Designed to be the highest visual symbol of the state, the South African coat of arms appears on citizens’ passports and on their birth, marriage and death certificates. It adorns embassies and consulates abroad, and is part of the Great Seal used to signify the approval of the South African president. It is an emblem of everything that the country is and represents; And in this article, we look at the rich symbolism behind the many different elements of the Coat of Arms.
A new design for a new South Africa
The South African coat of arms has not always looked the way it does today. After the fall of apartheid in 1994, the new democratic government changed many things, including the South African national anthem and the national flag. In 1999, the government began its search for a new coat of arms, the symbolism of which would reflect democratic politics and the racially tolerant nature of the new South Africa. Like the anthem and flag, it also needed to represent the various cultures of the nation.
The Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology asked members of the public for their ideas on the design of the new coat of arms. These ideas were combined into a single brief, after which the umbrella organization Design South Africa asked 10 of the best designers in the country to submit a sketch that brought together the best of these publicly approved elements. The winning design belonged to Iaan Bekker and was featured by President Thabo Mbeki at Freedom Day 2000.
The coat of arms has many elements arranged in two oval groups, one on top of the other. Together the two ovals create an infinity symbol.
The bottom oval or base
At the base of the Coat of Arms is the motto :! Ke e: / xarra // ke written in the Khoisan language of the / Xam people. When translated into English, the phrase means “Diverse People United.” On either side of the motto, pairs of elephant tusks symbolize wisdom, strength, restraint, and eternity, all of which are attributes associated with the mighty African elephant. The tusks enclose two ears of wheat, which serve as a traditional emblem of fertility and represent the development of the country’s potential, as well as the food of its people.
In the center of the base, the oval is a golden shield, intended to symbolize spiritual defense. Two Khoisan figures are depicted on the shield. The Khoisan are the oldest inhabitants of South Africa and a symbol of the country’s rich heritage. The figures on the shield are based on the Linton Panel (a world-famous piece of rock art now housed in the South African Museum in Cape Town), facing each other in salute and unity. The figures are also intended to be a reminder of the collective sense of belonging that comes from national identity.
Above the shield, a crossed spear and a knobkierie (a traditional fighting stick) separate the lower oval from the upper oval. They represent defense and authority, but are represented lying down to symbolize peace and the end of the conflict within South Africa.
The upper or ascending oval
In the center of the upper oval is the South African National Flower, King Protea. It is made up of interlocking diamonds, which in turn are intended to mimic the patterns found in traditional crafts, thus celebrating South African creativity. The protea itself represents the natural beauty of South Africa and the country’s literal bloom after years of oppression. It also forms the chest of the secretary bird, whose head and wings extend above it.
Known for eating snakes and for its grace in flight, the secretary bird on the Coat of Arms acts as a messenger from the heavens while protecting the nation from its enemies. It has divine overtones, from its bright golden color to the upward spread of its wings, symbolizing protection and ascent in equal measure. Between its wings, the rising sun represents life, knowledge and the dawn of a new era.
When viewed as two parts of a whole, the secretary bird in the upper oval appears to hatch from the shield of the lower oval. In this way, the Coat of Arms achieves its purpose of commemorating the birth of a new nation.
