Apartheid is a system of racial segregation that existed in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. The word has its roots in the Afrikaans language and means “separateness”. Under apartheid, South Africa’s population was divided into four racial groups: white, black, coloured, and Indian. Each racial group was required to live in separate areas and use separate facilities. Apartheid was a system of oppression and discrimination that resulted in significant hardships for the majority of South Africans.
The end of apartheid was brought about by a combination of factors, including the efforts of anti-apartheid activists, the international community, and the changing political landscape in South Africa. In 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years, and the African National Congress (ANC) was unbanned. In 1994, the first multiracial elections were held in South Africa, and Mandela was elected president.
