Enoch Sontonga composed “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika,” the hymn that forms part of South Africa’s national anthem.
Sontonga, a teacher and Methodist lay preacher, composed the hymn in 1897. The original Xhosa words were later expanded and adapted by other writers, including Samuel Mqhayi. It became widely known through church, political, and civic singing across southern Africa.
During the twentieth century, “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” became strongly associated with the African National Congress and the anti-apartheid movement. It was also used as an anthem in several African countries before South Africa adopted its current combined anthem.
South Africa’s present anthem, adopted in 1997, combines “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” with parts of “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika.” Sontonga therefore composed the hymn section, not the entire modern anthem. That distinction explains why the answer is not the name of the later arranger or a political leader.