682. South Africa: Mandela and the Death of Apartheid (Part 6)

Episode of The Rest Is History · June 24, 2026 · 1 h 11 min

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook trace South Africa's anthem Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, the fall of apartheid, and Nelson Mandela's use of the 1995 Rugby World Cup final.

Summary

In the final episode of a World Cup-themed series on national anthems, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook opened with the 1995 Rugby World Cup final at Ellis Park, where the Springboks upset New Zealand's All Blacks. Holland explained rugby's role as a symbol of Afrikaner identity, the Afrikaners' self-image as a chosen people, the imposition of apartheid after 1948, and the international boycotts that excluded South Africa from the first two Rugby World Cups.

Holland argued that apartheid collapsed through black resistance, economic sanctions and theological self-doubt among devout Afrikaner leaders, but that the transition depended on Nelson Mandela, whose imprisonment, Christian faith and study of Afrikaner culture shaped his strategy of reconciliation. The hosts described how Mandela kept the Springbok name and jersey, befriended captain François Pienaar, and wore the number six shirt at the final, where the largely white crowd chanted his name. Sandbrook called this a striking example of the political use of sport.

The second half covered Enoch Sontonga, the Methodist teacher who wrote Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika in 1897, the hymn's roots in the Ethiopian Church movement, and its adoption by the African National Congress. Holland recounted Mandela's insistence on keeping Die Stem alongside it, the Springboks learning the Xhosa anthem before the final, and the 1997 fusion of both songs into a five-language anthem, comparing it to Suriname's bilingual anthem. The episode ended with the rediscovery of Sontonga's grave and Mandela's 1996 memorial speech, followed by a preview of a series on the American Founding Fathers.

Chapters

2:25
The 1995 Rugby World Cup final
The hosts describe the Springboks' upset victory over Jonah Lomu's All Blacks and why the match transcended sport.
5:59
Afrikaners and the rise of apartheid
Holland explains the Afrikaners' chosen-people ideology, the Boer Wars, the 1948 election and rugby as a symbol of apartheid.
12:28
Boycotts and the collapse of apartheid
The hosts discuss sporting, economic and cultural sanctions, black resistance and the Afrikaners' moral loss of confidence.
16:44
Nelson Mandela's imprisonment and release
Holland recounts Mandela's armed struggle, arrest, 27 years in prison, faith, and his commitment to forgiveness.
20:16
Mandela and the Springboks
Mandela's rugby education in prison, his defence of the Springbok emblem, and his bond with captain François Pienaar are described.
26:36
Mandela at Ellis Park
Mandela wears Pienaar's number six jersey, visits both dressing rooms and is cheered by the Afrikaner crowd.
36:10
Enoch Sontonga and the hymn's origins
The hosts profile the anthem's composer, his death in 1905, and the hymn's roots in African Christianity and the Ethiopian Church.
41:46
The anthem of the ANC
The song is adopted by the African National Congress and contrasted with the apartheid anthem Die Stem.
47:28
Choosing a new national anthem
Mandela overrules the ANC to keep Die Stem, and the Springboks learn Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika for the final.
53:58
The fused five-language anthem and Suriname
The 1997 anthem combining both songs in five languages is discussed alongside Suriname's multilingual anthem.
59:14
Sontonga's grave and series finale
Holland tells how Sontonga's grave was found and memorialised by Mandela, and the hosts preview a Founding Fathers series.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Tom Holland
Holland argues that economic sanctions gradually crippled the South African economy rather than having an immediate effect.
“the economic sanctions kind of cripple the South African economy, not immediately, but it's a kind of slowly deflating puncture”
Listen from 12:28 · Apartheid
Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook argues that cultural sanctions were massively important because they made white South Africans feel isolated and hated by the world.
“yeah and i think the cultural sanctions actually are massively important as well because they create this sense of isolation a sense that the rest of the world hates you”
Listen from 14:55 · Sporting boycott of South Africa
Tom Holland
Holland states that Mandela was arrested in 1962, probably due to a CIA tip-off.
“So he finally arrested in 1962, probably as a result of a tip-off from the CIA”
Listen from 15:33 · African National Congress
Tom Holland
Holland contends that theological doubts among devout Afrikaner leaders played a crucial role in undermining the apartheid regime's confidence.
“Theological anxieties about whether apartheid was part of God's plan actually played a crucial role in deflating the self-confidence of the apartheid regime”
Listen from 15:40 · Apartheid
Tom Holland
Holland argues that the regime might have clung on to apartheid had there not been a black leader, Mandela, with whom it could negotiate.
“they might still have tried to maintain apartheid had it not been for the fact that there existed a black leader with whom the leaders”
Listen from 16:25 · Apartheid
Tom Holland
Holland describes Mandela's post-prison approach as meeting his oppressors with forgiveness in the hope of repentance.
“He's determined to meet them with forgiveness, and he is trusting that they will answer this forgiveness with a mood of repentance”
Listen from 17:49 · Apartheid
Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook calls Mandela's handling of rugby a notable example of the political use of sport.
“his relationship with rugby and the way in which he uses it is actually a really, really interesting example of the political use of sports”
Listen from 21:05 · 1995 Rugby World Cup Final
Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook notes that black South Africans generally did not support the Springboks, preferring football and seeing rugby as the oppressor's game.
“Because black South Africans did not, by and large, support the Springbok rugby team. Their sport was not rugby, it was football”
Listen from 21:34 · South Africa national rugby union team
Tom Holland
Holland says Mandela's interest in rugby was part of a deliberate programme of self-education in prison to understand the Afrikaners.
“part of a kind of broader program of self-education that Mandela puts himself through in prison, basically to try and understand the enemy”
Listen from 21:52 · Afrikaners
Tom Holland
Holland observes that the ANC anthem is notably non-violent in content, unlike many national anthems.
“there's nothing martial, there's nothing aggressive, there's nothing militant about the lyrics of Nkosi Sikilele Afrika at all”
Listen from 42:48 · Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook argues the hymn suited the ANC because its struggle was defined by victory through suffering.
“The story of the ANC is a story about victory through suffering, and that's why this, as a hymn, it works really well”
Listen from 45:08 · African National Congress
Tom Holland
Holland argues that if the Springboks had failed to sing the ANC anthem, it would have badly damaged the idea of one team, one country.
“the spectacle of the Springboks failing to sing the ANC anthem, what is now the South African anthem, I think that would have dealt a really devastating blow”
Listen from 51:06 · 1995 Rugby World Cup Final
Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook says nothing would have been more corrosive than the largely white crowd booing the anthem.
“Imagine if the white crowd had booed the anthem. I mean, nothing more corrosive could be imagined”
Listen from 53:21 · 1995 Rugby World Cup Final
Tom Holland
Holland rejects calling the fused anthem a fudge, arguing that both songs share a common Christian conviction about God's blessings on South Africa.
“because both songs are expressing an identical conviction namely that God has bestowed Particular blessings on South Africa”
Listen from 54:54 · National anthem of South Africa
Tom Holland
Holland states that Suriname is the only other country with a multilingual national anthem.
“there is only one other country that has a multilingual anthem. And this is Suriname”
Listen from 56:28 · National anthem of Suriname
Dominic Sandbrook
Sandbrook says no other anthem covered in the series has a past so laden with suffering and martyrdom.
“none whose past is so kind of freighted with suffering and martyrdom and stuff”
Listen from 58:40 · Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

