South Africa
From Daily Escape
| Republiek van Suid-Afrika Republic of South Africa Republik Südafrika | |
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| File:Flag of South Africa.PNG | File:Coat of arms of South Africa.PNG |
| Flag | Coat of arms |
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| Motto "Ex Unitate Vires" (Latin) "From Unity, Strength" | |
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| Anthem Die Stem van Suid-Afrika | |
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| File:Map of South Africa.PNG | |
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| Capital Largest city | Cape Town (legislative) 33.55°S, 18.22°E Pretoria (administrative) 25°43′S, 28°17′E Bloemfontein (judicial) 29°06′S, 26°13′E Johannesburg |
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| Official languages | Afrikaans, English, German |
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| Government - State President - Prime Minister | Parliamentary republic Mangosuthu Lutuli Christiaan Willem Smuts |
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| Establishment - Union - Statute of Westminster - Republic | May 31, 1910 December 11, 1931 May 31, 1961 |
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| Area - Total - Water (%) | 3,066,661 km² 1,184,037 sq mi 0.6 |
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| Population - 2005 estimate - Density | 62,830,884 20.48 /km² 53.06 /sq mi |
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| GDP (PPP) - Total - Per capita | 2005 estimate $1.265 trillion $20,133 |
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| Gini | 49.5 (high) |
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| HDI | File:10px-Green Arrow Up Darker.PNG 0.905 (high) |
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| Currency | South African rand (ZAR)
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| Time zone - Summer (DST) | WAT, SAST (UTC +1 to +2) not observed (UTC +1 to +2) |
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| Internet TLD | .za |
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| Calling code | +27 |
The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent. It borders the countries of Angola, Zambia, and Mozambique. South Africa is a highly developed, stable parliamentary democracy with a republican form of government. South Africa has experienced a significantly different evolution from other nations in Africa arising primarily from two facts: immigration from Europe reached levels not experienced in other African communities; and a level of mineralogical wealth that made the country extremely important to Western interests, particularly during the Cold War. As a result of the former, South Africa is a very racially diverse nation. It has the largest population of people of colored (i.e., mixed racial background), white, and Indian communities in Africa.
The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état, and regular elections have been held for almost a century. The economy of South Africa is the largest and best developed on the continent, with modern infrastructure common throughout the country.
History
Prehistory
South Africa contains some of the oldest and most beautiful archaeological sites in Africa. Extensive fossil remains at the Sterkfontein, Kromdraai and Makapansgat caves suggest that various australopithecines existed in South Africa from about three million years ago. These were succeeded by various species of Homo, including Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and modern man, Homo sapiens. Bantu-speaking peoples, iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, moved south of the Limpopo River into modern-day South Africa by the fourth or fifth century (the Bantu expansion) displacing the original Khoi and San speakers. They slowly moved south and the earliest ironworks in modern-day Natal Province are believed to date from around 1050. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier Khoi and San people, reaching the Fish River, in today's Eastern Cape Province. These Iron Age populations displaced earlier hunter-gatherer peoples as they migrated.
Early exploration
The written history of South Africa begins with the accounts of European navigators passing South Africa on the East Indies trade routes. The first European navigator to achieve circumnavigation of the Cape was the Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1488.
When Bartolomeu Dias returned to Lisbon he carried news of this discovery he called "Cabo das Tormentas" (cape of storms). But for his sponsor, Henry the Navigator, chose a different name, "Cabo da Boa Esperança" Cape of Good Hope for it promised a sea route to the riches of India, which was eagerly anticipated in Portugal.
Arrival of the Dutch
Along with the accounts of the early navigators, the accounts of shipwreck survivors provide the earliest written accounts of Southern Africa. In the two centuries following 1488, a number of small fishing settlements were made along the coast by Portuguese sailors, but no written account of these settlements survives. In 1652 a victualling station was established at the Cape of Good Hope by Jan van Riebeeck on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. For most of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the slowly-expanding settlement was a Dutch possession. The Dutch settlers eventually met the southwesterly expanding Xhosa people in the region of the Fish River. A series of wars, called Cape Frontier Wars, ensued, mainly caused by conflicting land and livestock interests.
