South Africa at a glance

Land surface area

1 220 813 km2

Key economic sectors

Mining, transport, energy, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.

Population

Total 59,62 million
Male 29,12 million (48,9%)
Female 30,5 million (51,1%)

Official languages

English
isiZulu
isiXhosa
isiNdebele
Afrikaans
Siswati
Sepedi
Sesotho
Setswana
Tshivenda
Xitsonga

Currency

Rand (ZAR) – 100 cents equal one rand.

Time

GMT +2 hours.

Government

Constitutional multiparty democracy, with three spheres – local, provincial and national government.

Capitals

Pretoria (administrative)
Cape Town (legislative)
Bloemfontein (judicial)

The Constitutional Court is located in Johannesburg.

Provinces

Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West
Western Cape

Transportation

Excellent roads, rail and air facilities (both domestic and international). Public transport in major cities include the Gautrain between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the Bus Rapid Transport System in major cities.

Telecommunications

World-class infrastructure. Internet and WiFi access is widely available. The five mobile (cellular) networks are Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Telkom Mobile and Virgin Mobile.

Health

Top-quality public and private healthcare is available throughout the country. Malaria precautions are necessary in some areas.

More information

Source: Official Guide to South Africa