Some of the earliest human remains in the fossil record are 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 of the settlers of Dutch descent (Afrikaners, also called “Boers” (farmers) at the time) 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 with expanding European settlements during a period known as the Mfecane. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration from Europe.
The Anglo-Zulu War (1879) resulted in the incorporation of the Zulu kingdom’s territory into the British Empire. Subsequently, the Afrikaner republics were incorporated into the British Empire after their defeat 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 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 by 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 following the end of apartheid 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. Jacob ZUMA became president in 2009 and was reelected in 2014, but resigned in February 2018 after numerous corruption scandals and gains by opposition parties in municipal elections in 2016. His successor, Cyril RAMAPHOSA, has made some progress in reigning in corruption, though many challenges persist. In May 2019 national elections, the country’s sixth since the end of apartheid, the ANC won a majority of parliamentary seats, delivering RAMAPHOSA a five-year term. RAMAPHOSA was reelected ANC leader in 2022 ahead of national elections scheduled for 2024.
land: 1,214,470 sq km
water: 4,620 sq km
note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
border countries (6): Botswana 1,969 km; Lesotho 1,106 km; Mozambique 496 km; Namibia 1,005 km; Eswatini 438 km; Zimbabwe 230 km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
mean elevation: 1,034 m
note: South Africa was the World’s leading chromite ore producer in 2022 with an output of 18,000 mt
arable land: 9.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 69.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 7.6% (2018 est.)
other: 13% (2018 est.)
58,048,332 (2023 est.)
noun: South African(s)
adjective: South African
Black African 81.4%, Colored 8.2%, White 7.3%, Indian/Asian 2.7%, other 0.4% (2022 est.)
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
isiZulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi (official) 10.1%, Setswana (official) 9.1%, English (official) 8.1%, Sesotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga (official) 3.6%, siSwati (official) 2.8%, Tshivenda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes Khoi, Nama, and San languages) 2%; note - data represent language spoken most often at home (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)
Christian 85.3%, African traditional 7.8%, Muslim 1.6%, Hindu 1.1%, other 1.3%, none 2.9% (2022 est.)
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.
0-14 years: 27.29% (male 7,931,943/female 7,906,715)
15-64 years: 66.17% (male 19,158,920/female 19,253,679)
65 years and over: 6.54% (2023 est.) (male 1,596,882/female 2,200,193)
total dependency ratio: 52.2
youth dependency ratio: 43.9
elderly dependency ratio: 8.4
potential support ratio: 10.9 (2021 est.)
total: 30.1 years (2023 est.)
male: 29.9 years
female: 30.3 years
1.08% (2023 est.)
18.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
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
urban population: 68.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
127 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 24.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 26.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.4 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 71 years (2023 est.)
male: 69.4 years
female: 72.6 years
2.31 children born/woman (2023 est.)
1.14 (2023 est.)
54.6% (2016)
improved: urban: 99.7% of population
rural: 90.3% of population
total: 96.7% of population
unimproved: urban: 0.3% of population
rural: 9.7% of population
total: 3.3% of population (2020 est.)
8.6% of GDP (2020)
0.79 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
improved: urban: 96.6% of population
rural: 86.4% of population
total: 93.2% of population
unimproved: urban: 3.4% of population
rural: 13.6% of population
total: 6.8% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
28.3% (2016)
total: 7.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 1.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 20.3% (2020 est.)
male: 34% (2020 est.)
female: 6.5% (2020 est.)
5.5% (2017)
36.9% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 0.9%
women married by age 18: 3.6%
men married by age 18: 0.6% (2016 est.)
6.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95%
male: 95.5%
female: 94.5% (2019)
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2020)
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
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
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
agricultural land: 79.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 69.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 7.6% (2018 est.)
other: 13% (2018 est.)
urban population: 68.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
2.4% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 19.75 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 476.64 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 55.89 megatons (2020 est.)
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.)
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 km
note – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth
Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)
Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin
municipal: 3.11 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 4.09 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 11.99 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
51.35 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
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
$790.625 billion (2021 est.)
$753.6 billion (2020 est.)
$804.634 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
4.91% (2021 est.)
-6.34% (2020 est.)
0.3% (2019 est.)
$13,300 (2021 est.)
$12,800 (2020 est.)
$13,900 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$350.032 billion (2019 est.)
4.61% (2021 est.)
3.21% (2020 est.)
4.12% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: BB- (2020)
Moody’s rating: Ba2 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2020)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 2.8% (2017 est.)
industry: 29.7% (2017 est.)
services: 67.5% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 59.4% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 20.9% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 18.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 29.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -28.4% (2017 est.)
sugar cane, maize, milk, potatoes, grapes, poultry, oranges, wheat, soybeans, beef
mining (world’s largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
6.12% (2021 est.)
22.398 million (2021 est.)
33.56% (2021 est.)
29.22% (2020 est.)
28.47% (2019 est.)
total: 64.2% (2021 est.)
male: 59.8%
female: 69.3%
55.5% (2014 est.)
63 (2014 est.)
on food: 21.4% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 4.9% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 1.2%
highest 10%: 51.3% (2011 est.)
revenues: $84.19 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $121.204 billion (2020 est.)
-4.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
53% of GDP (2017 est.)
51.6% of GDP (2016 est.)
23.3% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
1 April - 31 March
$15.569 billion (2021 est.)
$6.788 billion (2020 est.)
-$10.037 billion (2019 est.)
$130.885 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$94.123 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$105.988 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
China 15%, United Kingdom 8%, Germany 7%, United States 6%, India 6% (2019)
gold, platinum, cars, iron products, coal, manganese, diamonds (2019)
$104.806 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$79.022 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$103.92 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
China 18%, Germany 11%, United States 6%, India 5% (2019)
crude petroleum, refined petroleum, cars and vehicle parts, gold, broadcasting equipment (2019)
$57.597 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$55.008 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$55.056 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$179.871 billion (2019 est.)
$173.714 billion (2018 est.)
rand (ZAR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
14.779 (2021 est.)
16.459 (2020 est.)
14.448 (2019 est.)
13.234 (2018 est.)
13.324 (2017 est.)
population without electricity: 3 million (2020)
electrification - total population: 89.3% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 87.3% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 93.3% (2019)
installed generating capacity: 62.728 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 202,285,870,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 14.482 billion kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 7.823 billion kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 22.904 billion kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 87.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 5.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 1.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 2.6% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 2.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 2 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 0
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 1.85GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 6% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 2.3% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 0
production: 248.388 million metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 170.308 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 74.965 million metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 2.054 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 9.893 billion metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 97,900 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 622,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 9,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 397,700 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 15 million barrels (2021 est.)
487,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)
105,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)
195,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 1,229,544,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
consumption: 4,771,551,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 3,542,007,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
470.358 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 387.835 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 73.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 9.361 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
98.474 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 17 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 243
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 23,921,748 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 716.25 million (2018) mt-km
ZS
407 (2021)
130
civil airports: 21
military airports: 7
joint use (civil-military) airports: 1
other airports: 101
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
277
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
94 km condensate, 1,293 km gas, 992 km oil, 1,460 km refined products (2013)
total: 20,986 km (2014)
standard gauge: 80 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)
other: (2014) 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified)
total: 750,000 km (2016)
paved: 158,124 km (2016)
unpaved: 591,876 km (2016)
total: 107 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 3, general cargo 1, oil tanker 7, other 96
major seaport(s): Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay
container port(s) (TEUs): Durban (2,430,295) (2021)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Mossel Bay
South Africa operates one PC 5 or 6 class light icebreaker
note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)
manyapis