South Africa Quick Facts…
Official Name | Republic of South Africa |
Common Name | South Africa – /ˌsaʊθ ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/ |
Nationality | South African(s) – noun, South African – adjective |
Independence | As a republic in 1961 (from the United Kingdom) |
Administrative Divisions | 9 provinces |
Total Population | 58.0 million (#25) with 68.8% urbanized – 2023 estimate |
Major Urban Areas | Pretoria (capital city); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital), Johannesburg, Durban |
Major Languages | isiZulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa (official), Afrikaans (official), Sepedi (official), Setswana (official), English (official), Sesotho (official), Xitsonga (official), siSwati (official), Tshivenda (official), isiNdebele (official) |
Electricity Access | 89.3% of total population |
Internet Access | 72% of total population |
Currency | Rand (ZAR) |
Real GDP (PPP) | $790.6 billion – 2021 estimate |
Real GDP per Capita | $13,300 (#124) – 2021 estimate |
Total Area | 1,219,090 sq km / 470,693 sq mi (#26) with 0.4% water area |
Geographic Region | Africa – Southern Africa |
Bordering Countries | Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Zimbabwe |
Bordering Water Bodies | Indian Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean |
National Anthem: “National Anthem of South Africa”