South Africa Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

South Africa, state of southern Africa; 1.2 million km², 57.8 million residents (2019).South Africa borders in the north to Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe and in the east to Mozambique and Swaziland, encloses Lesotho and has the south-east, south and southwest coast to the ocean. The country has three official capitals: Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Pretoria.

Country facts

Republic of South Africa / Republic of South Africa
Country abbreviation: ZA
Area: 1.2 million km²
Population (2019): 57.8 million residents
Capital cities: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria
Main languages: Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English
State: Republic
Head of State and Head of Government: Cyril Ramaphosa (President)
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 6,340
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 5,720
Currency unit: 1 rand = 100 cents
Currency code: ZAR
Country number (telephony): 27
Internet Domain Name: za
Time difference compared to Sweden: +1
National Day: April 27 (the first general democratic elections, 1994)
Independence Day: May 31, 1961

Nature

Land use: forest (5%), agricultural land (12%), other (85%)
Highest mountain: Injasuti (3,408 m above sea level)
Longest river: Orange River (1,860 km)

Population

Population density (2019): 48 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): 1.1%; birth rate 20 ‰, death rate 9 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (29%), 15-64 (65%), 65- (6%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 62 years, women 68 years
Infant mortality (2019): 22 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 82 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.699 (place 113 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 66%
Most populous cities (2011): Johannesburg (4.4 million residents), Cape Town (3.7 million residents), Durban (3.4 million)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (3%), industry (30%), service (67%)
Exports (2017): US $ 94,930 million
Main export products: gold, diamonds, platinum
Main exporting countries: China, USA, Germany
Imports (2017): US $ 89 360 million
Main import products: machinery, means of transport, chemicals
Main importing countries: China, Germany, USA
Railway network (2014): 21,000 km

South Africa has a long and relatively smooth coast. From the coast, the country rises in terraces to a bowl-shaped highland around the Kalahari basin, whose southern parts are within South Africa. At its highest is the eastern edge of the mountains, Drakensberg. A gentle sloping plateau is spreading between the Randberger and the coast to the east. South Africa is almost entirely in the hot-tempered climate zone; the southwest corner has a Mediterranean climate with rain in the winter.

The country’s legislative power is held by Parliament’s two chambers: the 400 members of the National Assembly elected every five years in proportional elections and the Senate’s 90 members, ten from each province, elected by the provincial parliaments. The president is head of state and government and is elected by Parliament.

South Africa’s economy is characterized by extreme differences between the white population-controlled, mainly urban-based modern sector and the traditional African sector. The modern sector was built around the country’s mineral deposits from the late 1800s. With extensive and varied natural resources, good communications, a well-developed infrastructure and a sophisticated banking and financial system, the South African business community has features in common with industrialized countries.