Discover the national symbols of South Africa. Learn what the King Protea flower, Yellowwood tree, Springbok antelope, Galjoen fish, and Blue Crane bird mean in SA.

King protea. Carol Phillips/iStock/Getty Images. Reflecting its mega-biodiversity status, South Africa boasts five national animal and plant symbols.

The King protea became South Africa’s national flower in 1976 and, following the abolition of apartheid in the early 1990s, the emblem of the country’s newly desegregated national sports teams.