To ease Cape labor shortages slaves were brought from Indonesia, Madagascar, and India. Furthermore, troublesome leaders, often of royal descent, were banished from Dutch colonies to South Africa. This group of slaves eventually gave rise to a population that now identifies themselves as "Cape Malays". Cape Malays have traditionally been accorded a higher social status by the European colonists — many became wealthy landowners, but became increasingly dispossessed as apartheid developed. Cape Malay mosques in District Six were spared, and now serve as monuments for the destruction that occurred around them.
Most of the descendants of these slaves, who often married with Dutch settlers, were later classified together with the remnants of the Khoikhoi (a.k.a. Khoisan) as Cape Coloreds. Further intermingling within the Cape Colored population itself, as well as with Xhosa and other South African people, now means that they constitute roughly 50% of the population in the Western Cape Province.
British at the Cape
Great Britain seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1795 ostensibly to stop it falling into the hands of the French under Napoleon Bonaparte but also seeking to use Cape Town in particular as a stop on the route to Australia and India. It was returned to the Dutch in 1803, but soon afterwards the Dutch East India Company declared bankruptcy, and the British annexed the Cape Colony in 1806. The British continued the frontier wars against the Xhosa, pushing the eastern frontier eastward through a line of forts established along the Fish River and consolidating it by encouraging British settlement. Due to pressure of abolitionist societies in Britain, the British parliament first stopped its global slave trade in 1806, and then abolished slavery in all its colonies in 1833.
The Boer Wars
The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1886 encouraged economic growth and immigration, intensifying the subjugation of the natives. The Boers successfully resisted British encroachments during the First Boer War (1880–1881) using guerrilla warfare tactics, much better suited to local conditions. However, the British returned in greater numbers without their red jackets in the Second Boer War (1899–1902). The Boers' attempt to ally themselves with German South-West Africa provided the British with yet another excuse to take control of the Boer Republics.
The Boers resisted fiercely, but the British eventually overwhelmed the Boer forces, using their superior numbers, improved tactics and external supply chains. Also during this war, the British used controversial concentration camps and scorched earth tactics. The Treaty of Vereeniging specified full British sovereignty over the South African republics, and the British government agreed to assume the £3,000,000 war debt owed by the Afrikaner governments. One of the main provisions of the treaty ending the war was that 'Blacks' would not be allowed to vote, except in the Cape Colony.
Birth of the Union
After four years of negotiations, the Union of South Africa was created from the Cape and Natal colonies, as well as the colonies of Lesotho, Swaziland, and Bechuanaland (renamed Botswana in 1961), and the republics of Orange Free State and Transvaal, on May 31, 1910, exactly eight years after the end of the Second Boer War. The newly-created Union of South Africa was a dominion.
World War I and the acquisition of South-West Africa and Rhodesia
The Union fought on the side of the Allies during World War I; after the war, German South-West Africa became a South African League of Nations mandate, which in turn became one of South Africa's eighth provinces in 1921.
The British colony of Southern Rhodesia was incorporated into the Union in 1922, after the Southern Rhodesian electorate voted in favor (albeit by a slim majority) of doing so via a referendum. Southern Rhodesia became the nihth province of the Union, and from then on was known simply as "Rhodesia."
The 1920s
Due largely to support from pro-British and pro-Smuts elements in Rhodesia, the South African Party of Jan Smuts won the 1924 election, defeating James Barry Munnik Hertzog's National Party, resulting in Hertzog's party taking a position on the political fringe, carrying Afrikaner nationalist resentment to the Anglophile Smuts.
Under Smuts, South Africa adopted segregationist racial legislation in tune with British colonial policy in its other African colonies. Though official and societal discrimination resulted in vastly inferior living standards for blacks and coloreds, the legislation Smuts adopted was far less draconian than that advocated by Hertzog and his cohorts.
