Country Profile: South Africa

Last Reviewed: 6 May 2008

Country information

Map of South Africa

Area: 1,228,376 sq km
Population: 43.8 million (est 2007)
Capital City: Pretoria/Tshwane (1.25 million)
People: African/Black, white, coloured, Indian/Asian
Languages: South Africa has eleven officially recognised languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Religion(s): All principal religions are represented in South Africa, but the majority is Christian (nearly 85% at the 1996 census).
Currency: (ZAR) Rand (100 cents = 1 Rand)
Major political parties: African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), United Democratic Movement (UDM), Independent Democrats (ID), South African Communist Party (SACP)
Government: ANC Alliance - ANC/SACP/Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)
Head of State: President Mr Thabo Mbeki
Foreign Minister: Dr Clarice Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Membership of international groupings/organisations: United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), Commonwealth, Non Aligned Movement (NAM), Southern African Development Community (SADC).

South African Government website