South Africa

parliamentary republic

name: Pretoria (administrative capital); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital) geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) 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)

chief of state: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024) head of government: President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president election/appointment process: president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term) most recent election date: 29 May 2024 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 expected date of next election: May 2029 note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: bicameral

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) 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 subordinate courts: High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts

history: several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by the Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997 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

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

0.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.7% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2022 est.) 0.8% of GDP (2021 est.) 1.1% of GDP (2020 est.)

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)

18-22 (18-26 for college graduates) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation (2025) note: in 2023, women comprised nearly 30% of the military

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)

approximately 2,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO and Southern African Development Community) (2025)

$870.42 billion (2024 est.) $865.402 billion (2023 est.) $859.399 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

$13,600 (2024 est.) $13,700 (2023 est.) $13,800 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars

0.6% (2024 est.) 0.7% (2023 est.) 1.9% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

4.4% (2024 est.) 6.1% (2023 est.) 7% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

76.2% of GDP (2022 est.) note: central government debt as a % of GDP

$127.629 billion (2024 est.) $124.671 billion (2023 est.) $136.01 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

$119.59 billion (2024 est.) $123.454 billion (2023 est.) $127.669 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

33.2% (2024 est.) 32.1% (2023 est.) 33.3% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

revenues: $123.263 billion (2022 est.) expenditures: $137.593 billion (2022 est.) note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair

sugarcane, maize, milk, soybeans, potatoes, wheat, grapes, chicken, oranges, apples (2023) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

total: 61,089,926 (2025 est.) male: 29,989,969 female: 31,099,957

1.06% (2025 est.)

0-14 years: 27.2% (male 8,227,690/female 8,194,392) 15-64 years: 65.3% (male 19,524,873/female 19,947,839) 65 years and over: 7.5% (2024 est.) (male 1,911,825/female 2,636,028)

17.21 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

6.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

total population: 71.9 years (2024 est.) male: 70.3 years female: 73.5 years

urban population: 68.8% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6% (2021 est.) note: Colored is a term used in South Africa, including on the national census, for persons of mixed race ancestry who developed a distinct cultural identity over several hundred years

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.) 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) note: data represent language spoken most often at home

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.)

total population: 91.2% (2024 est.) male: 91.5% (2024 est.) female: 90.8% (2024 est.)

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas note: South Africa was the World's leading chromite ore producer in 2022 with an output of 18,000 mt

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

USG identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

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/

refugees: 171,484 (2024 est.) IDPs: 7,385 (2024 est.)

573 (2025)

total: 30,400 km (2021) standard gauge: 80 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified) narrow gauge: 19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

total: 110 (2023) by type: bulk carrier 3, general cargo 1, oil tanker 7, other 99

total subscriptions: 115 million (2024 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 167 (2024 est.)

percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)