2024 Edition Primary

Background

Some of the earliest human remains in the fossil record were found in South Africa. By about A.D. 500, Bantu-speaking groups began settling into what is now northeastern South Africa, displacing Khoisan-speaking groups to the southwest. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of present-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 settlers of Dutch descent -- known then as "Boers," or farmers, but later called Afrikaners -- trekked north to found their own republics, Transvaal and Orange Free State. In the 1820s, several decades of wars began as the Zulus expanded their territory, moving out of what is today southeastern South Africa and clashing with other indigenous peoples and the growing European settlements. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred mass immigration, predominantly from Europe.The Zulu kingdom's territory was incorporated into the British Empire after the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, and the Afrikaner republics were incorporated after their defeat in the Second South African War (1899-1902). Beginning in 1910, the British and the Afrikaners ruled together under the Union of South Africa, which left the British Commonwealth to become a fully self-governing republic in 1961 after a Whites-only referendum. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid -– billed as "separate development" of the races -- which favored the White minority and suppressed the Black majority and other non-White groups. The African National Congress (ANC) led the resistance 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 from some Western nations and institutions, led to the regime's eventual willingness to unban the ANC and negotiate a peaceful transition to majority rule. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 ushered in majority rule under an ANC-led government. South Africa has since struggled to address apartheid-era imbalances in wealth, housing, education, and health care under successive administrations. President Cyril RAMAPHOSA, who was reelected as the ANC leader in 2022, has made some progress in reigning in corruption. 

Area

land

1,214,470 sq km

note

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

highest point

Ntheledi (Mafadi) 3,450 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

1,034 m

Geographic coordinates

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini

Irrigated land

16,700 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

5,244 km

Land use

agricultural land

79.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 69.2% (2018 est.)

forest

7.6% (2018 est.)

other

13% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major aquifers

Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Orange (shared with Lesotho [s], and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km; Limpoporivier (Limpopo) river source (shared with Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Vaal [s] - 1,210 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)

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 droughtsvolcanism: 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

note

note: South Africa was the World's leading chromite ore producer in 2022 with an output of 18,000 mt

Population distribution

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Age structure

0-14 years

27.2% (male 8,227,690/female 8,194,392)

15-64 years

65.3% (male 19,524,873/female 19,947,839)

65 years and over

7.5% (2024 est.) (male 1,911,825/female 2,636,028)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

7.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

17.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

0.6% (2016 est.)

women married by age 15

0.9%

women married by age 18

3.6%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.5% (2017)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

54.6% (2016)

