South Africa

Parliamentary RepublicPop63.1MGDP (PPP)$870.4BCI60Beta CP+0.9↑Beta

Some figures reconciled across multiple sources via Civica's methodology (v0.2 BETA). Methodology →

South Africa

⌘K

Overview

Background: 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.

Geography

Area

Land: 1,214,470 sq km
Note: note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
Water: 4,620 sq km
Total: 1,219,090 sq km

Climate: mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
Terrain: vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Land Use

Other: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Forest: 18.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 79.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 9.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 69.2% (2023 est.)

Location: Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Coastline: 2,798 km

Elevation

Lowest point: Atlantic/Indian Oceans 0 m
Highest point: Ntheledi (Mafadi) 3,450 m
Mean elevation: 1,034 m

Irrigated land: 16,700 sq km (2012)
Major aquifers: Karoo Basin, Lower Kalahari-Stampriet Basin
Map references: Africa

Land Boundaries

Total: 5,244 km
Border countries: Botswana 1,969 km; Lesotho 1,106 km; Mozambique 496 km; Namibia 1,005 km; Eswatini 438 km; Zimbabwe 230 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards: prolonged droughts

volcanism: the volcano that formed Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands is South Africa's only active volcano
Geography note: 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
Natural resources: gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, rare earth elements, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas
Area comparative: slightly less than twice the size of Texas
Geographic coordinates: 29 00 S, 24 00 E
Population distribution: 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

Major Watersheds (Area Sq Km)

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

Major rivers (BY length in km): 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

People & Society

Literacy

Male: 91.5% (2024 est.)
Female: 90.8% (2024 est.)
Total population: 91.2% (2024 est.)

Languages

Note: note: data represent language spoken most often at home
Languages: 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)

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.)

Sex Ratio

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

Birth rate: 17.21 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Death rate: 6.56 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Median Age

Male: 30.1 years
Total: 30.7 years (2025 est.)
Female: 30.6 years

Population

Male: 29,989,969
Total: 61,089,926 (2025 est.)
Female: 31,099,957

Nationality

Noun: South African(s)
Adjective: South African

Tobacco Use

Male: 35.3% (2025 est.)
Total: 20.1% (2025 est.)
Female: 6% (2025 est.)

Urbanization

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

Age Structure

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)

Ethnic groups: Black African 80.9%, Colored 8.8%, White 7.8%, Indian/Asian 2.6% (2021 est.)

Child Marriage

Men married BY age 18: 0.6% (2016)
Women married BY age 15: 0.9% (2016)
Women married BY age 18: 3.6% (2016)

Dependency Ratios

Total dependency ratio: 53 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 41.1 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 8.4 (2025 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 11.8 (2025 est.)

Physician density: 0.79 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Health Expenditure

Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 8.3% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 16.9% of national budget (2022 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.23 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Drinking Water Source

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

Education Expenditure

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

Infant Mortality Rate

Male: 23.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 19.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)
Female: 20 deaths/1,000 live births

Population growth rate: 1.06% (2025 est.)
Gross reproduction rate: 1.1 (2025 est.)
Population distribution: 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

Life Expectancy at Birth

Male: 70.3 years
Female: 73.5 years
Total population: 71.9 years (2024 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 118 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

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

Alcohol Consumption Per Capita

Beer: 3.99 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 1.21 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 7.21 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.)

Major urban areas population: 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)
Obesity adult prevalence rate: 28.3% (2016)
Currently married women (ages 15 49): 33.6% (2020 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.9% (2017 est.)

School Life Expectancy (Primary to Tertiary Education)

Male: 14 years (2022 est.)
Total: 14 years (2022 est.)
Female: 14 years (2022 est.)

