Order of Ikhamanga: History, Classes and Recipients
A guide to South Africa’s Order of Ikhamanga, awarded for achievement in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism and sport.
What is the Order of Ikhamanga?
The Order of Ikhamanga is a South African National Order awarded to citizens who have excelled in arts, culture, literature, music, journalism or sport. It is the principal current National Order for exceptional cultural, creative, media and sporting achievement. [1][3]
The Order is conferred in three classes: gold for exceptional achievement, silver for excellent achievement and bronze for outstanding achievement. [1]
The Ikhamanga flower and the design of the Order
The Order takes its name and central motif from the ikhamanga, or strelitzia, an indigenous South African flower. The Presidency links the flower to the distinctiveness and beauty of South African achievement in creative and sporting fields. [1]
The badge also incorporates a Lydenburg Head, a drum, a stylised crest, rays of the sun, concentric circles and roads extending towards the horizon. In the official symbolism, these elements refer to visual and performing arts, cultural expression, achievement, sporting recognition and the difficult road to excellence. [1]
Classes and post-nominal letters
Each award consists of a neck badge, miniature and lapel rosette. Gold recipients may use OIG after their names, silver recipients OIS and bronze recipients OIB. [1]
The different classes distinguish the level of achievement rather than the field itself. A recipient may therefore be recognised for sport, music, literature, journalism or another eligible cultural field at any of the three levels. [1]
South African Index profiles who have received the Order
Wayde van Niekerk received the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold in 2017 after winning Olympic gold in the 400 metres and setting a world record of 43.03 seconds at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. [5]
Siya Kolisi was listed among the 2023 recipients of the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold for his rugby leadership and contribution to South African sport. John Kani is also identified by The Presidency as a recipient of the Order of Ikhamanga. [6][7]
Recent recipients
The 2026 National Orders announcement named Johan Rassie Erasmus, Wouter Kellerman and several posthumous recipients for the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold. The citations covered achievements in rugby, music, journalism, performance and cultural education. [4]
Silver and bronze recipients in the same announcement included figures from music, literature, boxing, performance art, translation, arts administration and other cultural fields, illustrating the broad range of achievement encompassed by the Order. [4]
How nominations work
The public may nominate South Africans for National Orders. For the 2026 cycle, nominators were asked to describe the nominee’s achievements, exceptional milestones and the exceptional or outstanding contribution on which the nomination was based. [3]
The President bestows the National Orders with support from the Chancellor of National Orders and the Advisory Council. The Order of Ikhamanga therefore recognises achievement through the same national honours process used for the country’s other five current Orders. [2]
Sources
- The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, The Order of Ikhamanga. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
- The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, National Orders. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
- The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, The Presidency invites nominations for National Orders, 2026-09-08. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
- The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, The Presidency announces recipients of National Orders, 2026-05-14. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
- The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, National Orders Booklet 2017, 2017-04-28. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
- The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, Annual Report 2023/24, 2024-09-30. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩
- The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, Keynote address by Deputy President Paul Mashatile at the Localisation Gala Dinner, 2023-03-28. Original source. Accessed 2026-09-24. ↩