Current health expenditure

8.6% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

36.9% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Demographic profile

South Africa’s youthful population is gradually aging, as the country’s total fertility rate (TFR) has declined dramatically from about 6 children per woman in the 1960s to roughly 2.2 in 2014, and has remained at this level as of 2022. This pattern is similar to fertility trends in South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, and sets South Africa apart from the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, where the average TFR remains higher than other regions of the world. Today, South Africa’s decreasing number of reproductive age women is having fewer children, as women increase their educational attainment, workforce participation, and use of family planning methods; delay marriage; and opt for smaller families. As the proportion of working-age South Africans has grown relative to children and the elderly, South Africa has been unable to achieve a demographic dividend because persistent high unemployment and the prevalence of HIV/AIDs have created a larger-than-normal dependent population. HIV/AIDS was also responsible for South Africa’s average life expectancy plunging to less than 43 years in 2008; it has rebounded to 65 years as of 2022. HIV/AIDS continues to be a serious public health threat, although awareness-raising campaigns and the wider availability of anti-retroviral drugs is stabilizing the number of new cases, enabling infected individuals to live longer, healthier lives, and reducing mother-child transmissions. Migration to South Africa began in the second half of the 17th century when traders from the Dutch East India Company settled in the Cape and started using slaves from South and southeast Asia (mainly from India but also from present-day Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia) and southeast Africa (Madagascar and Mozambique) as farm laborers and, to a lesser extent, as domestic servants. The Indian subcontinent remained the Cape Colony’s main source of slaves in the early 18th century, while slaves were increasingly obtained from southeast Africa in the latter part of the 18th century and into the 19th century under British rule. After slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1838, South Africa’s colonists turned to temporary African migrants and indentured labor through agreements with India and later China, countries that were anxious to export workers to alleviate domestic poverty and overpopulation. Of the more than 150,000 indentured Indian laborers hired to work in Natal’s sugar plantations between 1860 and 1911, most exercised the right as British subjects to remain permanently (a small number of Indian immigrants came freely as merchants). Because of growing resentment toward Indian workers, the 63,000 indentured Chinese workers who mined gold in Transvaal between 1904 and 1911 were under more restrictive contracts and generally were forced to return to their homeland. In the late 19th century and nearly the entire 20th century, South Africa’s then British colonies’ and Dutch states’ enforced selective immigration policies that welcomed "assimilable" white Europeans as permanent residents but excluded or restricted other immigrants. Following the Union of South Africa’s passage of a law in 1913 prohibiting Asian and other non-white immigrants and its elimination of the indenture system in 1917, temporary African contract laborers from neighboring countries became the dominant source of labor in the burgeoning mining industries. Others worked in agriculture and smaller numbers in manufacturing, domestic service, transportation, and construction. Throughout the 20th century, at least 40% of South Africa’s miners were foreigners; the numbers peaked at over 80% in the late 1960s. Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini were the primary sources of miners, and Malawi and Zimbabwe were periodic suppliers. Under apartheid, a "two gates" migration policy focused on policing and deporting illegal migrants rather than on managing migration to meet South Africa’s development needs. The exclusionary 1991 Aliens Control Act limited labor recruitment to the highly skilled as defined by the ruling white minority, while bilateral labor agreements provided exemptions that enabled the influential mining industry and, to a lesser extent, commercial farms, to hire temporary, low-paid workers from neighboring states. Illegal African migrants were often tacitly allowed to work for low pay in other sectors but were always under threat of deportation. The abolishment of apartheid in 1994 led to the development of a new inclusive national identity and the strengthening of the country’s restrictive immigration policy. Despite South Africa’s protectionist approach to immigration, the downsizing and closing of mines, and rising unemployment, migrants from across the continent believed that the country held work opportunities. Fewer African labor migrants were issued temporary work permits and, instead, increasingly entered South Africa with visitors’ permits or came illegally, which drove growth in cross-border trade and the informal job market. A new wave of Asian immigrants has also arrived over the last two decades, many operating small retail businesses. In the post-apartheid period, increasing numbers of highly skilled white workers emigrated, citing dissatisfaction with the political situation, crime, poor services, and a reduced quality of life. The 2002 Immigration Act and later amendments were intended to facilitate the temporary migration of skilled foreign labor to fill labor shortages, but instead the legislation continues to create regulatory obstacles. Although the education system has improved and brain drain has slowed in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, South Africa continues to face skills shortages in several key sectors, such as health care and technology. South Africa’s stability and economic growth has acted as a magnet for refugees and asylum seekers from nearby countries, despite the prevalence of discrimination and xenophobic violence. Refugees have included an estimated 350,000 Mozambicans during its 1980s civil war and, more recently, several thousand Somalis, Congolese, and Ethiopians. Nearly all of the tens of thousands of Zimbabweans who have applied for asylum in South Africa have been categorized as economic migrants and denied refuge.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

8.4

potential support ratio

10.9 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

52.2

youth dependency ratio

43.9

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 90.3% of population

improved: total

total: 96.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 99.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 9.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 3.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0.3% of population

Education expenditures

6.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

Ethnic groups

Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6%  (2021 est.)

note

note: Colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry who developed a distinct cultural identity over several hundred years

Gross reproduction rate

1.12 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

20 deaths/1,000 live births

male

23.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

21.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

Languages

isiZulu or Zulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa or Xhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi or Pedi (official) 10.1%, Setswana or Tswana (official) 9.1%, English (official) 8.1%, Sesotho or Sotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga or Tsonga (official) 3.6%, siSwati or Swati (official) 2.8%, Tshivenda or Venda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele or Ndebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes South African sign language (official) and Khoi or Khoisan or Khoe languages) 2% (2018 est.)

major-language sample(s)

Die Wereld Feite Boek, n’ onontbeerlike bron vir basiese informasie. (Afrikaans)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)

note

note: data represent language spoken most often at home

Life expectancy at birth

female

73.5 years

male

70.3 years

total population

71.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94.5% (2019)

male

95.5%

total population

95%

Major urban areas - population

10.316 million Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni), 4.890 million Cape Town (legislative capital), 3.228 million Durban, 2.818 million PRETORIA (administrative capital), 1.296 million Port Elizabeth, 934,000 West Rand (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

127 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

30.6 years

male

30.1 years

total

30.4 years (2024 est.)

