16 June 1976: a landmark day in South African history

16 June 1976: 'This is our day'

It is a day violently etched on the South African collective conscience. Commemorated over 30 years later as Youth Day, an official holiday, it is the day that honours the deaths of hundreds of Soweto schoolchildren, a day that changed the course of the country's history: 16 June 1976.

Liliesleaf: one day back in '63

Liliesleaf Farm, home of the ANC leadership in the early 1960s and the scene of the arrest of the Rivonia trialists, has opened as a museum. Denis Goldberg, one of the surviving trialists, and Bob Hepple, who escaped before the trial, reminisce about one of the key moments in South Africa's history.

A short history of South Africa

Take a brief tour through the rich, dramatic history of South Africa: from the earliest inhabitants through colonisation to the discovery of diamonds and gold - and the war that followed; from the formation and evolution of black resistance, through three decades of crisis to the eventual death of apartheid.

Oliver Tambo's vision of diversity

Arts and Culture Minister Pallo Jordaan pays homage to former ANC leader Oliver Tambo, saying his vision of embracing cultural diversity remained "the key to South Africa's collective strength".

Biko: first liberate the mind

Just over 30 years ago, on 12 September 1977, Stephen Bantu Biko died in police detention at the age of 31, leaving behind him a fundamentally altered political landscape and a liberating mirror for the black men and women of South Africa.

UN to preserve Rivonia records

South Africa's famous Rivonia Trial records, along with 38 other items of documentary heritage from around the world, have been added to the United Nations Memory of the World register in order to preserve them for future generations.

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South Africa’s national flag

National flag

Whatever shape our flag takes - and it's taken more than most national symbols - it's instantly recognised by South Africans everywhere.

South Africa’s national anthem

National Anthem

Uniting two anthems, five languages and over 47-million people.

South Africa's national symbols

National symbols

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R5 coin? What does !ke e: /xarra //ke mean? (Whose language is that?) ...

Go to the Nelson Mandela page

Nelson Mandela

Find out more about one of the great moral and political leaders of our time.

World heritage

World heritage

SA is home to eight UN World Heritage sites, places of "outstanding value to humanity".

Cultural experiences in South Africa

Heritage adventures

From galleries to rock art centres, museums to cultural villages - discover our rich heritage for yourself.

South Africa’s national flag

SA History Online

Transforming history into a dynamic subject and giving new insight into SA's turbulent past.

72 days that shaped South Africa

72 days that shaped South Africa

Just how "miraculous" was our transition to democracy? How close did we really come to civil war? Check out some press clippings of the 72 days leading up to SA's first democratic elections - and see how heavily the odds were stacked against "the rainbow nation".