Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced in South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s. It legally separated individuals based on race, privileging the white minority while oppressing the non-white majority, particularly Black South Africans. The system led to widespread social, economic, and political inequalities and sparked significant resistance both domestically and internationally. Apartheid officially ended with the election of Nelson Mandela in 1994, marking a significant shift toward democracy and racial equality in South Africa.