The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word BANTUSTAN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
B
A
N
T
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T
A
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More clues leading to the result BANTUSTAN
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "feature of apartheid" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case feature of apartheid = bantustan.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does BANTUSTAN mean?
BANTUSTAN noun- (originally South Africa) Any of ten former territories defined as homelands for black South Africans.
- A political entity reminiscent of the old apartheid-era territories of the same name.