Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
3 (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadband - fixed subscriptions: total
2.15 million (2023 est.)
Communications: Broadcast media
the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) operates 6 free-to-air TV stations; 1 private TV station; multiple subscription TV services with mix of local and international channels; mix of public and private radio stations at the national, regional, and local levels; state-owned SABC radio network has 18 stations, including one for each of the 11 official languages, 4 community stations, and 3 commercial stations; over 100 community stations with rural coverage
Communications: Internet country code
.za
Communications: Internet users: percent of population
78.36% (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
2 (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - fixed lines: total subscriptions
1.353 million (2023 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
167 (2024 est.)
Communications: Telephones - mobile cellular: total subscriptions
115 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Agricultural products
sugarcane, maize, milk, soybeans, potatoes, wheat, grapes, chicken, oranges, apples (2023)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on alcohol and tobacco
4.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Average household expenditures: on food
16.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
Economy: Budget: expenditures
$137.593 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Budget: revenues
$123.263 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2013
-$21.401 billion (2013 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2014
-$18.345 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2015
-$14.944 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2016
-$8.522 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2017
-$9.057 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2018
-$12.160 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2019
-$10.200 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2020
$6.771 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2021
$15.844 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2022
-$1.878 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2023
-$6.143 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Current account balance: Current account balance 2024
-$2.384 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2022
$171.732 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Debt - external: Debt - external 2023
$93.879 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates
18.3287 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Currency
rand (ZAR) per US dollar -
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2013
9.6551 (2013 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2014
10.8527 (2014 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2015
12.7589 (2015 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2016
14.7096 (2016 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2017
13.3238 (2017 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2018
13.2339 (2018 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2019
14.4484 (2019 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2020
16.4591 (2020 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2021
14.7787 (2021 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2022
16.3559 (2022 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2023
18.4502 (2023 est.)
Economy: Exchange rates: Exchange rates 2024
18.3287 (2024 est.)
Economy: Exports - commodities
gold, platinum, coal, cars, iron ore (2023)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2011
$126.913 billion (2011 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2014
$110.550 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2015
$96.086 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2016
$91.109 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2017
$104.288 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2018
$111.435 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2019
$105.906 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2020
$93.200 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2021
$131.000 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2022
$136.01 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2023
$124.671 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Exports: Exports 2024
$127.629 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: exports of goods and services
31.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: government consumption
19.2% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: household consumption
64.8% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: imports of goods and services
-29.9% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in fixed capital
14.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by end use: investment in inventories
-0.6% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: agriculture
2.9% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: industry
24.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - composition, by sector of origin: services
62.7% (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP - per capita (PPP)
$15,456 (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (official exchange rate)
$400.261 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: GDP (purchasing power parity) - real
$989.308 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income: Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022
54.1 (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, cars, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2010
$102.766 billion (2010 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2015
$100.591 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2016
$89.650 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2017
$99.924 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2018
$109.374 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2019
$103.935 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2020
$78.355 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2021
$104.884 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2022
$127.669 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2023
$123.454 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Imports: Imports 2024
$119.59 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Industrial production growth rate
-0.4% (2024 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2015
4.52% (2015 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016
6.60% (2016 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017
5.19% (2017 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018
4.51% (2018 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019
4.10% (2019 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020
3.23% (2020 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021
4.62% (2021 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022
7.04% (2022 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023
6.08% (2023 est.)
Economy: Inflation rate (consumer prices): Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024
4.36% (2024 est.)
Economy: Labor force
27.766 million (2024 est.)
Economy: Population below poverty line
37.90% (2022 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2016
53.74% (2016 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2017
56.26% (2017 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2018
59.10% (2018 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2019
64.59% (2019 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2020
75.73% (2020 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2021
74.08% (2021 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2022
76.21% (2022 est.)
Economy: Public debt: Public debt 2023
79.45% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2014
$742.688 billion (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015
$759.955 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016
$774.110 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017
$791.817 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019
$796.183 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020
$767.391 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021
$841.476 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022
$859.399 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023
$865.402 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP (purchasing power parity): Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024
$870.42 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2015
1.32% (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2016
0.66% (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2017
1.16% (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2018
1.56% (2018 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2019
0.26% (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2020
-6.17% (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2021
4.86% (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2022
2.06% (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2023
0.81% (2023 est.)