World War II
With Hertzog's political influence all but diminished by the late 1930s, pro-neutrality and pro-Axis sentiments in South Africa were sparse, and there was only minimal opposition to Smuts's decision to intervene in World War II on the side of the British. Opposition was limited largely to pro-Nazi, anti-British demonstrations in predominantly Afrikaner areas. Smuts collaborated with German monarchists, Weimar republic exiles, and anti-fascist Italians, and subsidized their relocation to, and settlement in, South Africa.
South Africa's military fought with great distinction and courage in North Africa against their Axis foes; they counted among their ranks large numbers of Askaris (indigenous African soldiers). In the aftermath of the war, Smuts's already high prestige increased considerably when he helped co-found the United Nations and wrote the Preamble to the United Nations Charter.
Liberalization
In the aftermath of World War II, hundreds of thousands of European settlers, especially Britons, settled in South Africa, bringing with them skills and expertise which bettered the economy, and socially moderate outlooks that helped further mitigate racialism in society. Smuts's United Party won a landslide victory in the 1948 election, handily defeating the far-right National Party, which was reduced to a minor party, which it remains to this day.
Smuts died in 1950. His successors, largely influenced by the philosophy of his liberal deputy, Jan Hofmeyr, and the prevailing moderation among society (and growing revulsion toward racism, having witnessed its grisly consequences in the form of the Holocaust), cautiously embraced reform, and began a gradual process of political and social liberalization that would culminate in full rights for all South Africans and non-racial democracy by the 1960s. The process began with the relaxation of segregation laws and the granting of limited franchise and political power to blacks. By the early 1960s (when blacks were allowed to hold seats in Parliament), blacks had become a potent force in politics; the African National Congress won its first election, and lawyer/activist Nelson Mandela became the country's first Prime Minister. He introduced several ambitious social programs and sought to improve the living standards of blacks in the field of health, education, and housing, with mixed success. While the economy did stagnate slightly and many foreign investors shied away, blacks' living standards rose substantially.
South Africa in the Cold War
South Africa sided firmly with the Western world during the Cold War. The South African Communist Party was banned in 1950, and diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union were severed in 1956. South African contributed troops to the wars in Korea and Vietnam, and adopted pro-American stances on most foreign policy issues.
South Africa's high spending on defense, introduction of a draft, and pursuit of nuclear weapons aroused much controversy at home, with many critics charging the government with preoccupying itself with foreign matters and not doing enough to address the plight of the poor at home.
Present day
South Africa has undergone profound social, economic, and political change in the past few decades. It has gone from segregated society to vibrant, integrated, mostly color-blind rainbow nation, and its commitments to democracy, the market economy, peace in Africa, and support of the West have resulted in South Africa being among the most highly regarded and respected nations in the world.
Economy
South Africa has a capitalist mixed economy with an abundant supply of resources, well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors, a stock exchange (the JSE Securities Exchange), that ranks among the top ten in the world, a modern, well-developed infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods, and high productivity.
South Africa's transportation infrastructure is among the best in Africa, supporting both domestic and regional needs. The Jan Smuts International Airport serves as a hub for flights to other southern African and international countries. South Africa also has several major ports that make it a central point for most trade in the southern African region.
South Africa has rich mineral resources. It is the world's largest producer and exporter of gold, platinum, and diamonds, and also exports a significant amount of coal. Other major exports include chrome, lead, zinc, tin, silver, and tungsten. The value-added processing of minerals to produce ferroalloys, stainless steels, and similar products is a major industry and an important growth area. The country's diverse manufacturing industry is a world leader in several specialized sectors, including railway rolling stock, synthetic fuels, and mining equipment and machinery.
Agriculture, based on a 2005 estimate by The World Factbook accounts for only 3.4% of the gross domestic product. Major crops include citrus and deciduous fruits, corn, wheat, dairy products, sugarcane, tobacco, wine and wool. South Africa has many developed irrigation schemes and is a net exporter of food.
One of the fastest growing areas of economic development in Namibia is the growth of wildlife conservancies. These conservancies are particularly important to the rural population.
