South African heraldry uses the standard European range of tinctures (the collective term for colours, metals, and furs), plus a few other colours such as orange, brown, and ochre, and an oxhide pattern.

Metals

Argent

Or

Colours

Azure	Gules
Sable	Vert
Tenné or Orange	Brunâtre
Murrey	Purpure
Ochre	Bleu Céleste

Furs

Ermine	Ermines
Vair

Blue is probably the most popular colour in South African heraldry, as it is in western Europe. Of the metals, silver seems to be slightly more popular than gold, despite the latter's economic importance.

In English, most of the tinctures are still called by their old French names such as "azure" and "argent", but in Afrikaans they're known by their everyday names, such as "blou" en "silwer". The Bureau of Heraldry has, however, adopted the term "orange" in preference to "tenné".

There are no specific shades, and colours can be as dark, medium, or light as the artist chooses (though red shouldn�t be so dark that it could be confused with murrey or purple). Metals can be depicted in metallic paints or inks, or be represented by yellow (for gold) and white (for silver) - yellow and white as such do not feature on the herald painter's palette. The government has, however, laid down colour specifications for reproducing the national arms and flag in print and other media.

Nquthu

A lot has been written over the centuries about the specific meanings of tinctures. Red, for instance, is supposed to mean valour, and green to stand for honesty and love. However, there has never been a universal colour code, and the significance of a particular colour or metal in a coat of arms really depends on what the originator of the arms wanted it to mean.

Over the years, a number of colours and colour combinations have acquired specific meanings in South Africa, and some of them have been incorporated into heraldry. For example:

In the Army, each corps (branch) has its own distinctive arm-of-service colours, which are often used in unit coats of arms.