Last modified: 2006-01-21 by bruce berry
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On 6 November 1991 the National Olympic Committee of South Africa (NOCSA) announced a flag under which South African athletes would compete in the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. In accepting the invitation to participate in the Games, NOCSA indicated that it "would not be appropriate" to use the (then) existing national flag, springbok sports emblem or the national anthem. Instead, South Africa would compete using interim symbols.
The interim Olympic emblem comprised a white flag, in the centre of which is a stylised grey diamond representing the country's mineral wealth. Superimposed, in the top left hand corner are the 5 Olympic rings in colour. Starting beneath the rings and sweeping up to the right of the flag are flashes of blue (representing rain and sea), red (for land) and green (for agriculture). Under this design are the words SOUTH AFRICA in grey. NOCSA Chairman, Mr Sam Ramsamy, said the flag represented unity and would be used until a democratically elected government was in place.
The government criticised both the decision to use such a symbol as well as its design. However, for most of South Africa's athletes, the chance to compete in the Olympic games after a break of 31 years was the most important concern. South Africa was represented by this flag at the Barcelona Olympic Games.
With the election of a democratic government in 1994 and adoption of
a new flag, this so called "interim Olympic Flag" is no longer used.
From: SAVA Newsletters
SN: 2/91 and 3/92.
Bruce Berry, 28 Jun 1999
There's a quote from Željko Heimer from four years ago on the page about
the South African 1992 Olympic flag. It describes that flag as: "The flag
of South Africa used on Barcelona 1992 games was, I guess, their national
Olympic Committee flag - white with Olympic circles and wing-like shapes
one behind the other in Olympic (or if you wish in the new South African) colours."
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 19 July 2000
I found the Symbol of the National Olympic Committee of South Africa, which does resemble the description above. However, I expect the wing-shapes are branches of some kind. Is there someone who knows or can make a good guess about the kind of branches who can make a better description? I understand that the NOCSA's flag includes the letters, while the flag for the 1992 South African team displayed only the logo.
The flag used by South Africa at the 1992 Olympic Games was not the
flag of the National Olympic Committee of South Africa (NOCSA). It was
an "interim" flag to be used by the team in place of the national flag,
since the latter was not considered to be representative of the nation
as a whole. The colours represent rain and sea (blue), land (red)
and agriculture (green). These were originally described as "flashes" of
colour. The original design for the flag included the name "South Africa"
in grey under the logo but this was later removed and the flag carried
at the Olympics was white with the logo in the centre sent to FOTW previously.
The NOCSA symbol has been used since 1994 to represent the Committee. It
does appear on a white field as the NOCSA "house flag" but it does not
have any "official" status and it is not carried at the Olympic Games.
As for the branches, I agree with the earlier posting that they are stylised
olive branches.
Bruce Berry, 21 Jul 2000
image by Dean Thomas, 27 Aug 2004
The NOCSA "House flag" was
carried by the South African Olympic Team at the
Opening Ceremony of the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway, as the
now-current national flag of South Africa had not yet come into use until later
that year.
Dean Thomas, 27 Aug 2004