2015 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 (Afrikaners, called "Boers" (farmers) by the British) trekked north to found their own republics in lands taken from the indigenous black inhabitants. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Afrikaners resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Second South African War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, 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 Afrikaner-dominated 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 following the end of apartheid 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 came to a head in 2008 when President Thabo MBEKI was recalled by Parliament, and Deputy President Kgalema MOTLANTHE, succeeded him as interim president. Jacob ZUMA became president after the ANC won general elections in 2009; he was reelected in 2014.

Area

land

1,214,470 sq km

note

includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

total

1,219,090 sq km

water

4,620 sq km

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

271.7 cu m/yr (2005)

total

12.5 cu km/yr (36%/7%/57%)

Geographic coordinates

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

Irrigated land

16,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries (6)

Botswana 1,969 km, Lesotho 1,106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1,005 km, Swaziland 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km

total

5,244 km

Land use

arable land 9.9%; permanent crops 0.3%; permanent pasture 69.2%

agricultural land

79.4%

forest

7.6%

other

13% (2011 est.)

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

51.4 cu km (2011)

Age structure

0-14 years

28.43% (male 7,660,173/female 7,598,013)

15-24 years

18.52% (male 4,937,169/female 5,002,201)

25-54 years

41.07% (male 11,120,423/female 10,923,422)

55-64 years

6.53% (male 1,628,183/female 1,874,946)

65 years and over

5.46% (male 1,231,627/female 1,699,406) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

20.75 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

8.7% (2008)

Death rate

9.91 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

7.7%

potential support ratio

13.1% (2015 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.1%

youth dependency ratio

44.5%

Drinking water source

urban: 99.6% of population

rural: 81.4% of population

total: 93.2% of population

urban: 0.4% of population

rural: 18.6% of population

total: 6.8% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

6.2% of GDP (2013)

Ethnic groups

black African 80.2%, white 8.4%, colored 8.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5%

note

colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry (2014 est.)

Health expenditures

8.9% of GDP (2013)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

19.05% (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

195,300 (2013 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

6,274,100 (2013 est.)

Hospital bed density

2.8 beds/1,000 population (2005)

Infant mortality rate

female

29.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

36.62 deaths/1,000 live births

total

32.99 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

IsiZulu (official) 22.7%, IsiXhosa (official) 16%, Afrikaans (official) 13.5%, English (official) 9.6%, Sepedi (official) 9.1%, Setswana (official) 8%, Sesotho (official) 7.6%, Xitsonga (official) 4.5%, siSwati (official) 2.5%, Tshivenda (official) 2.4%, isiNdebele (official) 2.1%, sign language 0.5%, other 1.6% (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

63.87 years (2015 est.)

male

60.83 years

total population

62.34 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

93.1% (2015 est.)

male

95.5%

total population

94.3%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

water contact disease

schistosomiasis (2013)

Major urban areas - population

Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni) 9.399 million; Cape Town (legislative capital) 3.66 million; Durban 2.901 million; PRETORIA (capital) 2.059 million; Port Elizabeth 1.179 million; Vereeniging 1.155 million (2015)

Median age

female

26 years (2014 est.)

male

25.4 years

total

25.7 years

Nationality

adjective

South African

noun

South African(s)

Net migration rate

2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population

note

Zimbabweans are increasingly migrating into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2015 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25.6% (2014)

Physicians density

0.78 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

Population

53,675,563

note

Statistics South Africa (the national statistical agency of South Africa) estimates the country's mid-year 2013 total population to be 52,981,991, which takes into account the findings of South Africa's 2011 census; 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 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

1.33% (2015 est.)