People

In the conversation

Tom HollandEnglish actor cast as Telemachus
Dominic SandbrookBritish historian, author and co-host of The Rest Is History
Paul RouseHistorian at University College Dublin, heard in a promotional clip from a members-only series

Discussed

Nelson MandelaFormer South African president cited by Fullmer as an example of forgiveness
Enoch SontongaXhosa Methodist teacher who composed Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika in 1897
François PienaarCaptain of the Springboks at the 1995 Rugby World Cup
Jonah LomuNew Zealand All Blacks wing, star of the 1995 Rugby World Cup
John CarlinJournalist and author of Playing the Enemy about the 1995 final
Joel StranskySpringbok fly-half who scored all South Africa's points in the 1995 final
Clint EastwoodAmerican actor and director, Scott Eastwood's father
Matt DamonAmerican actor cast as Odysseus in Nolan's film
Christo BrandPrison guard who befriended Mandela and taught him about rugby
Chester WilliamsOnly non-white player in the 1995 Springbok squad
Morné du PlessisSpringbok manager in 1995 and former South African captain
Sean FitzpatrickAll Blacks captain in the 1995 final
Prince PhilipDuke of Edinburgh, who joked about the length of the anthems at Mandela's inauguration

Topics

From the publisher

How did the rugby World Cup final of 1995 inspire South Africa’s totemic national anthem? Why does the story shed a light on the history of Apartheid in South Africa? And, after becoming president, following years of imprisonment, how did Mandela use rugby and the national anthem to forge a new South Africa? Join Tom and Dominic as they discuss the inspiring story behind South Africa’s national anthem, the collapse of Apartheid, and Nelson Mandela’s presidency. _______ Lloyds. 250 years on and still backing the nation's aspirations. Join The Rest Is History Club: Unlock the full experience of the show – with exclusive bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to every series and live show tickets, a members-only newsletter, discounted books from the show, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at the⁠restishistory.com⁠ To read our new newsletter, sign up at: therestishistory.com/newsletters Advertise with us: Partnerships@goalhanger.com _______ Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Video Editors: Jack Meek, Harry Swan + Adam Thornton Social Producer: Harry Balden Producers: Tabby Syrett & Aaliyah Akude Senior Producer: Callum Hill Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: History·Rugby·Music History