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South Africa
- What is South Africa?
- Where is South Africa located on the continent of Africa?
- What are the major cities in South Africa?
- How many official languages are spoken in South Africa, and what are they?
- What is apartheid, and how did it impact South African history?
- Who is Nelson Mandela, and what role did he play in South Africa's history?
- What types of wildlife and natural environments are found in South Africa?
- How does South Africa's economy compare to other African countries?
News•
South Africa, the southernmostcountry on theAfricancontinent, renowned for its variedtopography, great natural beauty, and culturaldiversity, all of which have made the country a favored destination for travelers since the legal ending ofapartheid (Afrikaans: “apartness,” orracial separation) in 1994.
South Africa’s remoteness—it lies thousands of miles distant from major African cities such asLagos andCairo and more than 6,000 miles (10,000 km) away from most of Europe,North America, and easternAsia, where its major trading partners are located—helped reinforce the official system ofapartheid for a large part of the 20th century. With that system, the government, controlled by the minority white population, enforced segregation between government-defined races in housing, education, and virtually all spheres of life, creating in effect three nations: one of whites (consisting of peoples primarily of British and Dutch [Boer] ancestry, who struggled for generations to gain political supremacy, a struggle that reached its violent apex with theSouth African War of 1899–1902); one of Blacks (consisting of such peoples as the San hunter-gatherers of the northwestern desert, theZulu herders of the eastern plateaus, and theKhoekhoe farmers of the southern Cape regions); and one of “Coloureds” (mixed-race people) and ethnic Asians (Indians, Malays, Filipinos, and Chinese). The apartheid regime wasdisdained and even vehemently opposed by much of the worldcommunity, and by the mid-1980s South Africa found itself among the world’spariah states, the subject of economic and culturalboycotts that affected almost every aspect of life. During this era the South African poetMongane Wally Serote remarked,
- Head Of State And Government:
- President:Cyril Ramaphosa
- Capitals (De Facto):
- Pretoria2 (executive);Bloemfontein3 (judicial);Cape Town (legislative)
- Capitals (De Facto):
- Pretoria2 (executive);Bloemfontein3 (judicial);Cape Town (legislative)
- Population:
- (2025 est.) 63,430,000
- Currency Exchange Rate:
- 1 USD equals 17.177 South African rand
- Form Of Government:
- multiparty republic with two legislative houses (National Council of Provinces [90]; National Assembly [400])
- Official Languages:
- See footnote 1.
- Official Religion:
- none
- Official Name:
- Republic of South Africa1
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 1,220,813
- Total Area (Sq Mi):
- 471,356
- Monetary Unit:
- rand (R)
- Population Rank:
- (2025) 24
- Population Projection 2030:
- 61,592,000
- Density: Persons Per Sq Mi:
- (2025) 134.6
- Density: Persons Per Sq Km:
- (2025) 52
- Urban-Rural Population:
- Urban: (2020) 67.4%
- Rural: (2020) 32.6%
- Life Expectancy At Birth:
- Male: (2024) 63.6 years
- Female: (2024) 69.2 years
- Literacy: Percentage Of Population Age 15 And Over Literate:
- Male: not available
- Female: not available
- Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000):
- (2023) 409,784
- Gni Per Capita (U.S.$):
- (2023) 6,480
- South Africa has 12 official languages; the country’s official name in each language is provided in parentheses: Afrikaans (Republiek van Suid-Afrika); English (Republic of South Africa); Ndebele (IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika); Pedi (Rephaboliki ya Afrika-Borwa); Sotho (Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa); Swati (IRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika); Tsonga (Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga); Tswana (Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa); Venda (Riphabuliki ya Afurika Tshipembe); Xhosa (IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika); Zulu (IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika); South African Sign Language.
- Name of larger municipality including Pretoria is Tshwane.
- Name of larger municipality including Bloemfontein is Mangaung.
There is an intense need for self-expression among the oppressed in our country. When I say self-expression I don’t mean people saying something about themselves. I mean people making history consciously….We neglect the creativity that has made the people able to survive extreme exploitation and oppression. People have survived extreme racism. It means our people have been creative about their lives.
Eventually forced to confront theuntenable nature of ethnic separatism in a multicultural land, the South African government ofF.W. de Klerk (1989–94) began to repeal apartheid laws. That process in turn set in motion a transition toward universal suffrage and a true electoraldemocracy, which culminated in the 1994 election of a government led by the Black majority under the leadership of the long-imprisoned dissidentNelson Mandela. As this transition attests, the country has made remarkable progress in establishing socialequity in a short period of time.
South Africa has three cities that serve as capitals:Pretoria (executive),Cape Town (legislative), andBloemfontein (judicial).Johannesburg, the largest urban area in the country and a center of commerce, lies at the heart of the populousGauteng province.Durban, a port on theIndian Ocean, is a major industrial center.East London andGqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), both of which lie along the country’s southern coast, are important commercial, industrial, and cultural centers.
Today South Africa enjoys a relatively stablemixed economy that draws on its fertile agricultural lands, abundant mineral resources, tourist attractions, and highly evolvedintellectual capital. Greater political equality and economic stability, however, do not necessarily mean social tranquility. South African society at the start of the 21st century continued to face steep challenges: rising crime rates, ethnic tensions, great disparities in housing and educational opportunities, and the AIDS pandemic.
Land
South Africa is bordered byNamibia to the northwest, byBotswana andZimbabwe to the north, and byMozambique andSwaziland to the northeast and east.Lesotho, an independent country, is an enclave in the eastern part of therepublic, entirely surrounded by South African territory. South Africa’s coastlines border the Indian Ocean to the southeast and theAtlantic Ocean to the southwest. The country possesses two small subantarctic islands,Prince Edward andMarion, situated in the Indian Ocean about 1,200 miles (1,900 km) southeast of Cape Town. The former South African possession ofWalvis Bay, on the Atlantic coast some 400 miles (600 km) north of theOrange River, became part of Namibia in 1994.
