Written as a poem in 1918 by C.J. Langenhoven and set to music in 1921 by M.L. de Villiers , it served as South Africa's sole national anthem from 1957 until 1994.
The current anthem brings together two songs that previously represented opposing sides of a divided country. South African National Anthem
Composed in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga , a Methodist school teacher, it was originally a church hymn. It later became a defiant liberation song for those resisting the apartheid regime. Written as a poem in 1918 by C
In 1994, under President Nelson Mandela , both songs were adopted as dual national anthems. They were eventually merged into a single, shortened version in 1997. 2. Structure and Languages The current anthem brings together two songs that
The anthem is famous for incorporating five of South Africa's official languages in a specific sequence: