South Africa

World Book Index

Introduction

Background
By about A.D. 500, Bantu-speaking groups settled into northeastern South Africa. Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of present-day South Africa in 1652. The British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806. British and Afrikaners (Dutch descendants) ruled jointly from 1910 to 1961 in the Union of South Africa. The African National Congress (ANC) led the opposition to apartheid. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 followed the end of apartheid.

Geography

Area
total : 1,219,090 sq km
land: 1,214,470 sq km
water: 4,620 sq km

Climate
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights

Natural resources
gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

People and Society

Population
total: 60,442,647 (2024 est.)

Ethnic groups
Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6% (2021 est.)

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.)

Religions
Christian 86%, ancestral, tribal, animist, or other traditional African religions 5.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other 1.5%, nothing in particular 5.2% (2015 est.)

Population growth rate
1.07% (2024 est.)

Government

Government type
parliamentary republic

Capital
name: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)

Executive branch
chief of state: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024)
head of government: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024)

Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Ismail ESAU (since 17 March 2025)

Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires David J. GREENE (since March 2025)

Economy

Economic overview
upper-middle-income, largest southern African economy; Government of National Unity facing slow growth, fiscal gaps, and structural challenges; high income inequality, unemployment, and poverty; reforms to address electricity generation, transport, and logistics; leading producer and exporter of critical minerals

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$870.42 billion (2024 est.)
$865.402 billion (2023 est.)
$859.399 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$13,600 (2024 est.)
$13,700 (2023 est.)
$13,800 (2022 est.)

Exports
$127.629 billion (2024 est.)
$124.671 billion (2023 est.)
$136.01 billion (2022 est.)

Exports - partners
China 19%, USA 8%, Germany 7%, India 7%, UK 6% (2023)

Exports - commodities
gold, platinum, coal, cars, iron ore (2023)

Imports
$119.59 billion (2024 est.)
$123.454 billion (2023 est.)
$127.669 billion (2022 est.)

Imports - partners
China 21%, India 7%, USA 7%, Germany 6%, UAE 4% (2023)

Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, cars, broadcasting equipment (2023)

Human Development Index

The country's Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.741, ranking it 106th out of 193 countries tested. (more information)

World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report ranked the country 91st out of 158 countries tested with a score of 5.316. (more information)