South Africa adopted its current national anthem in combined form in 1997.
The anthem joins parts of two earlier songs: “Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika” and “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika.” The first section draws on the former, while the latter supplied additional sections, creating a symbol of reconciliation after apartheid.
The combined anthem was introduced under President Nelson Mandela and became official on 10 October 1997. It uses five languages: Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English.
This arrangement is sometimes mistaken for a newly written single song. Instead, it deliberately combines historical material associated with different communities and political eras in South Africa.