of the four colours of the Vierkleur, expanded by the addition of black and gold signifying South Africa's mineral wealth.

The Second Anglo-Boer War between 1899 and 1902 ended with the Treaty of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902 and resulted in what is now South Africa falling under the British Union Flag.

Finally, a compromise was reached that resulted in the adoption of a separate flag for the Union in late 1927 and the design was first hoisted on 31 May 1928.

The South African addition to the design was the inclusion of three smaller flags centred in the white stripe.

In 1968, the then Prime Minister, John Vorster, proposed the adoption of a new flag from 1971, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the declaration of a republic but this never materialised.

[12] Since 2019, public display of this flag in South Africa is considered hate speech (for being a potential symbol of apartheid and white supremacy) and therefore prohibited, with exceptions for artistic, academic and journalistic purposes, as well as for museums & places of historical interest.

[15] The choice of a new flag was part of the negotiation process set in motion when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990.

[citation needed] This interim flag was hoisted officially for the first time on 27 April 1994, the day when the nation's first fully inclusive elections commenced which resulted in Nelson Mandela being inaugurated as South Africa's first democratically elected president on 10 May 1994.

Thus on 28 September 1995 it decided that the flag should be retained unchanged and accordingly it was included as Section One of the Constitution of South Africa which came into force in February 1997.

This guide has no official authority but was drawn up with generally accepted vexillological etiquette and principles in mind.

[20] An addendum to the Transitional Executive Council agenda (April 1994) described the flag in pseudo-heraldic terms as follows: The National flag shall be rectangular in the proportion of two in the width to three to the length; per pall from the hoist, the upper band red (chilli) and lower band blue, with a black triangle at the hoist; over the partition lines a green pall one fifth the width of the flag, fimbriated white against the red and blue, and gold against the black triangle at the hoist, and the width of the pall and its fimbriations is one third the width of the flag.

Schedule One of the Constitution of South Africa (1996) replaced the heraldic definition and described the flag in plain English as follows:[21]