Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that existed in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. Under apartheid, the white minority government enforced strict laws and policies that aimed to separate and subjugate the non-white population, particularly Black South Africans.

The apartheid regime classified South Africans into different racial groups and designated specific areas, services, and resources for each group. Black people were forced to live in segregated areas known as townships, often far from cities and economic opportunities. They faced restrictions on their movement, education, employment, and political participation.

The apartheid government also enforced harsh laws to suppress dissent and resistance among Black South Africans, including arbitrary arrests, torture, and shootings. The African National Congress (ANC) and other anti-apartheid organizations led the struggle against apartheid through various means, including boycotts, strikes, protests, and armed resistance.

The international community condemned apartheid as a crime against humanity, leading to economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure on the South African government to dismantle the system. In the 1990s, negotiations between the apartheid government and the ANC, led by Nelson Mandela, resulted in the end of apartheid and the transition to a democratic, multiracial South Africa.

Nelson Mandela, who spent 27 years in prison for his anti-apartheid activities, became South Africa's first Black president in 1994, marking the official end of apartheid. The legacy of apartheid continues to impact South Africa today, as the country grapples with issues of inequality, poverty, and reconciliation.