🇸🇿 The colours of Eswatini

Eswatini’s flag displays blue, red, and yellow stripes with a black and white Nguni shield, two spears, and staff. Red recalls earlier conflicts, blue stands for peace and security, and yellow points to the country’s wealth. The shield’s colours represent unity between black and white people.

Where no official value is given, the swatch shows the colour family, not the exact shade.

• The flag’s shield is a Nguni type, used by Swazi regiments.
• King Sobhuza II designed the flag’s layout.
• The flag was first hoisted in April 1967.
• Red, blue, and yellow each have specific symbolic meanings.
• Black and white on the shield stand for peaceful coexistence.

The colours of the flag of Eswatini

The flag of Eswatini uses blue, yellow, and red as its main stripes, arranged horizontally. The broad red band in the centre is bordered by slim yellow lines, with blue at the top and bottom. At the heart of the flag sits a traditional Nguni shield in black and white, crossed by two spears and a staff. The red stripe is said to symbolise the country’s history of conflict, blue is for harmony and order, and yellow highlights the nation’s wealth. The shield’s black and white colouring is meant to show that people of both backgrounds live together peacefully.

How the colours were chosen of Eswatini

Eswatini’s current flag traces its roots to a military standard presented by King Sobhuza II in 1941 to the Swazi Pioneer Corps, aiming to keep military heritage alive. The flag was first raised in 1967 when the king took his oath. The College of Arms in London officially registered the design later that year. The flag became the national symbol at independence in 1968, with its design and colours reflecting both tradition and unity.

Official shades and rules of Eswatini

The flag’s shape is defined by a 3:2 length to width ratio. Its design includes five horizontal stripes: blue at the top and bottom, a central red band, and two slim yellow stripes separating the red from the blue. The central shield and weapons are placed on the red stripe. Some versions use lighter shades or black tassels to better match the widowbird’s feathers.