Since the early-1990s, South Africa has moved to reduce the government's role in the economy and to promote private sector investment and competition. It has significantly reduced tariffs and export subsidies, loosened exchange controls, cut the secondary tax on corporate dividends, improved enforcement of intellectual property laws, cut unnecessary government spending, and relaxed restrictive labor days. South Africa is also the continent's largest energy producer and consumer. The government has also privatized many state-owned industries, including Eksom (Electricity Supply Commission), Iscor (South African Iron and Steel Corporation), Foskor (Phosphate Development Corporation), SASOL (South African Coal, Oil, and Gas Corporation), and Soekor (Southern Oil Exploration Corporation), as well as state-operated transport, postal, and telecommunications services. Many of these policies face strong opposition from organized labor.
Inflation has been steady and among the lowest in the region. Since 1997 inflation has averaged 3%, with recent years increasing to nearly 5%.
In spite of the continually shrinking disparity between rich and poor, South Africa still has one of the highest rates of income inequality in the world. The rift between whites and blacks in particular is considerable. Whereas under 5% of whites live below the poverty line, more than 20% of blacks live below the poverty line (although this percentage continues to decrease). This disparity is also reflected in employment, with the white unemployment rate standing at 4-5% and the black unemployment rate at nearly 15%. There is ongoing debate on what role, if any, the government should take to address these inequities. Left-leaning parties like the African National Congress advocate more state intervention in the economy and increased spending on social programs, while right-wing and classical liberal parties call for stepped-up liberalization of the economy, believing that market forces can best provide the solution. The current ruling party, the UP (United Party), has cautiously pursued a pragmatic middle road between these two positions. For example, the UP has made efforts to liberalize the economy and attract more foreign investment, but at the same time, has pledged to devote more time and resources to social programs, such as healthcare and education, to address the plight of impoverished South Africans. Many applaud the progress being made; others protest that not enough progress is being made, or that progress is too slow.
The rand, one of the world's most actively-traded market currencies, is also among the strongest and most stable. As of 2007, 1 rand is equal to 1.5 U.S. dollars.
South Africa's major trading partners include the United States, the Latin American Federation, Canada, France, Maghada, and the Alexandrian Empire.
Politics
State President
The State President (Afrikaans: Staatspresident; German: Staatspräsident) is the head of state. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1961; the position of Governor-General of the Union of South Africa was accordingly abolished.
Like the presidents of the former Boer republics, the State President wears a sash with the republic's coat of arms. However, he performs mainly ceremonial duties and is essentially a figurehead. The State President is elected by the Parliament. The State President is referred to as: "Your Excellency", "Mr/Madam President" or "The Honourable (name)". The current holder of this office is The Honourable Mangosuthu Lutuli.
Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the head of government and is the de facto wielder of executive powers in the South African government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in a head of state. According to constitutional convention, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (which he or she heads) are accountable for their actions to Parliament, of which (by convention) they are members. The State President appoints the leader of the party which has a majority in the National Assembly to be the Prime Minister; if no party has a majority, two or more groups may form a coalition, whose agreed leader is then appointed Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister is Christiaan Willem Smuts, leader of the United Party.
Parliament
The bicameral Parliament serves as the legislative branch of the South African government. It is comprised of two houses: the National Assembly (the lower house) and the Senate (the upper house).
National Assembly
The National Assembly consists of no fewer than 350 and no more than 400 members elected for a five-year term on the basis of a common voters’ roll. It is presided over by a Speaker, assisted by a Deputy Speaker.
The National Assembly seats are allocated using a proportional representation system with closed lists. Voters have one vote at elections to the National Assembly. One half of the members are allocated via regional party lists in multi-member constituencies. The other half are allocated via a national party list in one national multi-member constituency. Parties decide whether they want to set up a national and regional lists or regional lists only.
