South Africa is a country at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. The country has a wealth of natural resources, especially minerals, and it is the most highly industrialized country in Africa. South Africa also has great geographical variety and natural beauty.
South Africa was the last nation in Africa ruled by a white minority. From the late 1940’s to the early 1990’s, the white government enforced a policy of rigid racial segregation called apartheid << ah PAHRT hayt or ah PAHRT hyt >>. Under apartheid, the government denied voting rights and other rights to the Black majority. Many South Africans and people throughout the world opposed apartheid. Protests against it often led to violence.
In 1990 and 1991, South Africa repealed most of the main laws on which apartheid was based. In 1993, the country extended voting rights to all races, and democratic elections were held the next year. After those elections, South Africa’s white leaders handed over power to the country’s first multiracial government. Nelson Mandela, a civil rights leader who had spent 27 years in prison, became South Africa’s first Black president.
People
Ancestry.
The ancestors of South Africa’s population include people from Africa, Asia, and Europe. From the late 1940’s to the early 1990’s, the government enforced a policy of rigid racial segregation called apartheid. Apartheid means separateness in Afrikaans, a language spoken in South Africa. Under apartheid, the government officially categorized the people into four main racial groups: (1) African (Black), (2) white, (3) Coloured (mixed-race), and (4) Asian. The government segregated the groups in housing, education, and employment, and in the use of transportation and other public facilities. Even after apartheid ended, the four groups remained generally separated. This separation is slowly diminishing.
Black Africans,
often called simply Africans or Black people, make up about 80 percent of South Africa’s total population. Their ancestors moved into what is now eastern South Africa from the north between about A.D. 200 and 1000. Although Black Africans live throughout the country, the largest group, the Zulu, make their homes mainly in KwaZulu-Natal. The second largest group, the Xhosa, live mostly in Eastern Cape. The Sotho are another large Black group. The southern Sotho live in eastern Free State. The northern Sotho reside in Limpopo. The western Sotho or Tswana, related to the people of Botswana, live near the border of that country. 
Coloured people
make up 8 percent of South Africa’s population. Their ancestors include the Khoikhoi and San peoples of western South Africa; African and Asian enslaved people brought to the country by white people; white settlers; and passing sailors, soldiers, and travelers. Northern Cape and Western Cape have large Coloured populations.
White people
make up 7 percent of South Africa’s people. About 60 percent of the white population call themselves Afrikaners. Their ancestors came chiefly from the Netherlands in the late 1600’s, though some came from Germany and France. Until the 1900’s, most Afrikaners lived on farms and were known as Boers. Boer is a Dutch word that means farmer. Today, most Afrikaners live in cities, but they still make up most of the white population in rural areas. English-speaking white people account for about 35 percent of the white population. Their ancestors came chiefly from England, Ireland, and Scotland beginning in the early 1800’s.
Asian people
—almost all of whom are people of Indian ancestry—make up 3 percent of the country’s population. The ancestors of most of them came from India between 1860 and 1911 to work on sugar plantations in Natal (now KwaZulu-Natal). Plantation owners imported them as indentured laborers, workers contracted to work for a set time for a particular employer. South Africa also has a few people with Chinese ancestry.
Languages.
South Africa has 12 official languages. They are (1) Afrikaans, (2) English, (3) Ndebele (which Africans call isiNdebele), (4) Sepedi, (5) Sesotho, (6) South African Sign Language, (7) Swazi (siSwati), (8) Tsonga (Xitsonga), (9) Tswana (Setswana), (10) Venda (Tshivenda), (11) Xhosa (isiXhosa), and (12) Zulu (isiZulu). All these languages except Afrikaans, English, and South African Sign Language are Bantu languages. Afrikaans developed from Dutch, but it also has words from other European languages and from Asian and African languages. South African English resembles British English with the addition of some words from Afrikaans and from Bantu languages. 
About 60 percent of South Africa’s white people use Afrikaans as their first language, as do about 75 percent of the Coloured population. Most other white and Coloured people speak English as their first language. Many Black Africans speak Bantu languages, and many also speak English or Afrikaans. Most Indian and Chinese people speak English, as well as one or more Asian languages.
For many years, English and Afrikaans were South Africa’s only two official languages, and the only two used in government. English remains the chief language used in business, industry, and government. However, by law, all government documents must be printed in at least two of the country’s official languages. Also, the law calls for spoken government transactions to occur in any official language a speaker chooses.
Ways of life.
The differing cultural backgrounds of South Africa’s people have created contrasting ways of life. In addition, the inequalities created by apartheid and white domination have profoundly affected how people live.
