Introducing: Boycott! The fight to end apartheid

Introducing: Boycott! The fight to end apartheid

From ABC Rewind by ABC Australia

March 3, 2026

About this episode

The episode explores the fight against apartheid in South Africa and the role Australians played in supporting that struggle.

How South Africans fought to win their freedom, and the Australians who helped them fight for it. It's 1990, and the world is watching as Nelson Mandela walks free from his prison cell after 27 years. The global movement to end the racist policy of Apartheid in South Africa is finally on the brink of victory. Host Sisonke Msimang grew up in a family of South African freedom fighters, and in this series, she talks to South Africans who risked their lives in the struggle to end apartheid. She also meets Australians who used sport, culture, alongside boycotts and sanctions to bring South Africa to its knees. This is a story of hope in unsettled times, a story about the power of collective struggle to change the course of history.

People in this episode

Host: Sisonke Msimang

Topics covered

  • apartheid
  • freedom struggle
  • global movements
  • South Africa
  • Australia
  • collective action
  • history

Keywords

  • apartheid
  • Nelson Mandela
  • South Africa
  • Australia
  • freedom fighters
  • boycotts
  • collective struggle
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: South Africa, Australia

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