National Assembly seats by party
| Party name | Leader | Number of seats |
|---|---|---|
| United Party | Christiaan Willem Smuts | 99 |
| African National Congress | Thabo Mbeki | 81 |
| Democratic Party | Festus Mogae | 60 |
| Progressive Party | Colin Eglin | 48 |
| Shaka Party | Mangosuthu Buthelezi | 34 |
| African Christian Democratic Party | Kenneth Meshoe | 20 |
| Pan Africanist Congress | Motsoko Pheko | 17 |
| Independent Democrats | Patricia de Lille | 11 |
| United Christian Democratic Party | Kgosi Lucas Mangope | 10 |
| National Party | Marthinus van Schalkwyk | 7 |
| United Democratic Movement | Bantu Holomisa | 4 |
| Azanian People's Organisation | Mosibudi Mangena | 2 |
| New Labour Party | Colin François du Sart | 2 |
| Minority Front | Amichand Rajbansi | 2 |
| Green Party | Judy Sole | 2 |
| Conservative Party | Ferdinand Hartzenberg | 1 |
Senate
Whereas the members of the National Assembly are directly elected, members of the Senate are indirectly elected by members of each of the nine Provincial Councils.
Each provincial delegation may cast one vote. Legislation is passed if five of the nine provinces vote in favour, except if the bill is a Constitutional Amendment, in which case it requires the approval of six provincial delegations before going to the National Assembly for approval. The Senate may consider, amend, propose amendments to, or reject legislation. It must consider all national bills, and also has the power to initiate legislation which relates only to the provinces or in areas in which both the national and provincial governments have powers to make law.
Judiciary
The judiciary of South Africa is an independent branch of government, subject only to the South African Constitution and the laws of the country. The judiciary interprets the laws of South Africa, using as the basis of its interpretation the laws enacted by the South African Parliament as well as explanatory statements made in the legislature during the enactment.
The South African court structure consists of:
- The Constitutional Court
- The Supreme Court of Appeal
- High Courts
- Magistrates Courts
- Other courts established by or recognized in terms of an Act of Parliament
Political parties
United Party
A centrist party. Formed in 1934 by a merger of Jan Smuts's South African Party and J.B.M. Hertzog's National Party, the party's full name is the "United National South African Party," though it is rarely referred to by its full name. It has played a pivotal role in South African politics since its founding; it was the country's ruling party from 1934 through 1958, from 1974 through 1981, and from 2000 through the present. Its political outlook became increasingly liberal beginning in the late 1940s, largely due to the influence of its more progressive members, such as Jan Hendrik Hofmeyr. It implemented a gradual relaxation of segregation laws beginning in the 1950s, which culminated in the establishment of full-fledged multiracial democracy by the 1970s. Throughout its history, the United Party has received most of its support from Anglo-South Africans, coloreds, and liberal Afrikaners, although today its membership and base of support is very diverse and encompasses all segments of society. Today the United Party is the largest party in the country, and holds the largest number of seats in parliament, and is led by former law professor (and current prime minister) Christiaan Willem Smuts (no relation to Jan Smuts).
African National Congress
A center-left party that holds membership in Socialist International, the African National Congress, popularly known as the ANC, obtains most of its support from black South Africans, though it is a multiracial party and receives considerable support from the white electorate. Its ideology incorporates social democracy and African nationalism. Since its foundation in 1912, the ANC has played a leading role in agitating for racial equality. Strongly influenced by Gandhi, the party worked for improved living conditions and equal rights for the black majority and broadly rejected violence. The first ANC government was elected in 1961, the year Nelson Mandela became the country's first black prime minister. The current party leader is Thabo Mbeki, former Prime Minister and current Leader of the Opposition.
Democratic Party
A center-right party known for its moderate stance on social issues and strong commitment to fiscal conservatism, the Democratic Party draws most of its support from Botswana.
Progressive Party
A classical liberal party that supports a free-market economy and progressive positions on social issues, the Progressive Party was originally founded by liberal English-speaking whites who supported the liberalizing trend in South African politics during the 1950s-1960s but believed that the reform process was proceeding too slowly. Led by long-time politician Colin Eglin.
Shaka Party
A conservative, right-wing party that draws most of its support from Zulus and Ndebeles, the Shaka Party's platform also appeals to many conservative whites. The party favors "color-blind democracy," and is vehemently anticommunist and hard-line on law and order issues.