South Africa’s racial groups are no longer segregated by law. However, Black Africans, Coloured people, and Asian people still face much unofficial discrimination. Some schools and housing remain segregated by custom. White people generally enjoy a higher standard of living than other groups do. A growing number of Black Africans, Indian people, and Coloured people hold executive and professional positions. But most people in these groups struggle to earn a living.
Black Africans.
The average per capita (per person) income of Black Africans is about one-fifth that of white people. Large numbers of Black Africans are unemployed, and many lack adequate housing. Many still live in areas that were formerly Black homelands.
During the apartheid years, strict controls prevented Black Africans from leaving the homelands. Agricultural production in the homelands was difficult because of overcrowding, poor soils, and overgrazed pastureland. Many adults, especially men, sought jobs in the cities to support their families. Only Black Africans who found jobs with urban employers were permitted to live temporarily in cities. Even then, apartheid laws restricted them to segregated neighborhoods, many of which were far from the center of town.
In the mid-1980’s, the government repealed the laws that kept Black Africans out of the cities. In 1994, the government ended the homelands system. Today, about 50 percent of Black Africans live in urban areas. Many still live in previously segregated Black neighborhoods. Others have moved into formerly all-white neighborhoods. Still others have built makeshift shelters on empty land inside the city limits and on land along major roads leading into the cities.
White people.
About 95 percent of white South Africans live in urban areas. Many white people enjoy a relatively high standard of living. Most white families live in single-family homes in suburban areas, and many employ household help who are not white.
Afrikaners and English-speaking white people have traditionally led separate lives. Many still live in different towns and suburbs, go to different schools, and belong to different churches and social and professional organizations. But these distinctions are gradually breaking down. Before 1994, Afrikaners held most government jobs in South Africa. They still control most of the nation’s agriculture. English-speaking white people dominate business and industry.
Coloured people.
About 90 percent of Coloured South Africans live in cities. The Coloured community began in what is now Western Cape, and many Coloured people still live there. In cities, many Coloured people have jobs as servants, factory laborers, or craftworkers. In rural areas, many work in agriculture.
Asian people.
Almost all Asian South Africans live in cities. Indian people make up almost all of the Asian population. Most Indian people live in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Many are poor and work in factories or grow vegetables for city markets. But some are prosperous doctors, industrialists, lawyers, merchants, and government officials.
Food and drink
vary among the people of South Africa. White people eat foods similar to those eaten by Americans and Europeans. They also enjoy traditional specialties, such as boerewors, an Afrikaner sausage. Braaivleis (barbecues) are particularly popular. Coloured people have a diet similar to that of white people, but less costly. Indian people often cook curries, dishes of eggs, fish, meat, or vegetables in a spicy sauce. The basic food of most Black Africans is mealies (corn), eaten as a porridge. Wealthier Black Africans eat the same foods as white and Coloured people. Many poor people suffer from a shortage of protein and vitamins. Popular beverages include coffee, tea, beer, wine, and soft drinks.
Recreation.
Many South Africans love sports, and the country’s mild climate enables people to spend much of their leisure time outdoors. Association football (soccer) is the country’s most popular sport. Cricket and rugby football are traditional sports among white South Africans, although people of other races also participate. Tennis, bowls (lawn bowling), golf, field hockey, boxing, athletics (track and field), and water sports are popular among all racial groups. Many Black Africans excel in boxing and in athletic events, such as long-distance running. On weekends and holidays, many city dwellers flock to the beaches or tour their country’s national parks and game reserves. 
For many years, Black and white South Africans had to compete in separate sports events and could not attend the same restaurants and theaters. From the 1970’s to 1990, the government slowly lifted these restrictions. Some segregation still exists, especially in private sports clubs, even though it is illegal.
Education.
Until 1991, most students attended racially separate public schools where far more money per child was spent to educate white children than Black children. Since then, many Black children have begun to attend previously all-white public schools. In large cities, schools that were formerly all white have become integrated. South Africa’s private schools are integrated. 
Many areas—especially rural ones—have a shortage of schools. All children from ages 7 through 15, or those who have not yet completed ninth grade, are required to attend school. Until 1981, the law did not require Black children to go to school, and many received little education. Today, about 100 percent of white, 95 percent of Asian, 90 percent of Coloured, and 75 percent of Black South Africans can read and write.
South Africa has about 20 universities. Most of the country’s institutions of higher education were originally segregated. Since the mid-1980’s, qualified students of any race have been permitted to attend any university that will accept them. An increasing number of Black Africans, Indian people, and Coloured people attend formerly all-white schools. 
Religion.
About 85 percent of South Africa’s people are Christians. Many of the country’s churches belong to the South African Council of Churches, which played an important role in the struggle against apartheid.
