Capital

Südafrika

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 is named in honor of Andries PRETORIUS, the father of voortrekker (pioneer) leader Marthinus PRETORIUS; Cape Town reflects its location on the Cape of Good Hope; Bloemfontein is a combination of the Dutch words bloem (flower) and fontein (fountain) meaning "fountain of flowers"

Citizenship

Südafrika

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

Legal system

Südafrika

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

Suffrage

Südafrika

18 years of age; universal

Area

Südafrika

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)

Land use

Südafrika

agricultural land: 79.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 9.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 69.2% (2018 est.)

forest: 7.6% (2018 est.)

other: 13% (2018 est.)

Location

Südafrika

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

Age structure

Südafrika

0-14 years: 27.29% (male 7,931,943/female 7,906,715)

15-64 years: 66.17% (male 19,158,920/female 19,253,679)

65 years and over: 6.54% (2023 est.) (male 1,596,882/female 2,200,193)

Birth rate

Südafrika

18.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Südafrika

7.2 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Südafrika

isiZulu or Zulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa or Xhosa (official) 14.8%, Afrikaans (official) 12.2%, Sepedi of 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%; note - data represent language spoken most often at home (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)

Life expectancy at birth

Südafrika

total population: 71 years (2023 est.)

male: 69.4 years

female: 72.6 years

Major urban areas - population

Südafrika

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)

Median age

Südafrika

total: 30.1 years (2023 est.)

male: 29.9 years

female: 30.3 years

Net migration rate

Südafrika

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Südafrika

the population 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

Population growth rate

Südafrika

1.08% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Südafrika

2.31 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Südafrika

urban population: 68.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Südafrika

6.6% of GDP (2021 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Südafrika

total: 13 years

male: 13 years

female: 14 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Südafrika

-4.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Südafrika

6.12% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Südafrika

22.398 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Südafrika

55.5% (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

Südafrika

33.56% (2021 est.)

29.22% (2020 est.)

28.47% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Südafrika

53% of GDP (2017 est.)

51.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Südafrika

4.61% (2021 est.)

3.21% (2020 est.)

4.12% (2019 est.)

Exports

Südafrika

$130.885 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$94.123 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$105.988 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Südafrika

China 15%, United Kingdom 8%, Germany 7%, United States 6%, India 6% (2019)

Imports

Südafrika

$104.806 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$79.022 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$103.92 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Südafrika

China 18%, Germany 11%, United States 6%, India 5% (2019)

Airports

Südafrika

407 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Südafrika

total: 1,303,057 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Südafrika

total: 42.48 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 72% (2021 est.)

Railways

Südafrika

total: 20,986 km (2014)

standard gauge: 80 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)

other: (2014) 1,150 km (passenger rail, gauge unspecified, 1,115.5 km electrified)

Roadways

Südafrika

total: 750,000 km (2016)

paved: 158,124 km (2016)

unpaved: 591,876 km (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

Südafrika

total subscriptions: 1,472,191 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Südafrika

total subscriptions: 100,328,005 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 169 (2021 est.)

Disputes - international

Südafrika

South Africa-Botswana: none identified

South Africa-Eswatini: Eswatini seeks to reclaim land it says was stolen by South Africa

South Africa-Lesotho: crossborder livestock thieving, smuggling of drugs and arms, and illegal migration are problematic

South Africa-Mozambique: animal poachers cross the South Africa-Mozambique border to hunt wildlife in South Africa’s Kruger National Park; border fences were removed in some areas to allow animals to roam between nature reserves in the two countries; improved patrols, technology, and crossborder cooperation are reducing the problem

South Africa-Namibia: the governments of South Africa and Namibia have not signed or ratified the text of the 1994 Surveyor's General agreement placing the boundary in the middle of the Orange River; the location of the border could affect diamond mining rights; South Africa has always claimed that the northern bank of the Orange River is the border between the two countries, while Namibia’s constitution states that the border lies in the middle of the Orange River

South Africa-various: South Africa has placed military units to assist police operations along the border of Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to control smuggling, poaching, and illegal migration

South Africa-Zimbabwe: Zimbabweans migrate illegally into South Africa in search of work or smuggle goods to sell at a profit back home