National Anthem Comparison
Namibia vs South Africa
2
Shared themes
✗
Different moods
94
94 years apart
✓
Same continent
Namibia
Namibia, Land of the Brave
South Africa
National Anthem of South Africa
Comparison Analysis
Namibia and South Africa, both Africa nations, take distinct approaches to their national anthems. Namibia's "Namibia, Land of the Brave" was written in 1991, while South Africa's "National Anthem of South Africa" dates to 1897.
Both anthems share themes of freedom and unity. Namibia additionally explores love of homeland, ancestors / heritage and resilience, while South Africa also touches on god / faith, diversity and peace.
The emotional tones differ: Namibia's anthem is proud, while South Africa's is hopeful.
South Africa's anthem predates Namibia's by 94 years, having been written in 1897 compared to 1991.
South Africa changed its national anthem in 1997, reflecting a shift in the nation's identity or political landscape.
Shared themes
Namibia
🕊 Freedom ❤ Love of homeland 🤝 Unity 🏺 Ancestors / Heritage 💪 Resilience
South Africa
🤝 Unity ✝ God / Faith 🌈 Diversity 🕊 Freedom ☮ Peace
Shared themes:
🕊 Freedom 🤝 Unity
Metadata
| Namibia | South Africa | |
|---|---|---|
| Written | 1991 | 1897 |
| Adopted | 1991 | 1997 |
| Lyricist | Axali Doëseb | Enoch Sontonga / C.J. Langenhoven / Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph (English words) |
| Composer | Axali Doëseb | Enoch Sontonga / M.L. de Villiers (combined) |
| Language | en | multi |
| Region | Southern Africa | Southern Africa |
Lyrics Side by Side
Namibia
Namibia, Land of the Brave
Original
Namibia land of the brave
Freedom fight we have won
Glory to their bravery
Whose blood waters our freedom.
We give our love and loyalty
Together in unity
Contrasting beautiful Namibia
Namibia our country
Beloved land of savannahs,
Hold high the banner of liberty
Namibia our country
Namibia motherland
We love thee
South Africa
National Anthem of South Africa
Original
Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo
Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho,
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa South Afrika - South Afrika.
Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,
Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.
Translation
Lord bless Africa,
May her glory be lifted high.
Hear our prayers,
Lord bless us, her children.
Lord, protect our nation,
Banish wars and suffering,
Protect it, protect our nation,
The nation of South Africa, South Africa.
Ringing out from our blue heavens,
From our deep seas breaking round,
Over everlasting mountains,
Where the echoing crags resound.
Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom
In South Africa our land.
Interesting facts
Namibia
- 1. By Doëseb's own account, the melody came to him as he improvised at the 1989 memorial service for the assassinated activist Anton Lubowski; when the government called for an anthem, he transcribed it into staff notation.
- 2. Doëseb formally assigned the copyright in the words and music to the Namibian government, and a clause of the 2018 Act declares the melody, music and lyrics to be in the public domain.
- 3. Authorship of the words has been disputed. In 2006 the former information minister Hidipo Hamutenya said he had written them "on the plane to Cuba", which Doëseb denied; in 2023 two former members of the national symbols committee, Ben Amadhila and Andrew Matjila, said Hamutenya had supplied the wording, while the Presidency reaffirmed Doëseb as writer and composer.
- 4. The anthem is sung in English, the country's official language, and the 2018 Act gives the words only in English; yet in the 2011 census English was the main language of just 3.4% of Namibian households.
South Africa
- 1. In the official score, published in the Government Gazette on 10 October 1997, the anthem starts in G major and moves to D major on the repeated 'South Afrika' just before the Afrikaans lines, so it ends in a different key from the one it began in.
- 2. The interim arrangement of 1994, full versions of both anthems played one after the other, lasted over five minutes. For the combined anthem, Mandela asked for no more than one minute and 48 seconds, the average length of 27 national anthems the committee consulted, according to composer Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph.
- 3. The closing English lines were newly written for the 1997 anthem, adapted from 'The Call of South Africa', the English version of 'Die Stem'; they are credited to Zaidel-Rudolph, who also arranged the second half of the anthem.
- 4. At the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when South Africa still had two anthems, team manager Morné du Plessis suggested that the Springboks learn all the words of 'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika', and they did; before the final, both anthems were sung by the Imilonji Kantu Choral Society.
Listen
Namibia
South Africa
