Home / Explore places / South Africa / Apartheid era
Apartheid South Africa: 1948–1994
South Africa · 1948–1994 · exact time + place
A dark but pivotal era defined by segregation, resistance, and the fight for freedom, depicted in many powerful stories. The button below opens StoryTerra with both South Africa and 1948–1994 already set.
Open Apartheid-Era SA on the map10 famous Apartheid-era stories
Live snapshot of the top 10 most popular catalogue items (2026-09-04). Click any card to open this entry on the live map.
Browse 28 books and 39 movies set in South Africa.
Lethal Weapon 2
In the opening chase Martin Riggs and Roger Murtaugh stumble across a trunk full of Krugerrands. They follow the trail to a South African diplomat who's using his immunity to conceal a smuggling operation. When he…
Searching for Sugar Man
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller Rodriguez. The film won Best Documentary at the 85th Academy Awards.
Escape from Pretoria
South Africa 1978. Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee two white political activists from the African National Congress imprisoned by the apartheid regime put a plan in motion to escape from the infamous Pretoria Prison.
The Poisonwood Bible
The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they…
Pumping Iron
Amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests as five-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger defends his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and the shy young deaf Lou…
Cry Freedom
A dramatic story based on actual events about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the…
The World Unseen
A drama centered on two women who engage in a dangerous relationship during South Africa's apartheid era.
Silverton Siege
After a failed sabotage mission a trio of anti-apartheid freedom fighters ends up in a tense bank hostage situation. Based on a true story.
Poppie Nongena
Based on a true story: South Africa mid 70s. When her husband becomes too ill to work Poppie is deemed by the law to be an illegal resident in her own country. Based on the Elsa Joubert novel regarded as one of the best…
The Fall
The Fall tells the remarkable story of a South African barefoot runner an American track-and-field prodigy and the events behind one of the most memorable moments in sporting history – the 1984 LA Olympics. The film…
The 10 stories above are just a sample of the 67 in the catalogue for this entry. For the live 1948–1994 catalogue, use the button above — or browse all South Africa stories. On the live map you can also filter by the exact time the stories take place — any year, decade or century, from BCE to the future.