South Africa's National Anthem 🇿🇦 | History & Lyrics Explained

National Anthem of The Republic of South Africa. Subscribe for more. Note to avoid confusion : The South African national anthem is often referred to by its incipit of "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", but this has never been its official title, which is simply "National anthem of South Africa". The national anthem of South Africa was adopted in 1997 and is a hybrid song combining new English lyrics with extracts of the 19th century hymn "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" and the Afrikaans song "Die Stem van Suid-Afrika", which was formerly used as the South African national anthem from the late 1930s to the mid-1990s. The committee responsible for this new composition included Anna Bender, Elize Botha, Richard Cock, Dolf Havemann (Secretary), Mzilikazi Khumalo (Chairman), Masizi Kunene, John Lenake, Fatima Meer, Khabi Mngoma, Wally Serote, Johan de Villiers, and Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph. Lyrics First verse, first two lines in Xhosa Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo, First verse, last two lines in Zulu  Yizwa imithandazo yethu, Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho Iwayo. Second verse in Sesotho Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso, O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho, O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso, Setjhaba sa, South Afrika, South Afrika. Third verse in Afrikaans Uit die blou van onse hemel, Uit die diepte van ons see, Oor ons ewige gebergtes, Waar die kranse antwoord gee, Fourth verse in English Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land. English translation (Xhosa) Lord bless Africa May her glory be lifted high, (Zulu) Hear our prayers Lord bless us, your children (Sesotho) Lord we ask You to protect our nation, Intervene and end all conflicts, Protect us, protect our nation, Protect South Africa, South Africa (Afrikaans) From the blue of our skies, From the depths of our seas, Over our everlasting mountains, Where the echoing crags resound