Land surface area
I 220 813 km2
Key economic sectors
Mining, transport, energy, manufacturing, tourism and agriculture.
Population
Total: 63,02 million
Male: 30 076 814 million (48,5%)
Female: 31 947 531 (51,0%)
Population group
Black African: 81,4%
Coloured: 8,2%
Indian/Asian: 2,7%
White: 7,3%
Official languages
English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Afrikaans, Siswati, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Tshivenga, Xitsonga and South African Sign Language.
Currency
Rand (ZAR) - I 00 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 in Johannesburg.
Provinces
Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West and 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 telecommunications infrastructure. Internet and Wi-Fi access is widely available. The four major mobile (cellular) networks are Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Telkom Mobile. South Africa is widely recognised as having one of the most advanced digital ecosystems in the continent. Its key features include over 300 000 kilometres of fibre distributed across the country.
Health
Top-quality public and private healthcare is available throughout the country. Malaria precautions are necessary in some areas.
Source on population figures: Statistics South Africa's Mid-year population estimates of 2024.
For more information, visit www.southafrica.info and www.gov.za.