Government

Civica · structure

How power is organised

ExecutiveLegislative

Flag: 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"

Capital

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Citizenship

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

Constitution

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

Country Name

Former: Union of South Africa
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
Abbreviation: RSA
Conventional long form: Republic of South Africa
Conventional short form: South Africa

Independence: 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)
Legal system: mixed system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law
Government type: parliamentary republic

Judicial Branch

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

Executive Branch

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

National holiday: Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)
National color(s): red, green, blue, yellow, black, white

National Heritage

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)

Political parties: 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

Legislative Branch

Legislature name: Parliament
Legislative structure: bicameral

National Anthem(s)

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

National symbol(s): springbok (antelope), king protea flower
Administrative divisions: 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North West, Western Cape

Legislative Branch Lower Chamber

Chamber name: National Assembly
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 400 (all directly elected)
Electoral system: proportional representation
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 6/15/2024
Expected date of next election: May 2029
Percentage of women in chamber: 44.7%

Legislative Branch Upper Chamber

Note: note: the Council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities
Chamber name: National Council of Provinces
Term in office: 5 years
Number of seats: 90 (all appointed)
Scope of elections: full renewal
Most recent election date: 5/29/2024
Expected date of next election: June 2029
Percentage of women in chamber: 44.4%

Diplomatic Representation in the US

Fax: [1] (202) 265-1607
Chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone: [1] (240) 937-5760
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Ismail ESAU (since 17 March 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Email address and website: Info.saembassyDC@dirco.gov.za

https://www.saembassy.org/

Diplomatic Representation from the US

Fax: [27] (12) 342-2299
Embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria
Telephone: [27] (12) 431-4000
Mailing address: 9300 Pretoria Place, Washington DC  20521-9300
Chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Leo Brent BOZELL III; Chargé d’Affaires Marc DILLARD (since October 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Email address and website: ACSJohannesburg@state.gov

https://za.usembassy.gov/

International organisations: 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
International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Legislature

SOUTH AFRICA · LOWER HOUSE

National Assembly

400 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

400

Majority line

201

Largest party

ANC

Parties

All political parties6 parties · 400 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Upper house

SOUTH AFRICA · UPPER HOUSE

National Council of Provinces

90 seats · hover a seat for the party

Total seats

Majority line

Largest party

ANC

Parties

All political parties5 parties · 90 seats · click to dim in hemicycle

Next election

Last: 2024

Leaders

Current

CR
Cyril Ramaphosa
- Head of StateSince 2018
- Head of GovernmentSince 2018

Economy

Budget

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

Exports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $127.5B

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

Imports

Civica canonical (reconciled): $119.8B

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

Industries: mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair
Labor force: 27.766 million (2024 est.)

Public Debt

Civica canonical (reconciled): 79.4%

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

Remittances

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

Exchange Rates

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

Debt External

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

Economic overview: 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

Unemployment Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 31.4%

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

Exports partners: China 19%, USA 8%, Germany 7%, India 7%, UK 6% (2023)
Imports partners: China 21%, India 7%, USA 7%, Germany 6%, UAE 4% (2023)

Real GDP Per Capita

Civica canonical (reconciled): $15,456

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $13,800 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $13,700 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $13,600 (2024 est.)

Real GDP Growth Rate

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.4%

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

Agricultural products: sugarcane, maize, milk, soybeans, potatoes, wheat, grapes, chicken, oranges, apples (2023)
Exports commodities: gold, platinum, coal, cars, iron ore (2023)
Imports commodities: refined petroleum, crude petroleum, gold, cars, broadcasting equipment (2023)

Current Account Balance

Civica canonical (reconciled): -$2.6B

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

Taxes and other revenues: 26% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): $400.261 billion (2024 est.)

GDP Composition, BY End Use

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection
Household consumption: 64.8% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 19.2% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.6% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 14.5% (2024 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 31.8% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -29.9% (2024 est.)

Average Household Expenditures

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

Inflation Rate (Consumer Prices)

Civica canonical (reconciled): 3.1%

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

Industrial production growth rate: -0.4% (2024 est.)

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)

Civica canonical (reconciled): $870.42 billion (2024 est.)

Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $859.399 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $865.402 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $870.42 billion (2024 est.)

