South Africa

Internet country code

.za

Internet hosts

288,633 (2003)

Internet users

3.1 million (2002)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Telephone system

general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

4.844 million (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

16.86 million (2003)

Television broadcast stations

556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Agriculture - products

corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products

Budget

revenues: $37.48 billion expenditures: $41.46 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA billion (2003)

Currency

rand (ZAR)

Currency code

ZAR

Current account balance

$-1.234 billion (2003)

Debt - external

$25.9 billion (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

59.3 (1993-94)

Economic aid - recipient

$487.5 million (2000)

Economy - overview

South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that ranks among the 10 largest in the world; and a modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. However, growth has not been strong enough to lower South Africa's high unemployment rate; and daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era, especially poverty and lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups. High crime and HIV/AIDS infection rates also deter investment. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative, but pragmatic, focusing on targeting inflation and liberalizing trade as means to increase job growth and household income.

Electricity - consumption

181.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

6.91 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

6.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

195.6 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

rand per US dollar - 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002), 8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000), 6.1095 (1999)

Exports

$36.77 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment (1998 est.)

Exports - partners

UK 12.6%, US 12.4%, Japan 9.2%, Germany 8.1%, China 4.7%, Italy 4.4% (2003)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

purchasing power parity - $456.7 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 3.8% industry: 31% services: 65.2% (2003)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $10,700 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

1.9% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.1% highest 10%: 45.9% (1994)

Imports

$33.89 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs (2000 est.)

Imports - partners

Germany 16.6%, UK 8.5%, US 8.2%, Japan 5.9%, China 5.9%, Saudi Arabia 5.2%, France 5% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

5% (2003 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.9% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

16.35 million economically active (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 30%, industry 25%, services 45% (1999 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

1.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

1.8 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

14.16 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption

460,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

196,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

7.84 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line

50% (2000 est.)

Public debt

38.2% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$7.972 billion (2003)

Unemployment rate

31% (includes workers no longer looking for employment) (2003 est.)

Area

total: 1,219,912 sq km land: 1,219,912 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

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

Coastline

2,798 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m

Environment - current issues

lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification

Environment - international agreements

party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

29 00 S, 24 00 E

Geography - note

South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland

Irrigated land

13,500 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 4,862 km border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km

Land use

arable land: 12.08% permanent crops: 0.79% other: 87.13% (2001)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

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

Natural hazards

prolonged droughts

Natural resources

gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas

Terrain

vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

Pretoria; note - Cape Town is the legislative center and Bloemfontein the judicial center

Constitution

10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 3 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Cameron H. HUME embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001 telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048 FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244 consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Barbara Joyce Mosima MASEKELA chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400 FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Jacob ZUMA (since 17 June 1999); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 2 June 1999 (next to be held 24 April 2004) election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation) note: ANC-IFP is the governing coalition

Flag description

two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes

Government type

republic

Independence

31 May 1910 (from UK); note - South Africa became a republic in 1961 following an October 1960 referendum

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIL, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts

Legal system

based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 3 February 1997 the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held 14 April 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%; seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other 21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

National holiday

Freedom Day, 27 April (1994)

Political parties and leaders

African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE, president]; African National Congress or ANC [Thabo MBEKI, president]; Democratic Alliance or DA (formed from the merger of the Democratic Party or DP and the Freedom Alliance or FA) [Anthony LEON]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI, president]; New National Party or NNP [Marthinus VAN SCHALKWYK]; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Stanley MOGOBA, president]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments, but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902). The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The 1990s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule.

Military - note

with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete

Military branches

South African National Defense Force: Army, Navy, Air Force, and Medical Services

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$2,653.4 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.7% (2003)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 11,924,500 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 7,247,696 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service (October 2004)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 471,221 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.5% (male 6,337,468; female 6,254,925) 15-64 years: 65.3% (male 13,898,269; female 14,017,559) 65 years and over: 5.2% (male 886,801; female 1,323,508) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

18.38 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

20.54 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

21.5% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

370,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

5.3 million (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 62.18 deaths/1,000 live births male: 65.87 deaths/1,000 live births female: 58.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

11 official languages, including Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 44.19 years male: 44.39 years female: 43.98 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.4% male: 87% female: 85.7% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 24.7 years male: 24.2 years female: 25.3 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: South African(s) adjective: South African

Net migration rate

-0.29 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

42,718,530 note: South Africa took a census October 1996 that showed a population of 40,583,611 (after an official adjustment for a 6.8% underenumeration based on a postenumeration survey); estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.25% (2004 est.)

Religions

Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), indigenous beliefs and animist 28.5%

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.18 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River

Illicit drugs

transshipment center for heroin, hashish, marijuana, and cocaine; cocaine consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries; illicit cultivation of marijuana; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region

Airports

728 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 144 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 67 under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 584 1,524 to 2,437 m: 34 914 to 1,523 m: 300 under 914 m: 250 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 362,099 km paved: 73,506 km (including 2,032 km of expressways) unpaved: 288,593 km (2000)

Merchant marine

total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 31,505 GRT/37,091 DWT by type: container 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: Denmark 1, Netherlands 1 registered in other countries: 7 (2004 est.)

Pipelines

condensate 100 km; gas 1,052 km; oil 847 km; refined products 1,354 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Saldanha

Railways

total: 22,298 km narrow gauge: 21,984 km 1.065-m gauge (10,436 km electrified); 314 km 0.610-m gauge note: includes a 2,228 km commuter rail system (2003)