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.

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.

Sarah Baartman to be honoured

South Africa is to honour Sarah Baartman - who was displayed as a sideshow attraction in 19th century Europe under the name "Hottentot Venus" - by establishing a centre of remembrance, human rights memorial and Khoi-San Heritage Route in the Eastern Cape.

South Africa's Freedom Park

As the country celebrates Heritage Month, South Africans have an opportunity to reflect on the country's collective heritage by visiting Freedom Park in Pretoria, a remarkable monument that tells the tale of South Africa's diverse heritage in a visual and interactive way.

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.

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Go to South African History Online

SA History Online

New ways of teaching history, new insight into South Africa's past.

South Africa's national flag

National flag

Whatever shape our flag takes, 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

What's that image on your
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.

South Africa's World Heritage sites

World heritage

Eight 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.

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".