Nationality

adjective

South African

noun

South African(s)

Net migration rate

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

28.3% (2016)

Physician density

0.79 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

female

30,778,259 (2024 est.)

male

29,664,388

total

60,442,647

Population distribution

the population concentrated along the southern and southeastern coast, and inland around Pretoria; the eastern half of the country is more densely populated than the west as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

1.07% (2024 est.)

Religions

Christian 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional African religions 5.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other 1.5%, nothing in particular 5.2% (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 86.4% of population

improved: total

total: 93.2% of population

improved: urban

urban: 96.6% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 13.6% of population

unimproved: total

total: 6.8% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 3.4% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

14 years (2020)

male

13 years

total

13 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.73 male(s)/female

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

female

6.5% (2020 est.)

male

34% (2020 est.)

total

20.3% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.27 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.8% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

etymology

Pretoria is named in honor of Andries PRETORIUS, the father of voortrekker (pioneer) leader Marthinus PRETORIUS; Cape Town reflects its location on the Cape of Good Hope; Bloemfontein is a combination of the Dutch words bloem (flower) and fontein (fountain) meaning "fountain of flowers"

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)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa

dual citizenship recognized

yes, but requires prior permission of the government

residency requirement for naturalization

5 year

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the National Assembly of Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional sections on human rights and freedoms, non-racism and non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution, suffrage, the multi-party system of democratic government, and amendment procedures requires at least 75% majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council of Provinces, and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting the Bill of Rights, and those related to provincial boundaries, powers, and authorities requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council, and assent of the president; amended many times, last in 2020

history

several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by the Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997

Country name

abbreviation

RSA

conventional long form

Republic of South Africa

conventional short form

South Africa

etymology

self-descriptive name from the country's location on the continent; "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent

former

Union of South Africa

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Reuben E. BRIGETY II (since 11 August 2022)

consulate(s) general

Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

email address and website

ACSJohannesburg@state.govhttps://za.usembassy.gov/

embassy

877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

FAX

[27] (12) 342-2299

mailing address

9300 Pretoria Place, Washington DC  20521-9300

telephone

[27] (12) 431-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Ismail ESAU (since 3 May 2024)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

Info.saembassyDC@dirco.gov.zahttps://www.saembassy.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 265-1607

telephone

[1] (240) 937-5760

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024)

election results

2024: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed2019: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected 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 29 May 2024 (next to be held in May 2029) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government

President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024)

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

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

parliamentary republic

Independence

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 22 August 1934 (Status of the Union Act); 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, AIIB, 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, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, 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 justice and includes other judges and judicial executives, members of parliament, practicing lawyers and advocates, a teacher of law, and several members designated by the president of South Africa; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the president of South Africa 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 serve 12-year nonrenewable 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:National Council of Provinces (90 seats; nine 10-member delegations, each with 6 permanent delegates and 4 special delegates, appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms)National Assembly (400 seats; half the members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and half in a single nationwide constituency, both by proportional representation popular vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 29, DA 13, EFF 9, FF+ 2, IFP 1; composition - men 30, women 24, percentage women 44.4%; note - 36 appointed seats not filledNational Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 40.1% DA 21.8%, MK 14.5%, EFF 9.5%, IFP 3.8%, PA, 2.06%, FF+ 1.3%, Action SA 1.2%, ACDP 0.60%, UCM 0.49%, RISE 0.42%, BOSA 0.041%, ATM 0.40%, Al Jam-ah 0.24%, NCC 0.23%, PAC 0.23%, UAT 0.22%, GOOD 0.18% other 4.38%; seats by party - ANC 159, DA 87, MK 58, EFF 39, IFP 17, PA 9, FF+ 6, Action SA 6, ACDP 3, UDM 3, RISE  2, BOSA 2, ATM 2, AL Jam-ah 2, NCC 2, PAC 1, UAT 1, GOOD 1; composition - men 210, women 181, percentage women 46.3%; total Parliament percentage women 46.1%

elections

National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 15 June 2024 (next to be held on 30 June 2029)

