2010 Edition

Background

Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the Far East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together beginning in 1910 under the Union of South Africa, which became a republic in 1961 after a whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races - which favored the white minority at the expense of the black majority. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid and many top ANC leaders, such as Nelson MANDELA, spent decades in South Africa's prisons. Internal protests and insurgency, as well as boycotts by some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa since then has struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in decent housing, education, and health care. ANC infighting, which has grown in recent years, came to a head in September 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI resigned, and Kgalema MOTLANTHE, the party's General-Secretary, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in April 2009. In January 2011, South Africa assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2011-12 term.

Area

land

1,214,470 sq km

total

1,219,090 sq km

water

4,620 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

Coastline

2,798 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Njesuthi 3,408 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

264 cu m/yr (2000)

total

12.5 cu km/yr (31%/6%/63%)

Geographic coordinates

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

Irrigated land

14,980 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

total

4,862 km

Land use

arable land

12.1%

other

87.11% (2005)

permanent crops

0.79%

Location

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

prolonged droughts

volcanism

the volcano forming Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands, which last erupted in 2004, is South Africa's only active volcano

Natural resources

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

Terrain

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Total renewable water resources

50 cu km (1990)

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.9% (male 7,093,328/female 7,061,579) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 16,275,424/female 15,984,181) 65 years and over: 5.4% (male 1,075,117/female 1,562,860) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

19.61 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

16.99 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2009)

Ethnic groups

black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

18.1% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

350,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

5.7 million (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

39.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

47.88 deaths/1,000 live births

total

43.78 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

IsiZulu (official) 23.8%, IsiXhosa (official) 17.6%, Afrikaans (official) 13.3%, Sepedi (offcial) 9.4%, English (official) 8.2%, Setswana (official) 8.2%, Sesotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga (official) 4.4%, other 7.2%, isiNdebele (official), Tshivenda (official), siSwati (official) (2001 census)

Life expectancy at birth

female

48.29 years (2010 est.)

male

50.08 years

total population

49.2 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

85.7% (2003 est.)

male

87%

total population

86.4%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact disease

schistosomiasis (2009)

Median age

female

25 years (2010 est.)

male

24.4 years

total

24.7 years

Nationality

adjective

South African

noun

South African(s)

Net migration rate

-3.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2010 est.)

Population

49,109,107 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.051% (2010 est.)

Religions

Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2004)

male

13 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.33 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

61% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape

Capital

geographic coordinates

25 42 S, 28 13 E

name

Pretoria (administrative capital)

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

Constitution

10 December 1996; note - certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996; was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996; and entered into effect on 4 February 1997

Country name

abbreviation

RSA

conventional long form

Republic of South Africa

conventional short form

South Africa

former

Union of South Africa

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Donald H. GIPS

consulate(s) general

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

embassy

877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria

FAX

[27] (12) 342-2299

mailing address

P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001

telephone

[27] (12) 431-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ebrahim RASOOL

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

FAX

[1] (202) 265-1607

telephone

[1] (202) 232-4400

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Jacob ZUMA elected president; National Assembly vote - Jacob ZUMA 277, Mvume DANDALA 47, other 76

elections

president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 May 2009 (next to be held in 2014)

head of government

President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Executive Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE (since 11 May 2009)

Flag description

two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes; the flag colors do not have any official symbolism, but the Y stands for the "convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"; black, yellow, and green are found on the flag of the African National Congress, while red, white, and blue are the colors in the flags of the Netherlands and the UK, whose settlers ruled South Africa during the colonial era note: the South African flag is the only national flag to display six colors as part of its primary design

Government type

republic

Independence

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British

colonies

Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts

Legal system

based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms)

election results

National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 65.9%, DA 16.7%, COPE 7.4%, IFP 4.6%, other 5.4%; seats by party - ANC 264, DA 67, COPE 30, IFP 18, other 21

elections

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 22 April 2009 (next to be held in April 2014)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers note: adopted 1994; the anthem is a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; the official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English; the music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems

name

"National Anthem of South Africa"

National holiday

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Political parties and leaders

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]; African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA]; Congress of the People or COPE [Mosiuoa LEKOTA]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]; Independent Democrats or ID [Patricia DE LILLE]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]; United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Lucas MANGOPE]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president] note: note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Central bank discount rate

7% (31 December 2009) 11.5% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.71% (31 December 2009 est.) 15.13% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$16.51 billion (2010 est.) -$11.3 billion (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$80.52 billion (30 June 2010 est.) $73.84 billion (30 June 2009)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