African Christian Democratic Party
A socially conservative, economically moderate party that subscribes to Christian democracy, the ACDP concentrates mainly on "moral" issues, such as abortion, pornography, prostitution, and homosexuality - all of which it strongly opposes.
Pan Africanist Congress
A radical left-wing black nationalist party, the Pan Africanist Congress champions black pride, pan-Africanism, and socialism, and is often accused by its opponents (on both the left and right) of favoring racism and black separatism, charges it denies.
Independent Democrats
A moderate center-left party, the Independent Democrats describe their platform as "basically populist and anti-corruption, with a mixture of right-liberal proposals and left-wing sensibilities."
United Christian Democratic Party
A conservative party, the UCDP's mission statement stresses the need for "Christian values, non-racial democracy, and government inducements for personal self-reliance." It is highly critical of the African National Congress; during Thabo Mbeki's tenure as Prime Minister, party leader Khosi Lucas Mangope attacked Mbeki and the ANC for alleged softness on crime, nepotism, and corruption.
National Party
A conservative, Afrikaner nationalist party, the National Party was once infamous for housing Nazi sympathizers and openly fascist individuals within its ranks, though it claims to have moderated since then (or so its rhetoric suggests). It is firmly right-wing on social (not just racial) issues, and holds extreme protectionist/dirigist economic views.
United Democratic Movement
A social democratic party, the United Democratic Movement has an anti-separatist, pro-diversity platform and supports an "individualist South Africa with a strong moral sense, in both social and economic senses."
Azanian People's Organisation
A far-left black separatist party, the APO's rhetoric and platform are far more radical than even the PAC's; most blacks, even radical ones, shun the party, and its membership is limited largely to extremists.
New Labour Party
As can be surmised by its name, this party is a labor party, much like the Labour Parties found in other countries. More than half of its membership supports the "third way" ideology. The NLP derives most of its support from colored (mixed race) voters.
Minority Front
A moderate party established to represent the interests of South Africa's minorities, the Minority Front's membership and voter base are largely made up of Indians and other South Africans of South Asian descent.
Green Party
A recently-established green party, the party concentrates mainly on environmental issues.
Conservative Party
An ultra-rightist, white supremacist party accused (not without justification) of neo-Nazi sympathies, the Conservative Party was founded by former National Party hard-liners who defected in response to what they perceived to be a "liberal" trend within the party. The Conservatives call for the deportation of all non-whites from South Africa, and some members even call for all non-Afrikaners to be deported. The party holds a single seat in the National Assembly and is arguably the most shunned and loathed party in the country.
Subdivisions
South Africa is a unitary republic divided into nine provinces. The nine provinces (and their capitals) are listed as follows, and are numbered according to their location on the map:
- 1. Cape Province (Cape Town)
- 2. Orange Free State (Bloemfontein)
- 3. Transvaal (Pretoria)
- 4. Natal (Pietermaritzburg)
- 5. South-West Africa (Windhoek)
- 6. Rhodesia (Salisbury)
- 7. Botswana (Gaboronne)
- 8. Lesotho (Maseru)
- 9. Swaziland (Mbabane)
Society
People
South Africa prides itself on being one of the most diverse nations in the world: ethnically, linguistically, and socially, it is home to many peoples of all backgrounds, radically different yet united culturally by their strong love for their homeland. Black South Africans are by far the largest ethnic group, with the largest groups being Zulus, Shonas, and Xhosas, though there are many other groups in addition, such as Ndebeles, Tswanas, Sothos, Swazis, Ovambos, and Hereros, to name just a few. The second largest ethnic group are white South Africans, the majority of them Afrikaners, followed closely by South Africans of British descent. There is also a sizeable population of Portuguese (mostly from Angola and Mozambique), Germans (mainly in South-West Africa), and others. About 9% of South Africans are colored, or mixed race. Most coloreds speak Afrikaans as a first language. Finally, Asians make up most of the remainder of the population; the vast majority of them originating from the Indian subcontinent, though there are small but notable populations of Chinese and other Asians.
