Which African country's national flag contains six distinct colors?

South Africa's national flag contains six distinct colours: black, gold, green, white, red, and blue.

The current flag was designed by Frederick Brownell and first flown on 27 April 1994, the day of South Africa's first fully democratic election. Its central green Y-shape is often interpreted as symbolising diverse groups coming together and moving forward in unity. The flag replaced the design used from 1928 to 1994.

Its colours draw from several strands of South African history. Black, green, and gold are associated with the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue appear in earlier South African and European-influenced flags. However, South African government guidance cautions that the individual colours do not have one universally official meaning.

A common mix-up is counting only the major fields and overlooking the narrow white and gold borders. Those bands are essential parts of the design, bringing the total to six. The flag is also nicknamed the Rainbow Flag or Seskleur, meaning “six-colour” in Afrikaans.