Economy: Real GDP growth rate: Real GDP growth rate 2024
0.53% (2024 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2014
$13,359 (2014 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2015
$13,398 (2015 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2016
$13,519 (2016 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2017
$13,738 (2017 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2019
$13,361 (2019 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2020
$12,671 (2020 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2021
$13,682 (2021 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2022
$14,749 (2022 est.)
Economy: Real GDP per capita: Real GDP per capita 2023
$15,200 (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2013
$970.7 million (2013 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2014
$913.4 million (2014 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2015
$825.3 million (2015 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2020
$810.9 million (2020 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2021
$926.7 million (2021 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2022
0.2% of GDP (2022 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2023
0.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Economy: Remittances: Remittances 2024
0.2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2015
$45.887 billion (2015 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2016
$47.180 billion (2016 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2017
$50.723 billion (2017 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2018
$51.642 billion (2018 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2019
$55.056 billion (2019 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020
$55.008 billion (2020 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021
$57.597 billion (2021 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022
$60.553 billion (2022 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023
$62.492 billion (2023 est.)
Economy: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024
$65.435 billion (2024 est.)
Economy: Taxes and other revenues
26% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2019
28.47% (2019 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2020
29.22% (2020 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2021
34.01% (2021 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2022
33.27% (2022 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2023
32.10% (2023 est.)
Economy: Unemployment rate: Unemployment rate 2024
32.28% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): female
65.5% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): male
57.1% (2024 est.)
Economy: Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24): total
60.9% (2024 est.)
Energy: Coal: consumption
176.095 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: exports
66.918 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: imports
3.301 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: production
239.712 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Coal: proven reserves
9.893 billion metric tons (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - rural areas
93.4%
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - total population
86.5% (2022 est.)
Energy: Electricity access: electrification - urban areas
87.1%
Energy: Electricity generation sources: biomass and waste
0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: fossil fuels
87.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: hydroelectricity
0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: nuclear
3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: solar
2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity generation sources: wind
5.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: consumption
194.978 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: exports
12.629 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: imports
10.837 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: installed generating capacity
65.989 million kW (2023 est.)
Energy: Electricity: transmission/distribution losses
22.838 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Energy: Energy consumption per capita: Total energy consumption per capita 2023
86.197 million Btu/person (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: consumption
3.834 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: imports
3.768 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Natural gas: production
66.094 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors
1.85GW (2025 est.)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Number of operational nuclear reactors
2 (2025)
Energy: Nuclear energy: Percent of total electricity production
4.4% (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: crude oil estimated reserves
15 million barrels (2021 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: refined petroleum consumption
609,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Energy: Petroleum: total petroleum production
88,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from coal and metallurgical coke
365.269 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from consumed natural gas
7.522 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: from petroleum and other liquids
73.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Carbon dioxide emissions: total emissions
446.704 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Environment: Climate
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Environment: Environmental issues
limited freshwater resources due to lack of major rivers or lakes; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban waste; air pollution resulting in acid rain; deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; desertification; solid waste pollution; significant floral extinctions
Environment: International environmental agreements: 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
Environment: International environmental agreements: signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Environment: Land use: agricultural land
79.4% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 9.9% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 69.2% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: forest
18.7% (2023 est.)
Environment: Land use: other
1.9% (2023 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: agriculture
754.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: energy
1,489.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: other
32.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Methane emissions: waste
770.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Environment: Particulate matter emissions
17 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Environment: Total renewable water resources
51.35 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: agricultural
11.839 billion cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: industrial
4.616 billion cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Total water withdrawal: municipal
3.476 billion cubic meters (2022)
Environment: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Environment: Urbanization: urban population
63.69% (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: municipal solid waste generated annually
18.457 million tons (2024 est.)
Environment: Waste and recycling: percent of municipal solid waste recycled
28.2% (2022 est.)
