boycott (of South Africa)

Social and commercial isolation of South Africa by individuals, organizations, and national governments protesting against South Africa's apartheid system. The sanctions and embargoes, imposed from the 1970s to 1994, applied to military supplies, economics, culture, and sport, and were designed both to isolate South Africa and to make the lives of the white population less enjoyable and more difficult. Boycotting tactics involved people all over the world in the struggle against the oppression of black South Africans.

The boycotts resulted from the efforts of three groups: individuals leading campaigns in their own countries, using anti-apartheid groups as a vehicle for protest; governments acting individually or in concert through organizations such as the Commonwealth; and the United Nations (UN), in which the majority of the world's governments came together to make the boycotts a global affair.