Country Profile · No. 46

South Africa

Capital / Admin Capital

Pretoria (executive) / Cape Town (legislative) / Bloemfontein (judicial)Population: ~60.4MIndependence: 1910 (Dominion status from UK; Republic declared 1961; democratic majority rule achieved in 1994)

First Democratic President

Nelson Mandela (1994–1999)Current President: Cyril Ramaphosa (Serving since February 2018)

Geography & Borders

Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini, completely surrounds Lesotho, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean. Southernmost nation on the African continent.

Demographics & Language

Christianity (~80%+). Official: 11 official languages including Zulu language, Xhosa language, Afrikaans, English language, Sotho. Major groups: Zulu (~23%), Xhosa (~16%), White South Africans (~7%), Sotho (~8%), Pedi (~9%).

Economy & GDP

Advanced diversified economy; global leader in mining (gold, platinum, diamonds, chromium); manufacturing, financial services, agriculture, and tourism.

Global Diaspora

1. United Kingdom (~200k–240k), 2. Australia (~200k), 3. United States (~100k). U.S. Hubs (States / Cities): California (Los Angeles/San Francisco), New York, Texas (Houston).

Major Conflicts

Anglo-Zulu War (1879), Second Boer War (1899–1902), anti-apartheid liberation struggle and internal township uprisings (mid-20th century to 1994).

3 Must-See Sites

1. Kruger National Park (One of Africa's premier game reserves housing the "Big Five" wildlife species), 2. Table Mountain and Cape Peninsula (Iconic flat-topped mountain overlooking Cape Town and meeting dramatic ocean cliffs at Cape Point), 3. Robben Island (Historic island prison off Cape Town where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for decades).

Quick Facts

Famously known as the "Rainbow Nation" due to its cultural and ethnic diversity; holds the distinction of being the only country in history to voluntarily dismantle its nuclear weapons program.