Who designed South Africa's national flag first used in 1994?

Frederick Brownell designed South Africa’s national flag first used in 1994.

Brownell was South Africa’s State Herald and developed the design in 1993–1994 during the negotiations that preceded the country’s first fully inclusive election. The final design was adopted on 15 March 1994 and first flown on 27 April, election day.

The flag’s central green Y, or pall, is intended to suggest the convergence of diverse elements and a shared road ahead. Its colors draw on several strands of South African history: red, white, and blue connect with earlier colonial and Union-era flags, while black, green, and gold are associated with the African National Congress.

The process was politically complicated. A public competition attracted more than 7,000 designs, but none initially won broad approval. Cyril Ramaphosa and Roelf Meyer helped resolve the dispute, while Brownell’s design became the basis of the final flag. Although other people have claimed influence or authorship, Brownell is the standard credited designer.