Religions

Protestant 36.6% (Zionist Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%), Catholic 7.1%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 69.6% of population

rural: 60.5% of population

total: 66.4% of population

urban: 30.4% of population

rural: 39.5% of population

total: 33.6% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2012)

male

13 years

total

14 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.01 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.99 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.87 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.72 male(s)/female

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.33 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

56.9% (2012 est.)

male

47.1%

total

51.5%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.59% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

64.8% of total population (2015)

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); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved 4 December 1997, effective 4 February 1997; amended many times, last in 2013 (2013)

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 Patrick Hubert GASPARD (since 16 October 2013)

consulate(s) general

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

embassy

877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, 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 Mninwa Johnnes MAHLANGU (since 23 February 2015)

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

chief of state

President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Deputy President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 26 May 2014) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Jacob ZUMA (AFC) reelected president by the National Assembly unopposed

elections/appointments

president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 May 2014 (next to be held in May 2019)

head of government

President Jacob ZUMA (since 9 May 2009); Deputy President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 26 May 2014)

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 one of only two national flags to display six colors as part of its primary design, the other is South Sudan's

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 law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (Enhanced Engagement, OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice-president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), a 23-member body chaired by the chief jusice and includes other judges and judicial executives, members of parliament, practicing lawyers and advocates, a teacher of law, and several members designated by the national president; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by terms of an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the national president after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges appointed for 12-year non-renewable terms or until age 70

subordinate courts

High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of the National Council of Provinces (90 seats; 10-member delegations appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - this council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) and the National Assembly (400 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-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 62.2%, DA 22.2%, EFF 6.4%, IFP 2.4%, NFP 1.6%, other 5.2%; seats by party - ANC 249, DA 89, EFF 25, IFP 10, NFP 6, other 21

elections

National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 7 May 2014 (next to be held in 2019)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers

name

"National Anthem of South Africa"

note

adopted 1994; 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; official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English (i.e., the five most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages); music incorporates the melody used in the Tanzanian and Zambian anthems

National holiday

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

National symbol(s)

springbok (antelope), king protea flower; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

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]

Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF [Julius MALEMA]

Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]

Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]

National Freedom Party or NFP [Zanele kaMAGWAZA-MSIBI]

Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC [Alton MPHETHI]

United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP [Isaac Sipho MFUNDISI]

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 Civic Organization or SANCO [Richard MDAKANE, national president]

note

COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the African National Congress

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$102.2 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$87.1 billion

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.4% of GDP (2014 est.)

Central bank discount rate

5.75% (31 December 2014)

7% (31 December 2009)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.25% (31 December 2014 est.)

8.5% (31 December 2013 est.)

Current account balance

-$19.06 billion (2014 est.)

-$20.45 billion (2013 est.)

Debt - external

$143 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$142.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

62.5 (2013 est.)

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; and a stock exchange that is Africa’s largest and among the top 20 in the world.

Even though the country's modern infrastructure supports a relatively efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region, unstable electricity supplies retard growth. Economic growth has decelerated in recent years, slowing to just 1.5% in 2014. Unemployment, poverty, and inequality - among the highest in the world - remain a challenge. Official unemployment is roughly 25% of the work force, and runs significantly higher among black youth. Eskom, the state-run power company, is building three new power stations and is installing new power demand management programs to improve power grid reliability. Load shedding and resulting rolling blackouts gripped many parts of South Africa in late 2014 and early 2015 because of electricity supply constraints that resulted from technical problems at some generation units, unavoidable planned maintenance, and an accident at a power station in Mpumalanga province. The rolling black outs were the worst the country faced since 2008. Construction delays at two additional plants, however, mean South Africa will continue to operate on a razor thin margin; economists judge that growth cannot exceed 3% until electrical supply problems are resolved.

South Africa's economic policy has focused on controlling inflation; however, the country faces structural constraints that also limit economic growth, such as skills shortages, declining global competitiveness and frequent work stoppages due to strike action. The current government faces growing pressure from urban constituencies to improve the delivery of basic services to low-income areas and to increase job growth.

Exchange rates

rand (ZAR) per US dollar -

10.79 (2014 est.)

9.6442 (2013 est.)

8.2 (2012 est.)

7.2597 (2011 est.)

7.3212 (2010 est.)

Exports

$97.9 billion (2014 est.)