Geography: Area - comparative
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Geography: Area: land
1,214,470 sq km
Geography: Area: water
4,620 sq km
Geography: Coastline
2,798 km
Geography: Elevation: highest point
Ntheledi (Mafadi) 3,450 m
Geography: Elevation: lowest point
Atlantic/Indian Oceans 0 m
Geography: Elevation: mean elevation
1,034 m
Geography: Geographic coordinates
29 00 S, 24 00 E
Geography: Geography - note
note 1: South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Eswatini note 2: sometimes mistaken for the southernmost point of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope is more accurately described as the southwestern-most point of the African continent; Cape Agulhas, the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, is the southernmost point of the African continent
Geography: Irrigated land
16,700 sq km (2012)
Geography: Land boundaries: border countries
Botswana 1,969 km; Lesotho 1,106 km; Mozambique 496 km; Namibia 1,005 km; Eswatini 438 km; Zimbabwe 230 km
Geography: Land boundaries: total
5,244 km
Geography: Land use: agricultural land
79.4% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 9.9% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 69.2% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: forest
18.7% (2023 est.)
Geography: Land use: other
1.9% (2023 est.)
Geography: Major aquifers
Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin
Geography: Major rivers (by length in km)
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
Geography: Major watersheds (area sq km): Atlantic Ocean drainage
Orange (941,351 sq km)
Geography: Map references
Africa
Geography: Maritime claims: contiguous zone
24 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: continental shelf
200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Geography: Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Geography: Maritime claims: territorial sea
12 nm
Geography: Natural hazards
prolonged droughts volcanism: the volcano that formed Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands is South Africa's only active volcano
Geography: Population distribution
the population is 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 population distribution map
Geography: Terrain
vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain
Government: Administrative divisions
9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape
Government: Capital: etymology
Pretoria was named in honor of Boer statesman Andries PRETORIUS in 1855; Cape Town's name refers to its location on the Cape of Good Hope; Bloemfontein was named after the farm on which it was built in 1846, whose name combined the Dutch words bloem (flower) and fontein (fountain)
Government: Capital: geographic coordinates
25 42 S, 28 13 E
Government: Capital: time difference
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by birth
no
Government: Citizenship: citizenship by descent only
at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa
Government: Citizenship: dual citizenship recognized
yes, but requires prior permission of the government
Government: Citizenship: residency requirement for naturalization
5 year
Government: Constitution: amendment process
proposed by the National Assembly of Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional sections on human rights and freedoms, non-racism and non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution, suffrage, the multi-party system of democratic government, and amendment procedures requires at least 75% majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council of Provinces, and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting the Bill of Rights, and those related to provincial boundaries, powers, and authorities requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council, and assent of the president
Government: Constitution: history
several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by the Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997
Government: Country name: abbreviation
RSA
Government: Country name: conventional short form
South Africa
Government: Country name: etymology
self-descriptive name from the country's location on the continent; "Africa" is derived from the Roman designation of the area corresponding to present-day Tunisia "Africa terra," which meant "Land of the Afri" (the tribe resident in that area), but which eventually came to mean the entire continent
Government: Country name: former
Union of South Africa
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Ambassador-designate Leo Brent BOZELL III; Chargé d’Affaires Marc DILLARD (since October 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: consulate(s) general
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: email address and website
ACSJohannesburg@state.gov https://za.usembassy.gov/
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy
877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: FAX
[27] (12) 342-2299
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: mailing address
9300 Pretoria Place, Washington DC 20521-9300
Government: Diplomatic representation from the US: telephone
[27] (12) 431-4000
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chancery
3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Ismail ESAU (since 17 March 2025)
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: consulate(s) general
Los Angeles, New York
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: email address and website
Info.saembassyDC@dirco.gov.za https://www.saembassy.org/
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX
[1] (202) 265-1607
Government: Diplomatic representation in the US: telephone
[1] (240) 937-5760
Government: Executive branch: cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the president
Government: Executive branch: chief of state
President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024)
Government: Executive branch: election results
2024: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed 2019: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed
Government: Executive branch: election/appointment process
president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term)
Government: Executive branch: expected date of next election
