The Bantu Act was implemented in South Africa in 1950 as part of the apartheid policy. The act aimed to enforce racial segregation and control the movement of black South Africans, particularly those classified as Bantu, into designated areas known as Bantustans or homelands. The Bantu Act was a key piece of legislation that further entrenched the apartheid system by restricting the rights and freedoms of black South Africans and reinforcing racial segregation.