Apartheid, meaning “apartness” in the Afrikaans language, was a system of racial segregation and discrimination enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. It classified South Africans by race, dictating where they could live, work, and receive education.
The National Party implemented apartheid through laws like the Population Registration Act and the Group Areas Act in 1950. More than 80 percent of South Africa’s land was designated for the white minority. This led to the forced removal of the non-white majority from these areas and the creation of separate, unequal facilities.
Apartheid sparked significant internal and international opposition, including demonstrations, strikes, and economic sanctions. The government began repealing apartheid laws in the early 1990s, and a new constitution enfranchising non-white racial groups took effect in 1994. Although legislated apartheid ended, its social and economic effects remain entrenched.