Youth Unemployment Rate (Ages 15 24)

Male: 57.1% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 60.9% (2024 est.)
Female: 65.5% (2024 est.)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange and Gold

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

GDP Composition, BY Sector of Origin

Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Industry: 24.4% (2024 est.)
Services: 62.7% (2024 est.)
Agriculture: 2.9% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Exports: 66.918 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 3.301 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 239.712 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Consumption: 176.095 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 9.893 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Total petroleum production: 88,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 15 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 609,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Electricity

Exports: 12.629 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 10.837 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Consumption: 194.978 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 65.989 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 22.838 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Natural Gas

Imports: 3.768 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 66.094 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Consumption: 3.834 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)

Nuclear Energy

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

Electricity Access

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

Energy Consumption Per Capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 86.197 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Electricity Generation Sources

Wind: 5.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Solar: 2.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear: 3.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 87.3% 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.)

Communications

Internet Users

Percent of population: 76% (2023 est.)

Broadcast media: 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
Internet country code: .za

Telephones Fixed Lines

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

Telephones Mobile Cellular

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

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Total: 2.15 million (2023 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2023 est.)

Transport

Ports

Large: 2
Small: 1
Medium: 4
Key ports: Cape Town, Durban, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha Bay
Very small: 1
Total ports: 8 (2024)
Ports with oil terminals: 7

Airports: 573 (2025)

Railways

Total: 30,400 km (2021)
Narrow gauge: 19,756 km (2014) 1.065-m gauge (8,271 km electrified)
Standard gauge: 80 km (2021) 1.435-m gauge (80 km electrified)

Heliports: 49 (2025)

Merchant Marine

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: ZS

Environment

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

Land Use

Other: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Forest: 18.7% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: 79.4% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 9.9% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 0.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 69.2% (2023 est.)

Urbanization

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

Methane Emissions

Other: 32.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Waste: 770.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)
Energy: 1,489.2 kt (2022-2024 est.)
Agriculture: 754.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

Waste and Recycling

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

Environmental issues: 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

Total Water Withdrawal

Municipal: 3.476 billion cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 4.616 billion cubic meters (2022)
Agricultural: 11.839 billion cubic meters (2022)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Total emissions: 446.704 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 7.522 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.)

Particulate matter emissions: 17 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Total renewable water resources: 51.35 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

International Environmental Agreements

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

Military & Security

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

Military Expenditures

Civica canonical (reconciled): 0.7%

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

Military and security forces: 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)
Military service age and obligation: 18-22 (18-26 for college graduates) years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; initial 24-month service obligation (2025)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: 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)
Military and security service personnel strengths: approximately 65-70,000 active-duty National Defense Forces (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)

Space

Space launch site(s): 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)
Space agency/agencies: South African National Space Agency (SANSA; established 2010) (2025)
Space program overview: 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)
Key space program milestones: 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

Transnational Issues

Illicit Drugs

Usg identification: major precursor-chemical producer (2025)

Trafficking in Persons

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 and Internally Displaced Persons

Idps: 7,385 (2024 est.)
Refugees: 171,484 (2024 est.)

Scores & Rankings

ScoreValueGlobal rankTrendAs of

Civica Index60.0 / 100as of 2024-Q466 / 1902024-Q4

Civica Pulse+0.9as of 2026-05-06—2026-05-06

V-Dem Liberal Democracy0.65as of 2024-Q436 / 170+0.112024-Q4

Freedom House StatusPartly Free (83/100)as of 2024-Q4—−1.52024-Q4

Press Freedom (RSF)Partly free (66/100)as of 2024—2024

Human Development Index0.717as of 2022—2022

Corruption Perceptions Index41 / 100as of 202383 / 1802023

Cite this page

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Civica. (2026). Civica Atlas — South Africa — vintage 2026-Q1: South Africa factbook. Civica Atlas. Retrieved May 7, 2026, from https://civicaatlas.org/factbook/south-africa

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Sources: FAO FAOSTAT, ILO ILOSTAT, IMF (WEO), OECD.Stat, Statistics South Africa, UN Statistics Division, UNDP HDR, UNESCO Institute for Statistics, V-Dem, WHO Global Health Observatory, World Bank, WTO Stats, CIA World Factbook, Wikidata

South Africa

Area

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Cyril Ramaphosa

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Internet Users

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Methane Emissions