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

"National Anthem of South Africa"

note

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 heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa (c); iSimangaliso Wetland Park (n); Robben Island (c); Maloti-Drakensberg Park (m); Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (c); Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (n); Vredefort Dome (n); Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (c); Khomani Cultural Landscape (c); Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains (n); Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites (c); The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa (c)

total World Heritage Sites

12 (7 cultural, 4 natural, 1 mixed)

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

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP African Independent Congress or AIC African National Congress or ANC African People's Convention or APC Agang SA Congress of the People or COPE Democratic Alliance or DA Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF Freedom Front Plus or FF+ GOOD Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP National Freedom Party or NFP Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP United Democratic Movement or UDM 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

sugarcane, maize, milk, potatoes, wheat, grapes, chicken, oranges, apples, soybeans (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

5% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

21.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$136.236 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$123.264 billion (2022 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB- (2020)

Moody's rating

Ba2 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2021

$15.5 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.698 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

-$6.16 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$53.43 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

upper middle-income South African economy; hard hit by COVID-19; poor utilities management; key rare earth goods exporter; high income inequality; hosts Africa’s largest stock exchange; rising unemployment, especially youth; land rights changes

Exchange rates

Currency

rand (ZAR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

14.448 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

16.459 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

14.779 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

16.356 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

18.45 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$130.882 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$136.112 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$124.731 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, platinum, coal, cars, diamonds (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 16%, US 7%, Germany 7%, India 6%, Japan 6% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

33% (2023 est.)

government consumption

19.7% (2023 est.)

household consumption

64.7% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-32.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

15.2% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.5% (2023 est.)

industry

24.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

63% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$377.782 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

63 (2014 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

50.5% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%

0.9% (2014 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$104.867 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$127.596 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$123.541 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, cars, crude petroleum, vehicle parts/accessories, broadcasting equipment (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 21%, Germany 9%, India 7%, US 5%, Saudi Arabia 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-0.15% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

4.61% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

7.04% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

6.07% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

25.158 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

55.5% (2014 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

note

note: central government debt as a % of GDP

Public debt 2022

76.55% of GDP (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$841.739 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$857.82 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$862.981 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

4.7% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

1.91% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.6% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$14,200 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$14,300 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$14,300 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.22% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.22% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.22% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$57.597 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$60.553 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$62.492 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

26.11% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

28.77% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

28.84% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

27.99% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

53.2% (2023 est.)

male

45.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

49.1% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

392.305 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

8.803 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

75.88 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

476.987 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption

176.148 million metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

75.512 million metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

3.026 million metric tons (2022 est.)

production

245.467 million metric tons (2022 est.)

proven reserves

9.893 billion metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

200.565 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

13.967 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

10.331 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

63.411 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

25.285 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

93.4%

electrification - total population

86.5% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

87.1%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

87.8% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

0.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

nuclear

4.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

2.7% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

wind

4.2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

95.511 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

4.487 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

4.428 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

59.128 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

1.85GW (2023 est.)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

2 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

4.4% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

15 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

601,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

95,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2020 est.)

total

1,303,057 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 6 free-to-air TV stations; 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

Internet country code

.za

Internet users

percent of population

72% (2021 est.)

total

42.48 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line is 2 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular is 167 telephones per 100 persons (2022)

general assessment

South Africa’s telecom sector boasts one of the most advanced infrastructures on the continent; the focus in recent years has been on back haul capacity and on fiber and LTE networks to extend and improve internet service connectivity; several satellite solutions also appeared in 2023, aimed at providing additional backhaul and improving connectivity in rural areas; the mobile sector has developed strongly in recent years, partly due to the poor availability and level of service of fixed-line networks, which meant that many people had no alternative to mobile networks for voice and data services (2024)

international

country code - 27; landing points for the WACS, ACE, SAFE, SAT-3, Equiano, SABR, SAEx1, SAEx2, IOX Cable System, METISS, EASSy, and SEACOM/ Tata TGN-Eurasia fiber-optic submarine cable systems connecting South Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, Asia, South America, Indian Ocean Islands, and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

2 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

1.31 million (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

167 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

100.26 million (2022 est.)

