National Day in South Africa, also called the National Freedom Day, is celebrated on the 27th of April every year in commemoration of the very first non-racial democratic elections in the country in 1994. This year, South Africa will hold its National Freedom Day celebrations at the Miki Yili Stadium, Sarah Baartman District Municipality, Makhanda in the province of the Eastern Cape. This year’s theme is “Celebrating 25 Years of Democracy”.

The South Africans consider April 27th the most significant day in the history of their country because it marks the end of more than three hundred years of colonial rule and racial segregation. Prior to April 27, 1994, the National Party upheld the apartheid rule. Thus, interracial activities were banned, including voting during national elections. It was only in 1994 that everyone of legal age, regardless of race, was allowed to cast a vote.

The April 27, 1994 post-apartheid elections started a new dawn for South Africa. They elected the prominent Nelson Mandela as their new president. From then on, South Africa considers the 27th of April a day of rejoicing for the whole nation. Power is no longer controlled by the white minority, and the oppressor and the oppressed are now liberated.

Here is everything you need to know about the National Freedom Day in South Africa.

Table of Contents

• Is National Day in South Africa a public holiday?
• History of National Day in South Africa
• South Africa National Freedom Day Activities and Celebrations
• Past and Future Observances of National Freedom Day in South Africa

Is National Day in South Africa a public holiday?

The National Freedom Day in South Africa is a public holiday. Hence, government offices, banks, schools, and most businesses close for the day.

History of National Day in South Africa

One of the twelve public holidays covered by the Public Holidays Act in South Africa, the National Freedom Day marks the first post-apartheid elections held in the country in 1994. Prior to the 27th of April, 1994, South Africa was under the apartheid rule. With this, the natives had very limited rights to participate in the elections. Moreover, the indigenous black folks were not allowed to vote at all.

The white domination in South Africa started in 1652. When they arrived at the Cape, they started to control the political center of the country. The South Africans were denied the basic right to vote and to participate in decision-making. They were also herded to restricted areas. In essence, the South Africans were oppressed by the white minority.

Resistance to white domination grew popular among South Africans in 1912 with the formation of the South African Native National Congress (which then became the African National Congress). The Congress made efforts to provide equal opportunity to the non-white majority. However, its efforts were unsuccessful following the victory of the Nationalist Party in 1948. The apartheid was officially signed into a law; thus, making it more difficult for South Africans to recover their rights. Despite this, the Congress continued to fight for its cause.

In 1955, The Congress of the People adopted the Freedom Charter which became the blueprint for a democratic South Africa. It affirmed that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no Government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of the people”.

Several years passed and South Africa was still in turmoil. The National Party declared the 31st of May as a national holiday justified by the declaration of the country as a republic. However, this day was never recognized by South Africans. Armed resistance shot from every corner of the country. In 1976, the Soweto Uprising lit up trade union movements and other liberation struggles. Even the Church contributed to the cause.

Concrete results of the struggle were seen since 1988, when the government started negotiations with the African National Congress. In 1993, a non-racial constitution was finally adopted and came into effect the next year. Thus, on April 27, 1994, South Africans of legal age, regardless of color, cast their votes for the first time to elect President Nelson Mandela. The South African leader was then inaugurated on the 10th of May, 1994. Mandela became the country’s inspiring leader who emphasized in his speech during the first Freedom Day anniversary that “On this day, you, the people, took your destiny into your own hands. You decided that nothing would prevent you from exercising your hard-won right to elect a government of your choice.”

South Africa National Freedom Day Activities and Celebrations

National Freedom Day in South Africa is celebrated by the whole country in different ways. While there are really no official celebrations, such as a grand parade and fireworks display, the people in South Africa choose to remember the day that changed the fate of the nation in their own ways. Most folks go to the historic places in South Africa, including the Hector Pieterson Memorial, Soweto, Apartheid Museum, District Six Museum, and the Robben Island. Some people spend the day on the beach, parks, or public gardens with families and friends.

Past and Future Observances of National Freedom Day of South Africa

Below are the past and future observances of the National Freedom Day of South Africa over a span of ten years: