South Africa

total: 2.15 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

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

.za

percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)

total subscriptions: 1.353 million (2023 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2023 est.)

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

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

on food: 16.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.) on alcohol and tobacco: 4.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

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

-$2.384 billion (2024 est.) -$6.143 billion (2023 est.) -$1.878 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

$93.879 billion (2023 est.) note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

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

rand (ZAR) per US dollar - 18.329 (2024 est.) 18.45 (2023 est.) 16.356 (2022 est.) 14.779 (2021 est.) 16.459 (2020 est.)

$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

gold, platinum, coal, cars, iron ore (2023) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

China 19%, USA 8%, Germany 7%, India 7%, UK 6% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

$400.261 billion (2024 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

household consumption: 64.8% (2024 est.) government consumption: 19.2% (2024 est.) investment in fixed capital: 14.5% (2024 est.) investment in inventories: -0.6% (2024 est.) exports of goods and services: 31.8% (2024 est.) imports of goods and services: -29.9% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture: 2.9% (2024 est.) industry: 24.4% (2024 est.) services: 62.7% (2024 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

$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

refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, cars, broadcasting equipment (2023) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 21%, India 7%, USA 7%, Germany 6%, UAE 4% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-0.4% (2024 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

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

27.766 million (2024 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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

$870.42 billion (2024 est.) $865.402 billion (2023 est.) $859.399 billion (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

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

0.2% of GDP (2024 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2023 est.) 0.2% of GDP (2022 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

$65.435 billion (2024 est.) $62.492 billion (2023 est.) $60.553 billion (2022 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

26% (of GDP) (2022 est.) note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

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

total: 60.9% (2024 est.) male: 57.1% (2024 est.) female: 65.5% (2024 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

production: 239.712 million metric tons (2023 est.) consumption: 176.095 million metric tons (2023 est.) exports: 66.918 million metric tons (2023 est.) imports: 3.301 million metric tons (2023 est.) proven reserves: 9.893 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

installed generating capacity: 65.989 million kW (2023 est.) consumption: 194.978 billion kWh (2023 est.) exports: 12.629 billion kWh (2023 est.) imports: 10.837 billion kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 22.838 billion kWh (2023 est.)

electrification - total population: 86.5% (2022 est.) electrification - urban areas: 87.1% electrification - rural areas: 93.4%

fossil fuels: 87.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) nuclear: 3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) wind: 5.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) hydroelectricity: 0.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) biomass and waste: 0.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

86.197 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

production: 66.094 million cubic meters (2023 est.) consumption: 3.834 billion cubic meters (2023 est.) imports: 3.768 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Number of operational nuclear reactors: 2 (2025) Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 1.85GW (2025 est.) Percent of total electricity production: 4.4% (2023 est.)

total petroleum production: 88,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) refined petroleum consumption: 609,000 bbl/day (2023 est.) crude oil estimated reserves: 15 million barrels (2021 est.)

446.704 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 365.269 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 73.913 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.) from consumed natural gas: 7.522 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

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

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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

agricultural land: 79.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 9.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 69.2% (2023 est.) forest: 18.7% (2023 est.) other: 1.9% (2023 est.)

energy: 1,489.2 kt (2022-2024 est.) agriculture: 754.2 kt (2019-2021 est.) waste: 770.2 kt (2019-2021 est.) other: 32.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

17 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

51.35 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

municipal: 3.476 billion cubic meters (2022) industrial: 4.616 billion cubic meters (2022) agricultural: 11.839 billion cubic meters (2022)

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

municipal solid waste generated annually: 18.457 million tons (2024 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.2% (2022 est.)

total : 1,219,090 sq km land: 1,214,470 sq km water: 4,620 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

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

2,798 km

highest point: Ntheledi (Mafadi) 3,450 m lowest point: Atlantic/Indian Oceans 0 m mean elevation: 1,034 m

29 00 S, 24 00 E

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

16,700 sq km (2012)

total: 5,244 km border countries (6): Botswana 1,969 km; Lesotho 1,106 km; Mozambique 496 km; Namibia 1,005 km; Eswatini 438 km; Zimbabwe 230 km

agricultural land: 79.4% (2023 est.) arable land: 9.9% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.) permanent pasture: 69.2% (2023 est.) forest: 18.7% (2023 est.) other: 1.9% (2023 est.)

Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa

Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin

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

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Orange (941,351 sq km)

Africa

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin

prolonged droughts volcanism: the volcano that formed Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands is South Africa's only active volcano

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

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

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

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)

citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa dual citizenship recognized: yes, but requires prior permission of the government residency requirement for naturalization: 5 year

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

conventional long form: Republic of South Africa conventional short form: South Africa former: Union of South Africa abbreviation: RSA 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

chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Leo Brent BOZELL III; Charg d Affaires Marc DILLARD (since October 2025) embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria mailing address: 9300 Pretoria Place, Washington DC 20521-9300 telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000 FAX: [27] (12) 342-2299 email address and website: ACSJohannesburg@state.gov https://za.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charg d Affaires Ismail ESAU (since 17 March 2025) chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (240) 937-5760 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607 email address and website: Info.saembassyDC@dirco.gov.za https://www.saembassy.org/ consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York

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

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" note: South Africa has one of two national flags that display six colors as part of the primary design -- the other is South Sudan's

parliamentary republic

31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 22 August 1934 (Status of the Union Act); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law

legislature name: Parliament legislative structure: bicameral

chamber name: National Assembly number of seats: 400 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 6/15/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 44.7% expected date of next election: May 2029

chamber name: National Council of Provinces number of seats: 90 (all appointed) scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 5 years most recent election date: 5/29/2024 percentage of women in chamber: 44.4% expected date of next election: June 2029 note: the Council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities

title: "National Anthem of South Africa" lyrics/music: Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers 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)

red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

total World Heritage Sites: 12 (7 cultural, 4 natural, 1 mixed) 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)

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

springbok (antelope), king protea flower

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

18 years of age; universal

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.

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)

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)

approximately 65-70,000 active-duty National Defense Forces (2025)

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

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)

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.)

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

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)

total: 7.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) beer: 3.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) wine: 1.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) spirits: 1.31 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.) other alcohols: 0.7 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

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

women married by age 15: 0.9% (2016) women married by age 18: 3.6% (2016) men married by age 18: 0.6% (2016)

4.9% (2017 est.)

33.6% (2020 est.)

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

total dependency ratio: 53 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 41.1 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 11.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 8.4 (2025 est.)

urban: 99.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 84.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 94.5% of population (2022 est.) urban: 0.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 15.5% of population (2022 est.) total: 5.5% of population (2022 est.)

6% of GDP (2024 est.) 19.1% national budget (2025 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

1.1 (2025 est.)

8.3% of GDP (2021) 16.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

total: 19.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 23.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20 deaths/1,000 live births

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

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

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

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)

118 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

total: 30.7 years (2025 est.) male: 30.1 years female: 30.6 years

noun: South African(s) adjective: South African

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

28.3% (2016)

0.79 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

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

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

1.06% (2025 est.)

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.)

urban: 95.9% of population (2022 est.) rural: 81.7% of population (2022 est.) total: 91.4% of population (2022 est.) urban: 4.1% of population (2022 est.) rural: 18.3% of population (2022 est.) total: 8.6% of population (2022 est.)

total: 14 years (2022 est.) male: 14 years (2022 est.) female: 14 years (2022 est.)

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total: 20.1% (2025 est.) male: 35.3% (2025 est.) female: 6% (2025 est.)

2.23 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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

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

South African National Space Agency (SANSA; established 2010) (2025)

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)

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)

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)

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

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/

573 (2025)

ZS

49 (2025)

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

total ports: 8 (2024) large: 2 medium: 4 small: 1 very small: 1 ports with oil terminals: 7 key ports: Cape Town, Durban, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay

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)