
Official name | Republic of South Africa |
Name in local language | Republiek van Suid-Afrika (af) ; iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika (zu) |
Continent | Africa |
Subcontinent | Southern Africa |
Population (ranking: 25e) | 57,725,606 inhabitants (2018) |
Population growth | 2.13 % / year |
Area | 1,219,912 km² |
Density | 47.32 inhabitants / km² |
GDP (ranking: 34e) | 366.298 billions $USD (2018) |
GDP/capita (ranking) | 6,340 $USD (2018) |
GDP growth | 0.60 % / year (2018) |
Life expectancy (ranking) | 63.90 years (2018) |
Birth rate | 21.30 ‰ (2017) |
Fertility rate | 2.41 children / woman (2017) |
Death rate (ranking) | 9.00 ‰ (2017) |
Infant mortality rate (ranking) | 32.80 ‰ (2017) |
Literacy rate | 99.03 % (2015) |
Official languages | Zulu, Afrikaans, English (11 languages) |
Currency | Rand (ZAR) |
HDI (ranking: 148e) | 0.705 / 1 (2018) |
EPI (ranking) | 44.73 (2018) |
Government | Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic |
Head of State | President Cyril Ramaphosa |
National Day | 27 April (first multiracial elections in 1994) |
ISO Codes | ZA, ZAF |
Demonym | South African |
Tourists (ranking) | 10,285,000 people (2017) |

South Africa is a country located on the southern tip of the African continent. It is bordered to the north with Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and to the north-east with Mozambique and Swaziland. Lesotho is a landlocked state in South Africa.


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Urban areas (2016)
Urban areas | Population |
---|---|
Gauteng (Johannesburg-Pretoria) Maps: | 14,717,040 inhabitants |
Johannesburg | 4,949,347 inhabitants |
Le Cap (capitale législative) | 4,004,793 inhabitants |
eThekwini (Durban) | 3,661,911 inhabitants |
Ekurhuleni Maps: | 3,379,104 inhabitants |
Tshwane (Prétoria - capitale administrative) | 3,275,152 inhabitants |
Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) | 1,263,051 inhabitants |
Buffalo City (East London) | 810,528 inhabitants |
Mangaung (Bloemfontein - capitale judiciaire) | 759,693 inhabitants |
Emfuleni (Vereeniging) Maps: | 733,445 inhabitants |
Polokwane (Pietersburg) | 702,190 inhabitants |
Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) | 679,766 inhabitants |
Thulamela | 657,982 inhabitants |
Rustenburg | 626,522 inhabitants |
Mbombela (Nelspruit) | 622,158 inhabitants |
Bushbuckridge | 548,760 inhabitants |
Makhado | 542,416 inhabitants |
Madibeng | 537,516 inhabitants |
King Sabata Dalindyebo | 490,207 inhabitants |
Emalahleni (Witbank) | 455,228 inhabitants |
Matjhabeng (Welkom) | 428,843 inhabitants |
Matlosana | 417,282 inhabitants |
Tzaneen | 416,488 inhabitants |
Nkomazi | 410,907 inhabitants |
Tubatse (Burgersfort) | 393,713 inhabitants |
See all urban areas
Administrative divisions
Provinces | Population | Area |
---|---|---|
Eastern Cape | 6,522,734 inhabitants | 169,580 km² |
Free State | 2,954,348 inhabitants | 129,480 km² |
Gauteng | 14,717,040 inhabitants | 17,010 km² |
KwaZulu-Natal | 11,384,722 inhabitants | 92,100 km² |
Limpopo | 5,797,275 inhabitants | 123,900 km² |
Mpumalanga | 4,523,874 inhabitants | 79,490 km² |
North West | 3,978,955 inhabitants | 116,320 km² |
Northern Cape | 1,225,555 inhabitants | 361,830 km² |
Western Cape | 6,621,103 inhabitants | 129,370 km² |