65 (2005) 59.3 (1994)

Economy - overview

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that is the 18th largest in the world; and modern infrastructure supporting a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. At the end of 2007, South Africa began to experience an electricity crisis. State power supplier Eskom encountered problems with aged plants, necessitating "load-shedding" cuts to residents and businesses in the major cities. Growth was robust from 2004 to 2007 as South Africa reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom, but began to slow in the second half of 2007 due to the electricity crisis and the subsequent global financial crisis' impact on commodity prices and demand. GDP fell nearly 2% in 2009. Unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure has constrained growth. Daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty, lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups, and a shortage of public transportation. South Africa's former economic policy was fiscally conservative, focusing on controlling inflation, and attaining a budget surplus. The current government largely follows the same prudent policies, but must contend with the impact of the global crisis and is facing growing pressure from special interest groups to use state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth. More than one-quarter of South Africa's population currently receives social grants.

Electricity - consumption

215.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

14.16 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

10.57 billion kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

240.3 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

rand (ZAR) per US dollar - 7.38 (2010), 8.4234 (2009), 7.9576 (2008), 7.05 (2007), 6.7649 (2006)

Exports

$76.86 billion (2010 est.) $66.54 billion (2009 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment

Exports - partners

China 10.34%, US 9.19%, Japan 7.59%, Germany 7.01%, UK 5.54%, Switzerland 4.72% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

3%

industry

31.2%

services

65.8% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$10,700 (2010 est.) $10,400 (2009 est.) $10,700 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

3% (2010 est.) -1.8% (2009 est.) 3.7% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$354.4 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$527.5 billion (2010 est.) $512.2 billion (2009 est.) $521.6 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 44.7% (2000)

Imports

$77.04 billion (2010 est.) $66.01 billion (2009 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

China 17.21%, Germany 11.24%, US 7.38%, Saudi Arabia 4.87%, Japan 4.67%, Iran 3.95% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

3% (2010 est.)

Industries

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.5% (2010 est.) 7.2% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

17.32 million economically active (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

9%

industry

26%

services

65% (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$704.8 billion (31 December 2009) $491.3 billion (31 December 2008) $833.5 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

6.45 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

3.2 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

3.25 billion cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

27.16 million cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

579,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

128,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

490,500 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

191,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

15 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

50% (2000 est.)

Public debt

33.2% of GDP (2010 est.) 29.7% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$45.52 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $39.68 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$256.2 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $199.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$53.38 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $51.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$83.08 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $73.61 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$328.3 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $255.2 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$65.87 billion (31 December 2010 est) $52.04 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

23.3% (2010 est.) 24% (2009 est.)

Broadcast media

the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 4 TV stations, 3 are free-to-air and 1 is pay TV; e.tv, a private station, is accessible to more than half the population; multiple subscription TV services provide a mix of local and international channels; well developed mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; the SABC radio network, state-owned and controlled but nominally independent, operates 18 stations, one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; more than 100 community-based stations extend coverage to rural areas (2007)

Internet country code

.za

Internet hosts

3.751 million (2010)

Internet users

4.42 million (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 105 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria

general assessment

the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa

international

country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber optic cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

4.32 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

46.436 million (2009)

Airports

578 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

147 over 3,047 m: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 53 914 to 1,523 m: 67 under 914 m: 10 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

431 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 32 914 to 1,523 m: 261 under 914 m: 137 (2010)

Heliports

1 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

container 1, petroleum tanker 3

foreign-owned

1 (Denmark 1)

registered in other countries

11 (Mexico 1, NZ 1, Seychelles 1, Singapore 3, UK 5) (2010)

total

4

Pipelines

condensate 11 km; gas 908 km; oil 980 km; refined products 1,379 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

Railways

narrow gauge

20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (2008)

total

20,872 km

Roadways

paved

73,506 km (includes 239 km of expressways)

total

362,099 km

unpaved

288,593 km (2002)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 13,508,255 females age 16-49: 12,541,371 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 7,676,331 females age 16-49: 6,521,338 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

496,374 (2010 est.)

male

492,743

Military - note

with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete

Military branches

South African National Defense Force (SANDF)

South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Military Intelligence, South African Military Health Services (2009)

Military expenditures

1.7% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; women are eligible to serve in noncombat roles; 2-year service obligation (2007)

Disputes - international

South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa

Illicit drugs

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

10,772 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 7,818 (Somalia); 5,759 (Angola) (2007)