Airports

575 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

ZS

Heliports

49 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 3, general cargo 1, oil tanker 7, other 99

total

110 (2023)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

716.25 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

23,921,748 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

243

number of registered air carriers

17 (2020)

Pipelines

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

Ports

key ports

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

large

2

medium

4

ports with oil terminals

7

small

1

total ports

8 (2024)

very small

1

Railways

narrow gauge

19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

standard gauge

80 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

total

30,400 km (2021)

Roadways

paved

158,124 km

total

750,000 km

unpaved

591,876 km (2016)

Military - note

the SANDF’s primary responsibilities include territorial and maritime defense, supporting the Police Service, protecting key infrastructure, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; the SANDF historically has been one of Africa’s most capable militaries, but in recent years its operational readiness and modernization programs have been widely viewed as hampered by funding shortfallsthe SANDF participates regularly in African and UN peacekeeping missions and is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force; in 2021, it sent about 1,500 troops to Mozambique as part of a multinational SADC force to help combat an insurgency, and South African forces have been a key component of the UN’s Force Intervention Brigade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; in recent years, the SANDF has been deployed internally to assist the Police Service with quelling unrest and assisting with border securitythe SANDF was created in 1994 to replace the South African Defense Force (SADF); the SANDF was opened to all South Africans who met military requirements, while the SADF was a mostly white force (only whites were subject to conscription) with non-whites only allowed to join in a voluntary capacity; the SANDF also absorbed members of the guerrilla and militia forces of the various anti-apartheid opposition groups, including the African National Congress, the Pan Africanist Congress, and the Inkatha Freedom Party, as well as the security forces of the formerly independent Bantustan homelands (2024)

Military and security forces

South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army (includes Reserve Force), South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health ServicesMinistry of Police: South African Police Service (2024)

note

note: the South African Police Service includes a Special Task Force for counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and hostage rescue operations

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 73,000 active-duty personnel (40,000 Army; 7,000 Navy; 10,000 Air Force; 8,000 Military Health Service; 8,000 other, including administrative, logistics, military police); 180,000 South African Police Service (2024)

Military deployments

1,150 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (2024)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the SANDF's inventory consists of a mix of domestically produced and foreign-supplied equipment; South Africa's domestic defense industry produced most of the Army's major weapons systems (some were jointly produced with foreign companies), while the Air Force and Navy inventories include a mix of aging European-, Israeli-, and US-origin weapons and equipment; South Africa has one of Africa's leading defense industries (2024)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.9% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.8% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.7% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

18-22 (18-26 for college graduates) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 2-year service obligation (2023)

note

note: in 2023, women comprised nearly 30% of the military

Illicit drugs

leading regional importer of chemicals used in the production of illicit drugs especially synthetic drugs;

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

5,000 (2020)

refugees (country of origin)

22,388 (Somalia), 15,240 (Ethiopia) (mid-year 2022); 42,132 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)

Space agency/agencies

South African National Space Agency (SANSA; established 2010); South Africa Council for Space Affairs (SACSA; statutory body established 1995); South African Radio Telescope Observatory (SARAO) (2024)

Space launch site(s)

Arniston launch facility (Western Cape) used to support space launch vehicle and ballistic missile program (1980s-1990s); it is now a weapons testing facility called the Denel Overberg Test Range (2024)

Space program overview

the largest producer of satellites (particularly nanosatellites) in Africa; areas of focus for development include remote sensing (RS) capabilities, such as optical instruments and synthetic aperture radar systems, space engineering, ground support to space operations (tracking, telemetry, etc.), and space science, particularly astronomy; SANSA is responsible for aggregating RS data for southern African countries; has a sounding rocket program for carrying experimental payloads for research purposes; cooperates with foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, France, India, Russia, and the US; participates in international programs such as the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) Project, an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope by 2030; has a substantial number of state- and privately-owned aerospace companies, as well as academic and research institutions involved in space-related activities (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

476.64 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

55.89 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

19.75 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

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

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; deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; desertification; solid waste pollution; disruption of fragile ecosystem has resulted in significant floral extinctions

Environment - international agreements

party to

Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

79.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 9.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 69.2% (2018 est.)

forest

7.6% (2018 est.)

other

13% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Orange (shared with Lesotho [s], and Namibia [m]) - 2,092 km; Limpoporivier (Limpopo) river source (shared with Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 1,800 km; Vaal [s] - 1,210 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)

Revenue from coal

2.4% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

51.35 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

11.99 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

4.09 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

3.11 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.8% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

18,457,232 tons (2011 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

5,168,025 tons (2011 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

28% (2011 est.)