South Africa

South Africa Quick Facts…

Official NameRepublic of South Africa
Common NameSouth Africa – /ˌsaʊθ ˈæf.ɹɪ.kə/
NationalitySouth African(s) – noun, South African – adjective
IndependenceAs a republic in 1961 (from the United Kingdom)
Administrative Divisions9 provinces
Total Population58.0 million (#25) with 68.8% urbanized – 2023 estimate
Major Urban AreasPretoria (capital city); Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital), Johannesburg, Durban
Major LanguagesisiZulu (official) 25.3%, isiXhosa (official), Afrikaans (official), Sepedi (official), Setswana (official), English (official), Sesotho (official), Xitsonga (official), siSwati (official), Tshivenda (official), isiNdebele (official)
Electricity Access89.3% of total population
Internet Access72% of total population
CurrencyRand (ZAR) 
Real GDP (PPP)$790.6 billion – 2021 estimate
Real GDP per Capita$13,300 (#124) – 2021 estimate
Total Area1,219,090 sq km / 470,693 sq mi (#26) with 0.4% water area
Geographic RegionAfrica – Southern Africa
Bordering CountriesBotswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Zimbabwe
Bordering Water BodiesIndian Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean

National Anthem: “National Anthem of South Africa”