About South Africa
Land surface area
1 220 813 km2
Key economic sectors
Mining services and transport, energy, manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture
Population
Total: 60,14 million
Male: 30,75 million (51,1%)
Female:29,39 million (48,9%)
Official languages
English / isiZulu / isiXhosa / isiNdebele / Afrikaans / siSwati / Sepedi / Sesotho / Setswana / Tshivenda / Xitsonga
Currency
Rand (ZAR) – 100 cents equals one rand.
Time
GMT +2 hours
Government
Constitutional multiparty, three spheres - local, provincial and national government
Capitals
Pretoria (administrative)
Cape Town (legislative)
Bloemfontein (judicial)
The Constitutional Court is located in Johannesburg.
Provinces
Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal Limpopo Mpumalanga
Northern Cape North West Western Cape
Transportation
Excellent roads, rail and air facilities (both domestic and international).
Public transport in major cities include the Gautrain between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the Bus Rapid Transport System in major cities.
Telecommunications
World-class infrastructure. Internet access is widely available. There are five mobile (cellular) networks.
Health
Top-quality public and private healthcare is available throughout the country. Malaria precautions are necessary in some areas.
Source: Statistics South Africa’s Mid-year Population Estimates, 2021
Capital: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative)
Largest city: Johannesburg
Coat of arms of the Republic of South Africa:
the motto, elephant tusks, the ears of wheat, the shield with human figures, a Knobkierie and a Spear, a Protea flower, a Secretary bird with its wings expanded, a rising sun.
Cape Town - Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa, colloquially named the Mother City. The second-most populous city in South Africa, is famous for its harbour, Table Mountain and Cape Point. It is the most popular international tourist destination in South Africa.
South Africa is a popular tourist destination, and a substantial amount of revenue comes from tourism. Numerous mammals are found in the Bushveld (a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion) including lions, African leopards, South African cheetahs, southern white rhinos, blue wildebeest, kudus, impalas, hyenas, hippopotamuses and South African giraffes.
Johannesburg - By population, Johannesburg is the largest and wealthiest city in South Africa. Called Africa’s economic powerhouse, this city is also the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa.
South Africa is known for its ethnic diversity and with 11 official languages. Often referred to as the ‘Rainbow Nation’, South Africa is home to a fascinating mix of citizens.