The present coat of arms

Coat of arms

A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...

 of South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

 was introduced
on Freedom Day

Freedom Day (South Africa)

Freedom Day is a South African public holiday celebrated on April 27. It celebrates freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994...

 April 27, 2000. It replaced the earlier national arms, which had been in use since 1910. The motto ǃke e: ǀxarra ǁke is written in the Khoisan

Khoisan

Khoisan is a unifying name for two ethnic groups of Southern Africa, who share physical and putative linguistic characteristics distinct from the Bantu majority of the region. Culturally, the Khoisan are divided into the foraging San and the pastoral Khoi...

 language of the ǀXam people and translates literally to "diverse people unite". The previous motto, in Latin, was Ex unitate vires, translated as "unity is strength".
The first coat of arms was granted by King George V by Royal Warrant on 17 September 1910.