Find out everything you need to know about South Africa at glance.
Land surface area
1 220 813 km²
Key economic sectors
Mining services and transport
Energy
Manufacturing
Tourism
Agriculture
Population
Total: 56.52 million
Male: 27.62 million (49%)
Female: 28.9 million (51%)
Official languages
English
isiZulu
isiXhosa
isiNdebele
Afrikaans
Siswati
Sepedi
Sesotho
Setswana
Tshivenda
Xitsonga
Currency
Rand (ZAR) – 100 cents equals one rand.
Fiscal year
1 April to 31 March
Tax year
1 March to the end of February
Time
GMT +2 hours
Measurement
Metric system
Internet domain
.za
Government
South Africa has a constitutional multiparty democracy, with three spheres – national, provincial and local government.
Capitals
Pretoria (administrative)
Cape Town (legislative)
Bloemfontein (judicial)
The Constitutional Court is based in Johannesburg.
Provinces
Eastern Cape
Free State
Gauteng
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Northern Cape
North West
Western Cape
Transportation
The country has excellent roads, rail and air facilities (both domestic and international).
Public transport in the major cities include the Gautrain between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and a Bus Rapid Transport System.
Telecommunications
The infrastructure of the country is world-class, with internet access is widely available.
Health
Top-quality public and private healthcare is available throughout the country. Malaria precautions are necessary in some areas.
Source: 2016/17 Pocket Guide to South Africa
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