May 2029
Government: Executive branch: head of government
President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024)
Government: Executive branch: most recent election date
29 May 2024
Government: Flag
description: two equal-width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band that splits into a horizontal Y; a black isosceles triangle is in the Y, with narrow yellow bands around it; the red and blue bands are bordered by narrow white stripes meaning: the colors have no official meaning, but the Y stands for "the convergence of diverse elements within South African society, taking the road ahead in unity"
Government: International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Government: International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AIIB, AU, BIS, BRICS, C, CD, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24, G-5, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, NSG, OECD (enhanced engagement), OPCW, Paris Club (associate), PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Government: Judicial branch: highest court(s)
Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges)
Government: Judicial branch: judge selection and term of office
Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), a 23-member body chaired by the chief justice; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the president of South Africa after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges serve 12-year nonrenewable terms or until age 70
Government: Judicial branch: subordinate courts
High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts
Government: Legal system
mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: chamber name
National Assembly
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: electoral system
proportional representation
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: expected date of next election
May 2029
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: most recent election date
6/15/2024
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: number of seats
400 (all directly elected)
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: percentage of women in chamber
44.7%
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - lower chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: chamber name
National Council of Provinces
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: expected date of next election
June 2029
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: most recent election date
5/29/2024
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: number of seats
90 (all appointed)
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: percentage of women in chamber
44.4%
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: scope of elections
full renewal
Government: Legislative branch - upper chamber: term in office
5 years
Government: Legislative branch: legislative structure
bicameral
Government: Legislative branch: legislature name
Parliament
Government: National anthem(s): history
adopted 1997; a combination of "N'kosi Sikelel' iAfrica" (God Bless Africa) and "Die Stem van Suid Afrika" (The Call of South Africa), which were respectively the anthems of the non-white and white communities under apartheid; official lyrics contain a mixture of Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English (the five most widely spoken of South Africa's 11 official languages)
Government: National anthem(s): lyrics/music
Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers
Government: National color(s)
red, green, blue, yellow, black, white
Government: National heritage: selected World Heritage Site locales
Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa (c); iSimangaliso Wetland Park (n); Robben Island (c); Maloti-Drakensberg Park (m); Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (c); Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (n); Vredefort Dome (n); Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (c); Khomani Cultural Landscape (c); Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains (n); Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation: Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites (c); The Emergence of Modern Human Behaviour: The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa (c)
Government: National heritage: total World Heritage Sites
12 (7 cultural, 4 natural, 1 mixed)
Government: National holiday
Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
Government: National symbol(s)
springbok (antelope), king protea flower
Government: Political parties
African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP African Independent Congress or AIC African National Congress or ANC African People's Convention or APC Agang SA Congress of the People or COPE Democratic Alliance or DA Economic Freedom Fighters or EFF Freedom Front Plus or FF+ GOOD Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP National Freedom Party or NFP Pan-Africanist Congress of Azania or PAC United Christian Democratic Party or UCDP United Democratic Movement or UDM
Government: Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Introduction: Background
Some of the earliest human remains in the fossil record were 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 settlers of Dutch descent -- known then as "Boers," or farmers, but later called Afrikaners -- 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 the growing European settlements. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred mass immigration, predominantly from Europe. The Zulu kingdom's territory was incorporated into the British Empire after the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879, and the Afrikaner republics were incorporated after their defeat in the Second South African War (1899-1902). Beginning in 1910, the British and the Afrikaners ruled together under the Union of South Africa, which left the British Commonwealth to become a fully self-governing 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 from 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 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. President Cyril RAMAPHOSA, who was reelected as the ANC leader in 2022, has made some progress in reigning in corruption.
