After the democratisation of the Republic of South Africa, and the establishment of the Free State Province as one of the nine provinces, the Executive Council of the Free State requested the Bureau of Heraldry to design a new Coat of Arms for the Province to reflect all its inhabitants.

The new coat of arms consists of the following elements:

• the blue and green shield reflects the green grasslands and the blue skies of the Free State; the top of the yellow shape depicts the sandstone formations of the Eastern Free State, while the bottom depicts the diamond richness of the province;
  the indigenous Orange River Lily (Crinum Bulbispernum), commonly found in the Southern Free State, is placed in the middle of the shield;

• On top of the shield is a crown, embedded with diamonds and enriched with mealie-cobs and ears of corn. This serves to highlight the agricultural and mining heritage of the province;

• the shield is supported by two cheetahs. Mangaung is well known as the 'place of the big cats';

• the base of the coat of arms portrays the colours of the earth in the Free State;

• KATLEHO KA KOPANO - Prosperity through unity