Natalie Cowling
Research Expert South Africa
South Africa - Statistics & Facts
South Africa, formally known as the Republic of South Africa, is one of the most visited countries in Africa offering a range of world heritage sites. The country is among the largest countries in the world by total area, and shares borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Eswatini. Interestingly, South Africa surrounds the landlocked country Lesotho, which became a sovereign enclave on October 4, 1966.
Due to various groups of people constituting different ethnic groups, South Africa has 11 official languages with the majority share speaking Zulu as their main language inside and outside households.
South Africa is renowned for its beautiful landscape, diverse cultures, and impressive wildlife, which make it a favored destination for tourists. Tourism forms an important part of the South African economy as it creates a substantial number of jobs for the country’s population in regional and rural areas.
Historical background and transformation
On April 27, 1994, the first democratic elections were held in South Africa under an Interim Constitution, whereby all ethnic groups acquired political representation, and elected Nelson Mandela from the African National Congress (ANC) party as the country’s first Black president. South Africa was then divided into nine provinces, with Gauteng having the largest provincial population. However, Cape Town in the Western Cape province was the largest city in the country in relation to the number of inhabitants. South Africa does not have one single capital city, but rather three different cities acting as capitals: Pretoria serves as the administrative capital, Cape Town as the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital.Due to various groups of people constituting different ethnic groups, South Africa has 11 official languages with the majority share speaking Zulu as their main language inside and outside households.
Population growth
In 2022, the total population of South Africa amounted to around 61 million inhabitants, marking a considerable increase over the past 20 years. The population growth has followed a descending trend in recent years, dropping to 0.84 percent in the same year. This consistent decrease is also reflected in the fertility rate, which is purportedly due to contraceptives being made freely available, delays in marriage, and the cost of rearing children.Economy and tourism
The South African economy has experienced various structural challenges that have hampered growth, with ongoing load shedding (power outages) being one of the main issues. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate has greatly fluctuated over the years, reaching its lowest point in 2020, with a substantial decline of negative 5.96 percent as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, GDP has picked up and is now estimated to reach a 1.84 percent growth by 2024. The services sector contributes the highest share to GDP, whereas the industry sector accounts for almost 25 percent. The tourism industry is one of the key industries in South Africa, with the number of tourists visiting the country surpassing 971,000 in January 2024.South Africa is renowned for its beautiful landscape, diverse cultures, and impressive wildlife, which make it a favored destination for tourists. Tourism forms an important part of the South African economy as it creates a substantial number of jobs for the country’s population in regional and rural areas.