Military and Security: Military - note
the South African National Defense Force's (SANDF) primary responsibilities include territorial and maritime defense, supporting the Police Service, protecting key infrastructure, responding to disasters, and participating in international peacekeeping missions; border security and maintaining a rapid reaction capability for regional security missions and disaster response have been priorities; in recent years, it has been deployed internally to assist the Police with quelling unrest and assisting with border security; the SANDF also regularly participates in African and UN peacekeeping missions and is a member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Standby Force the SANDF was created in 1994 to replace the South African Defense Force (SADF); the SANDF was opened to all South Africans who met military requirements, while the SADF was a mostly white force (only whites were subject to conscription) with non-whites only allowed to join in a voluntary capacity; the SANDF also absorbed members of the various anti-apartheid opposition groups, including the African National Congress, the Pan Africanist Congress, and the Inkatha Freedom Party, as well as the security forces of the formerly independent Bantustan homelands (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security forces
South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army (includes Reserve Force), South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), South African Military Health Services Ministry of Police: South African Police Service (SAPS) (2025)
Military and Security: Military and security service personnel strengths
approximately 65-70,000 active-duty National Defense Forces (2025)
Military and Security: Military deployments
approximately 2,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO and Southern African Development Community) (2025)
Military and Security: Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the SANDF's inventory is a mix of domestically produced and foreign-supplied equipment; South Africa's domestic defense industry produced most of the Army's major weapons systems (some were jointly produced with foreign companies), while the Air Force and Navy inventories include a mix of European, Israeli, and US origin armaments, alongside some domestic systems, such as combat helicopters and some naval vessels; South Africa has one of Africa's leading defense industries (2025)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2015
1.01% (2015 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2016
0.97% (2016 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2017
0.94% (2017 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2018
0.89% (2018 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2019
0.88% (2019 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2020
0.96% (2020 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2021
0.81% (2021 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2022
0.80% (2022 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2023
0.75% (2023 est.)
Military and Security: Military expenditures: Military Expenditures 2024
0.70% (2024 est.)
Military and Security: Military service age and obligation
18-22 (18-26 for college graduates) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation (2025)
People and Society: Age structure: 0-14 years
27.2% (male 8,227,690/female 8,194,392)
People and Society: Age structure: 15-64 years
65.3% (male 19,524,873/female 19,947,839)
People and Society: Age structure: 65 years and over
7.5% (2024 est.) (male 1,911,825/female 2,636,028)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: beer
3.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: other alcohols
0.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: spirits
1.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: total
7.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Alcohol consumption per capita: wine
1.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
People and Society: Birth rate
17.21 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Child marriage: men married by age 18
0.6% (2016)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 15
0.9% (2016)
People and Society: Child marriage: women married by age 18
3.6% (2016)
People and Society: Children under the age of 5 years underweight
4.9% (2017 est.)
People and Society: Current health expenditure
8.91% (2023 est.)
People and Society: Currently married women (ages 15-49)
33.6% (2020 est.)
People and Society: Death rate
6.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: elderly dependency ratio
11.8 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: potential support ratio
8.4 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio
53 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Dependency ratios: youth dependency ratio
41.1 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: rural
rural: 84.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: total
total: 94.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: improved: urban
urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: rural
rural: 15.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: total
total: 5.5% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Drinking water source: unimproved: urban
urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% GDP)
6% of GDP (2024 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditure: Education expenditure (% national budget)
19.1% national budget (2025 est.)
People and Society: Education expenditures
6.02% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Ethnic groups
Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6% (2021 est.)
People and Society: Gross reproduction rate
1.1 (2025 est.)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of GDP)
8.3% of GDP (2021)
People and Society: Health expenditure: Health expenditure (as % of national budget)
16.9% of national budget (2022 est.)
People and Society: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
17.20% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Hospital bed density
2.2 beds/1,000 population (2010 est.)
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: female
20 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: male
23.9 deaths/1,000 live births
People and Society: Infant mortality rate: total
24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
People and Society: Languages: Languages
isiZulu or Zulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa or Xhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi or Pedi (official) 10.1%, Setswana or Tswana (official) 9.1%, English (official) 8.1%, Sesotho or Sotho (official) 7.9%, Xitsonga or Tsonga (official) 3.6%, siSwati or Swati (official) 2.8%, Tshivenda or Venda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele or Ndebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes South African sign language (official) and Khoi or Khoisan or Khoe languages) 2% (2018 est.)
People and Society: Languages: 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)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: female
69.8 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Life expectancy at birth: male
62.8 years (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: female
90.8% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: male
91.5% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Literacy: total population
91.15% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Major urban areas - population
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)
People and Society: Maternal mortality ratio
118 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)
People and Society: Median age: female
30.6 years
People and Society: Median age: male
30.1 years
People and Society: Nationality: adjective
South African
People and Society: Net migration rate
-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
People and Society: Obesity - adult prevalence rate
28.3% (2016)
People and Society: Physician density
0.79 physicians/1,000 population (2022)
People and Society: Population
64,007,187 (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population distribution
the population is 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 population distribution map
People and Society: Population growth rate
1.25% (2024 est.)