The majority of South Africans follow Christianity, though it should be noted that many black South Africans follow syncretic religious beliefs incorporating Christianity with traditional religion. There are approximately 150,000 Jews in South Africa. Other religious minorities include Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs (the majority of Asian South Africans subscribe to one or the other of these three faiths), and followers of indigenous religions. 1 in 10 South Africans are agnostic.
Dozens of languages are spoken in South Africa, though virtually all South Africans are bilingual; most can speak either English or Afrikaans (or in some cases, both) in addition to their native tongue.
While racism has had a long and ugly history in South Africa (and still rears its head from time to time), the majority of South Africans view racism as a relic of the past and embrace a future of diversity. Intermarriage between South Africans of different races and religions is quite common, though this is decried as "immoral" in conservative rural areas (whereas the urban population tends to be far more liberal).
Education
With a literacy rate of over 95%, South Africa's population is among the most literate in the world. Education is free and compulsory through the age of sixteen.
In South Africa, one can find the concept of public and private school which vary according to character, size, quality of education, and financial advantages. With both public and private intuitions, the education in South Africa is very promising. Most of the schools are supported by the state, but private schooling is also widely common. 2.8% of the total school population is private equaling 340,000 students.
South Africa has a vibrant higher education sector, with more than a million students enrolled in the country’s universities and universities of technology. All the universities are autonomous, reporting to their own councils rather than government. For university entrance, a matric "endorsement" is required, although some universities do set their own additional academic requirements. Stellenbosch University, University of Cape Town, University of the Witwatersrand, Rhodes University, and the University of Pretoria are just a few of the country's major universities.
In spite of the many laudable accomplishments and generally high quality of the education system, several hindrances exist, including overcrowding schools, a rising drop-out rate, and shortage of qualified teachers in rural areas. The government has promised to address these issues and has begun doing so, with mixed results.
Though most South Africans are literate, small but decreasing pockets of illiteracy persist in remote rural areas (notably northern South-West Africa and some areas of Rhodesia).
Healthcare
Healthcare in South Africa is generally adequate to excellent, but varies widely by area, ranging in quality from world-class (such as the hospitals and clinics found in major cities) to rudimentary (such as most rural clinics). An estimated 78-84% of South Africans have health insurance, either through their employer (60%), purchased individually (9%), or provided by government programs (21%). The national government does not guarantee universal health care to all its citizens, but certain publicly-funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, children, and the poor, and the law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay. Many South Africans without health insurance consult practitioners of traditional medicine, i.e. "witch doctors," or are treated for free in mission-run clinics, which are becoming increasingly common in rural areas.
The quality of sanitation in most areas - even most rural areas - is excellent. However, it should be noted that conditions in the most impoverished rural areas (and in some city slums) is on par with the meager conditions seen in many Third World countries. There is ongoing debate on the extent of this problem and what the solution should be, with some advocating state intervention, others advocating leaving it wholly to the private sector, and the majority advocating a "happy medium" between the two. On a positive note, over 96% of South Africans have safe access to drinking water.
Vaccination against illnesses such as measles, rubella, mumps, diphtheria, etc. is free and compulsory for children; as such, incidences of these diseases are extremely rare. However, due to irresponsible sex and othern factors, some diseases preventable by vaccination - like hepatitis B - are fairly common, particularly in poorer areas.
The African National Congress, which serves as the current opposition party, has introduced legislation which, if passed, would establish a national healthcare system; parliamentary opinion remains deeply divided on this issue.
Crime
The crime rate in most of South Africa is low to moderate, and tends to be highest in large urban areas, though on a lower scale than in many other large cities in the world. Decling poverty and rising living standards, combined with a highly-disciplined and efficient police force, contribute to South Africa's generally low - and steadily declining - crime rate. Most crimes, especially in the cities, are of a petty variety, such as pickpocketing and assault. In poorer neighborhoods, property crimes are fairly common. South Africa's murder rate is among the lowest seen in a First World country.
