← THE SECTION CUT · AFRICA

South Africa

29.0S 24.0E · 28 EVENTS · 9 DOMAINS
UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA · 31 MAY 1910
▼ PULL DOWN TO EXTRACT THE CORE
1994 – present · Democratic South Africa since 1994
5 EVENTS
26–29 April 1994 · First democratic election 3 REFS
10 May 1994 · Mandela inaugurated as president 2 REFS
1948 – 1994 · Apartheid and the liberation struggle
5 EVENTS
21 March 1960 · Sharpeville massacre 3 REFS
16 June 1976 · Soweto uprising 3 REFS
1867 – 1910 · Diamonds, gold, the South African War and Union
5 EVENTS
1899–1902 · The South African War 3 REFS
31 May 1910 · Union of South Africa 3 REFS
1806 – 1867 · British rule, the Mfecane, the Zulu kingdom and the Boer republics
5 EVENTS
1806 · Britain seizes the Cape 2 REFS
c. 1816–1828 · Rise of the Zulu kingdom and the Mfecane 3 REFS
1652 – 1806 · The Dutch Cape Colony and the frontier
4 EVENTS
6 April 1652 · Van Riebeeck founds the Cape station 3 REFS
from 1658 · Slavery at the Cape 2 REFS
Deep prehistory – c. 1600 CE · Early peoples: San, Khoekhoe and the Bantu-speaking kingdoms
4 EVENTS
Deep prehistory · The Cradle of Humankind 3 REFS
c. 1st millennium BCE · San and Khoekhoe of the subcontinent 2 REFS
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Quick facts · atlas reference
Capital
Pretoria
Population
55 m
Area
1,221,037 km²
Region
Southern Africa
Languages
Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele
Currency
South African rand (R)
Demonym
South African
UN member
Yes
Dossier · press a specimen — it turns over

Economy

GDP
$427 B’25 WB-WDI
GDP per capita
$6,598’25 WB-WDI
GDP growth
1.1%’25 WB-WDI
Inflation
3.2%’25 WB-WDI
Trade openness
60.9%’25 WB-WDI

Society

Population
65 m’25 WB-WDI
Life expectancy
66.3 yrs’24 WB-WDI
Urban population
63.8%’25 WB-WDI
Fertility rate
2.2’24 WB-WDI
Literacy rate
91.2%’24 WB-WDI

Governance

Voice & accountability
67.5’24 WB-WGI
Political stability
55.4’24 WB-WGI
Government effectiveness
46.9’24 WB-WGI
Regulatory quality
53.9’24 WB-WGI
Rule of law
57.3’24 WB-WGI
Control of corruption
44.0’24 WB-WGI

Health

Health spending
8.9%’23 WB-WHO
Physicians
0.79’22 WB-WHO
Under-5 mortality
35.1’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Measles immunisation
76.0%’24 WB-UNICEF-WHO
Safe drinking water
68.0%’24 WB-WHO

Education

Adult literacy
91.2%’24 WB-UNESCO
Education spending
6.0%’24 WB-UNESCO
Primary enrolment
101.8%’23 WB-UNESCO
Secondary enrolment
104.1%’23 WB-UNESCO
Tertiary enrolment
23.5%’23 WB-UNESCO

Technology

R&D spending
0.6%’22 WB-UNESCO
Researchers (per million)
444’22 WB-UNESCO
Internet users
78.4%’24 WB-ITU
Mobile subscriptions
179’24 WB-ITU
High-tech exports
5.7%’24 WB-WDI

Geography

Land area
1,213,090 km²’23 WB-WDI
Forest area
14.0%’23 WB-WDI
Agricultural land
79.4%’23 WB-WDI
CO₂ per capita (t)
6.9’24 WB-WDI
Renewable energy
9.7%’21 WB-WDI

Resources

Resource rents
7.3%’21 WB-WDI
Oil rents
0.4%’21 WB-WDI
Mineral rents
3.8%’21 WB-WDI
Forest rents
0.6%’21 WB-WDI
Electricity access
90.2%’24 WB-WDI
Iron ore
66 Mt’25 USGS-MCS
Gold (mined)
90 t’25 USGS-MCS
Phosphate rock
2.2 Mt’25 USGS-MCS

Military

Military burden
0.7%’24 WB-SIPRI
Defense spending
$2.8 B’24 WB-SIPRI
Armed forces
89,000’20 WB-SIPRI

A hatched gap has no underside — there is nothing to turn over. Absence is stated, never zeroed.

The record · what changed here
EVERY CLAIM SOURCED
ABSENCE ≠ ZERO
NO SIDES