$95.15 billion (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

China 32%, US 6.5%, Japan 5%, India 4.7% (2013)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

34%

government consumption

22.8%

household consumption

61.9%

imports of goods and services

-40.1%

investment in fixed capital

21.7%

investment in inventories

-0.3%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.4%

industry

28.5%

services

69.1% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$13,000 (2014 est.)

$12,900 (2013 est.)

$12,600 (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

1.5% (2014 est.)

2.2% (2013 est.)

2.2% (2012 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$350.1 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$704.5 billion (2014 est.)

$693.9 billion (2013 est.)

$678.9 billion (2012 est.)

note

data are in 2014 US dollars

Gross national saving

14.9% of GDP (2014 est.)

14.4% of GDP (2013 est.)

15.1% of GDP (2012 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

51.7% (2009 est.)

lowest 10%

1.2%

Imports

$102.2 billion (2014 est.)

$102.8 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Imports - partners

China 16.2%, Germany 9.5%, Saudi Arabia 8%, US 7%, India 4.8% (2013)

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2014 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)

6.1% (2014 est.)

5.7% (2013 est.)

Labor force

20.23 million (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

4%

industry

18%

services

66% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.007 trillion (31 December 2013)

$1.038 trillion (31 December 2012)

$855.7 billion (31 December 2011)

Population below poverty line

35.9% (2012 est.)

Public debt

47.3% of GDP (2014 est.)

46.1% of GDP (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$50.55 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$49.69 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of broad money

$204.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$195.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$122.9 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$117.3 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$177.5 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$171.6 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$256.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$246.9 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$112.2 billion (31 December 2014 est.)

$108 billion (31 December 2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

25.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

25.1% (2014 est.)

24.7% (2013 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

473.2 million Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Crude oil - imports

414,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - production

168,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

15 million bbl (1 January 2014 est.)

Electricity - consumption

234.2 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Electricity - exports

13.93 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

90.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

4.5% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

4.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.7% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)

Electricity - imports

9.428 billion kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

44.15 million kW (2013 est.)

Electricity - production

257.9 billion kWh (2012 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

4.637 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - imports

3.45 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.187 billion cu m (2012 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

15.01 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

604,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

80,460 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

79,010 bbl/day (2010 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

437,600 bbl/day (2010 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 users

percent of population

46.9% (2014 est.)

total

24.8 million

Radio broadcast stations

AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Telephone system

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is roughly 140 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 submarine cable systems connect South Africa to Europe and Asia; the EASSy fiber-optic cable system connects with Europe and North America; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2011)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

8 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

4.3 million

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

150 (2014 est.)

total

79.5 million

Television broadcast stations

556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Airports

566 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

52

2,438 to 3,047 m

7

914 to 1,523 m

65

over 3,047 m

11

total

144

under 914 m

9 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

132 (2013)

1,524 to 2,437 m

31

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

258

total

422

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

by type

petroleum tanker 3

registered in other countries

19 (Australia 1, Isle of Man 2, Mexico 1, NZ 1, Seychelles 1, Singapore 13) (2010)

total

3

Pipelines

condensate 94 km; gas 1,293 km; oil 992 km; refined products 1,460 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Durban (2,712,975)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Mossel Bay

major seaport(s)

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

Railways

narrow gauge

19,756 km 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

other

1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified) (2014)

standard gauge

80 km 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

total

20,986 km

Roadways

paved

158,952 km

total

747,014 km

unpaved

588,062 km (2014)

Manpower available for military service

females age 16-49

12,473,641 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

13,439,781

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

6,476,264 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

7,617,063

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

485,017 (2010 est.)

male

482,122

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)

Military branches

South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services (2013)

Military expenditures

1.2% of GDP (2014)

1% of GDP (2013)

1.16% of GDP (2012)

1.14% of GDP (2011)

1.16% of GDP (2010)

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 (2012)

Disputes - international

South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration; the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

40,133 (Somalia); 30,125 (Democratic Republic of Congo); 18,830 (Ethiopia); 6,217 (Zimbabwe); 6,035 (Republic of Congo) (2014)