Quick Data on South Africa
| Short Name | South Africa |
| Capital | Pretoria |
| Long Name | Republic of South Africa |
| Country Code | SF |
| Continent | Africa |
| Total Area | 1,219,090 sq km |
| Population | 56,463,617 |
| Language | isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele |
| Nationality | South African(s) |
Geography of South Africa
As a country in Africa, with coordinates at 29 00 S, 24 00 E, South Africa neighbors Botswana 1969 km, Lesotho 1106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1005 km, Eswatini 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km. The terrain in South Africa is described as vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain, with an average elevation point of 1,034 m. The climate of South Africa: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights.
| Surface Total | 1,219,090 sq km |
| Land Surface | 1,214,470 sq km |
| Water Surface | 4,620 sq km |
| Land Boundaries | 5,244 km |
| Neighbor Countries | Botswana 1969 km, Lesotho 1106 km, Mozambique 496 km, Namibia 1005 km, Eswatini 438 km, Zimbabwe 230 km |
| Coastline | 2,798 km |
| Lowest Elevation Point | Atlantic Ocean 0 m |
| Highest Elevation Point | Njesuthi 3,408 m |
Resources of South Africa
The country enjoys many types of natural resources, with the main ones being gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas. The agricultural land occupies 79.40% of South Africa, while the land covered with forests is estimated at 7.60%.
| Percent of Total Land | Surface Sq km | Data | |
| Agricultural Land | 79.40% | 964,289 sq km | 2011 est. |
| Irrigated Land | 16,700 sq km | 2012 | |
| Forest Land | 7.60% | 92,300 sq km | 2011 est. |
| Other Land | 13.00% | 157,881 sq km | 2011 est. |
Population of South Africa
The population of the country is estimated at 56,463,617 people, with the biggest urban area having 9.677 million Johannesburg (includes Ekurhuleni), 4.618 million Cape Town (legislative capital), 3.158 million Durban, 2.566 million PRETORIA (administrative capital), 1.254 million Port Elizabeth, 898,000 West Rand (2020). Known as South African(s), the people from South Africa come from diversified ethnic groups such as black African 80.9%, colored 8.8%, white 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2018 est.). The official language is isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele. 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 | 56,463,617 |
| Nationality | South African(s) |
| Official Language | isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele |
| Other Languages | isiZulu (official) 24.7%, isiXhosa (official) 15.6%, Afrikaans (official) 12.1%, Sepedi (official) 9.8%, Setswana (official) 8.9%, English (official) 8.4%, Sesotho (official) 8%, Xitsonga (official) 4%, siSwati (official) 2.6%, Tshivenda (official) 2.5%, isiNdebele (official) 1.6%, other (includes Khoi, Nama, and San languages) 1.9% (2017 est.) |
| Birth Rate | 19.2 births / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
| Death Rate | 9.3 deaths / 1000 population (2020 est.) |
| Urban Population | 67.40% of total population (2020) |
| Physicians Density | 0.91 physicians/1,000 population (2017) |
| Hospital Beds Density | 2.3 beds/1,000 population (2010) |
Governing Type of South Africa
South Africa is a parliamentary republic. The legal system makes use of mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law.
| Governing Type | parliamentary republic |
| Citizenship by Birth | no |
| Citizenship by Descent | at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa |
| Dual Citizenship | yes, but requires prior permission of the government |
| Residency Requirement for Naturalization | 1 year |
| Suffrage Vote | 18 years of age; universal |
Economy of South Africa
From a population total of 56,463,617, the labor force is 22.19 million (2017 est.). The main products in agriculture are: corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products. Among the main industries considerable for the economy are: mining (world’s largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair. Its exports cover gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment. The main import products are: machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs.
| Exports | $94.93 billion (2017 est.) |
| Imports | $89.36 billion (2017 est.) |
| Export Partners | China 9.5%, US 7.7%, Germany 7.1%, Japan 4.7%, India 4.6%, Botswana 4.3%, Namibia 4.1% (2017) |
| Import Partners | China 18.3%, Germany 11.9%, US 6.6%, Saudi Arabia 4.7%, India 4.7% (2017) |
| GDP / Capita | $13,600 (2017 est.) |
| Electricity Production | 234.5 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
| Electrification Rate | population without electricity: 9 million (2017) |
| Internet Users | 29,322,380 |
| Internet Penetration Rate | 54.00% (July 2016 est.) |
For latest imports and exports data we recommend checking the website for the National Bank of South Africa, statistics sectio
