SA History Timeline

1950

Population Registration Act

The Population Registration Act required South Africans to be classified by race for administrative purposes.

established
legislation

The Population Registration Act required South Africans to be classified by race for administrative purposes.

Significance

Racial classification became a central mechanism for enforcing apartheid rights, movement and residence rules.

Why it matters

Racial classification became a central mechanism for enforcing apartheid rights, movement and residence rules.