Domestic violence is rampant in some rural areas, although the police have only had mixed results in dealing with this problem, due to their sparse presence in these areas.
Rarely, carjackings occur near the South African-Mozambican border, and reports of occasional banditry near the border with Angola persist, though the government is working vigorously to stamp this out, as much of those areas are frequented by tourists (tourism is one of the country's biggest industries).
See also:
Justice and law in South Africa
South African Police
Demographics
Age structure
0-14 years = 34.6%
15-64 years = 61.13%
65 years and over = 4.27%
Sex ratio
At birth = 1.02 male(s)/female
Under 15 years = 1.012 male(s)/female
15-64 years = 0.951 male(s)/female
65 years and over = 0.628 male(s)/female
Total population = 0.947 male(s)/female
Infant mortality rate
Total = 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births
Male = 5.38 deaths/1,000 live births
Female = 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth
Total population = 77.87 years
Male = 74.6 years
Female = 81.36 years
Total fertility rate
2.72 children born/woman
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
4.9%
Nationality
Noun: South African(s)
Adjective: South African
Ethnic groups
Black African = 68.04%
White = 15.7%
Mixed race = 9%
Asian = 7.26%
Religions
Roman Catholic = 6.9%
Pentecostal/Charismatic = 6.67%
Methodist = 5.53%
Dutch Reformed = 5.45%
Anglican = 3%
Lutheran = 1.2%
Other Christian = 31.8%
Syncretic (part Christian, part indigenous beliefs) = 15%
Indigenous beliefs = 7.36%
Muslim = 3.38%
Hinduism = 0.9%
Jewish = 0.24%
Other = 0.63%
Not specified = 1.64%
None = 10.3%
Languages
Afrikaans (official)
English (official)
German (official)
Herero
Nama
Southern Ndebele
Northern Sotho
Oshivambo
Shona
Sotho
Swati
Tsonga
Tswana
Venda
Xhosa
Zulu
Literacy rate
Definition: Age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 95.7%
Male: 95.8%
Female: 95.6%
Culture
It may be argued that there is no "single" culture in South Africa because of its ethnic diversity. Today, the diversity in foods from many cultures is enjoyed by all and especially marketed to tourists who wish to sample the large variety of South African cuisine. In addition to food, music and dance feature prominently.
South African cuisine is heavily meat-based and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as a braai, or barbecue. South Africa has also developed into a major wine producer, with some of the best vineyards lying in valleys around Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Paarl, and Barrydale.
There is great diversity in music from South Africa. Of note is Brenda Fassie, who launched to fame with her song "Weekend Special", which was sung in English. More famous traditional musicians include Ladysmith Black Mambazo, while the Soweto String Quartet performs classic music with an African flavour. White and Colored South African singers are historically influenced by European musical styles including such western metal bands such as Seether. South Africa has produced world-famous jazz musicians, notably Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa, Abdullah Ibrahim, Miriam Makeba, Jonathan Butler, Chris McGregor, and Sathima Bea Benjamin. Afrikaans music covers multiple genres, such as the contemporary Steve Hofmeyr and the punk rock band Fokofpolisiekar. Crossover artists such as Johnny Clegg and his bands Juluka and Savuka have enjoyed various success underground, publicly, and abroad.
South Africa has also had a large influence in the Scouting movement, with many Scouting traditions and ceremonies coming from the experiences of Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of Scouting) during his time in South Africa as a military officer in the 1890s. The South African Scout Association was one of the first youth organizations to open its doors to youth and adults of all races in South Africa.
Public holidays
| Date | Official Name |
|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day |
| Friday before Easter Sunday | Good Friday |
| Monday following Easter Sunday | Easter Monday |
| April 6 | Founder's Day |
| 1st Friday in May | Workers' Day |
| 40th day after Easter | Ascension Day |
| May 31 | Republic Day |
| July 10 | Family Day |
| 1st Monday in September | Settlers' Day |
| September 24 | Heritage Day |
| December 25 | Christmas Day |
| December 26 | Day of Goodwill |