People and Society: Population: female
31,099,957
People and Society: Population: male
29,989,969
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: rural
rural: 81.7% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: total
total: 91.4% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: improved: urban
urban: 95.9% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: rural
rural: 18.3% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: total
total: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sanitation facility access: unimproved: urban
urban: 4.1% of population (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): female
14 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): male
14 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): total
14 years (2022 est.)
People and Society: Sex ratio: 0-14 years
1 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 15-64 years
0.98 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: 65 years and over
0.73 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: at birth
1.02 male(s)/female
People and Society: Sex ratio: total population
0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: female
6% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: male
35.3% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Tobacco use: total
20.1% (2025 est.)
People and Society: Total fertility rate
2.21 children born/woman (2024 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: rate of urbanization
1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
People and Society: Urbanization: urban population
63.69% (2024 est.)
Space: Key space-program milestones
1976 - established a satellite remote sensing (RS)/radio astronomy center (originally built by the US in 1961 to receive data from US space missions) 1980s - conducted program to launch reconnaissance satellites on a domestically produced satellite launch vehicle (abandoned in 1994 along with nuclear program) 1999 - first domestically built RS/technology demonstrator microsatellite (Sunsat-1) launched by US 2009 - first government-owned and -operated RS/scientific/technology demonstrator satellite (SumbandilaSat) launched by Russia 2018 - inaugurated a radio space telescope array (Karoo Array Telescope or MeerKAT) 2021 - began construction of the international Square Kilometer Array radio telescope observatory; launched a sounding rocket for research purposes to an altitude of nearly 18,000 km (11,185 mi) 2022 - opened Africa's first regional space weather center 2023 - agreed to participate in China's international lunar research station project
Space: Space agency/agencies
South African National Space Agency (SANSA; established 2010) (2025)
Space: Space launch site(s)
Arniston launch facility (Western Cape) used to support space launch vehicle and ballistic missile program (1980s-1990s); it is now a weapons testing facility called the Denel Overberg Test Range (2024)
Space: Space program overview
key areas of emphasis for its national space program include Earth observation/remote sensing (RS) capabilities, weather monitoring, research, engineering, and operations (tracking, telemetry, etc.); produces and operates satellites; has a sounding rocket program for carrying experimental payloads for research; cooperates with a range of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of China, France, India, Russia, and the US; member of the African Space Agency; participates in international programs such as the Square Kilometer Array Project; has a number of state- and privately-owned aerospace companies, as well as academic and research institutions involved in space-related activities (2025)
Terrorism: Terrorist group(s)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)
Transnational Issues: Illicit drugs: USG identification
major precursor-chemical producer (2025)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
7,385 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Refugees and internally displaced persons: refugees
171,484 (2024 est.)
Transnational Issues: Trafficking in persons: tier rating
Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore South Africa was downgraded to Tier 2 Watch List; for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/south-africa/
Transportation: Airports
573 (2025)
Transportation: Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
ZS
Transportation: Heliports
49 (2025)
Transportation: Merchant marine: by type
bulk carrier 3, general cargo 1, oil tanker 7, other 99
Transportation: Merchant marine: total
110 (2023)
Transportation: Ports: key ports
Cape Town, Durban, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay
Transportation: Ports: large
2
Transportation: Ports: medium
4
Transportation: Ports: ports with oil terminals
7
Transportation: Ports: small
1
Transportation: Ports: total ports
8 (2024)
Transportation: Ports: very small
1
Transportation: Railways: narrow gauge
19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)
Transportation: Railways: standard gauge
80 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)
Transportation: Railways: total
30,400 km (2021)
Warning: Some information might be outdated or incorrect, please check statistics before using(most of the economical stats are correct, its mostly the Population stats that are incorrect). Some dates are listed but some are missed, if you have any issues please report it to the Github at github.com.