The main event that marked the end of apartheid in South Africa was the first multiracial elections in 1994, which led to Nelson Mandela being elected as the country's first black president. This historic moment followed decades of resistance against the institutionalized racial discrimination enforced by apartheid, a system that marginalized non-whites politically, economically, and socially. International sanctions, domestic protests, and negotiations during the early 1990s contributed to the dismantling of apartheid laws. Mandela's presidency ushered in a new era of democracy, reconciliation, and efforts to redress past injustices, symbolizing hope and the possibility of social renewal in South Africa.