Millions of people belong to African independent churches. Nearly all of them are Black Africans. African independent churches combine Christian and traditional African beliefs. The largest African Independent church is the Zion Christian Church.
Most Afrikaners, as well as many Coloured people and Black Africans, belong to a family of churches called the Dutch Reformed churches. Other large Christian churches are the Anglican, Congregational, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Roman Catholic churches. These churches have members from all ethnic groups.
A small number of Black Africans follow traditional African religions, which often involve prayer to the spirits of ancestors. Most Asian people are either Christian, Hindu, or Muslim. A small number of Coloured people known as Cape Malays are Muslims. A small number of South Africans are Jews.
The arts.
South Africa has a National Arts Council that distributes public funds to artists, cultural institutions, and private nonprofit groups. There are state-sponsored theaters in Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria. Private theater companies also perform in many parts of the country.
South Africa has produced outstanding artists in ballet, music, painting, sculpture, and other fields. One of the best-known performing groups is the Black vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The singers perform in a humming style called mbube, which is influenced by European and African American harmonies and vocal traditions but retains Black African rhythms. Loading the player...
Zulu and Xhosa music
Much of South Africa’s literature reflects its political and social tensions. After the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902, Afrikaner poets expressed their sorrow over the British conquest of land occupied by the Afrikaners. These poets included Jan F. E. Celliers, Christiaan Louis Leipoldt, Eugene Nielsen Marais, and Jacob Daniel du Toit (also known as Totius). Marais also gained critical praise for his writings on nature.
During the middle and late 1900’s and the early 2000’s, many South African writers dealt with racial themes. They included the poet and essayist Breyten Breytenbach and the novelist Andre Brink, who both wrote in Afrikaans. Major English-language authors included the novelists Peter Abrahams, J. M. Coetzee, Nadine Gordimer, Es’kia Mphahlele (also known as Ezekiel Mphahlele), Njabulo S. Ndebele, and Alan Paton; the playwright Athol Fugard; the poets Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali, Sipho Sepamla, and Mongane Wally Serote; and the nonfiction author Mark Mathabane. Gordimer won the 1991 Nobel Prize in literature. Coetzee won the prize in 2003. For more information on the literature of South Africa, see South African literature.
Land and climate
South Africa has five main geographic regions: (1) the Plateau, (2) the Coastal Strip, (3) the Cape Mountains Region, (4) the Namib Desert, and (5) the Kalahari Desert. There are slight climatic variations among these regions, but most of the country has a mild, sunny climate.
The Plateau
covers most of the interior of South Africa. In much of the Plateau, summer days are hot, but nights are cool. In winter, the days are crisp and clear, and the nights are cold. Winter temperatures throughout most of the Plateau can drop below freezing.
The Great Escarpment, a semicircular series of cliffs and mountains, rims the Plateau and separates it from the coastal regions. The escarpment reaches its greatest heights—more than 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) above sea level—in the Drakensberg mountain range in the east. The highest mountain, Njesuthi, is in the Drakensberg. It stands 11,181 feet (3,408 meters) high.
The Plateau slopes gradually downward from the Great Escarpment. It has three chief subregions: (1) the Highveld, (2) the Middleveld, and (3) the Transvaal Basin. The Highveld occupies all the Plateau except for the northwestern and northeastern corners. It lies mostly between 4,000 and 6,000 feet (1,200 and 1,800 meters) above sea level and consists largely of flat, grass-covered land. In places, flat-topped mountains rise above the plain. The area of the Highveld around Johannesburg is called the Witwatersrand. It covers more than 1,000 square miles (2,600 square kilometers) and has rich gold deposits. This area is the nation’s chief industrial and business center. Farmers in the Highveld raise cattle, corn, fruits, potatoes, and wheat.
The Middleveld, in the northwestern Plateau, averages less than 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level. It is a dry, flat area and serves largely as ranch country.
The Transvaal Basin forms the Plateau’s northeastern part. It averages less than 4,000 feet above sea level but has mountain ranges more than 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) high. The area is largely a rolling grassland with scattered thorn trees. Farmers raise citrus and other fruits, corn, and tobacco. Elephants, leopards, lions, rhinoceroses, zebras, and other wild animals roam in Kruger National Park, a famous game reserve. The park is one of the country’s most popular tourist attractions. In 2002, Kruger National Park was joined with parklands in Mozambique and Zimbabwe to form the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. 
The Coastal Strip
extends along the southeast coast from Mozambique to the Cape Mountains Region. Except in the northeast, the region has little low-lying land. In the Durban area, for example, the land rises to 2,000 feet (610 meters) within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the sea. Much of the Coastal Strip has hot, humid summers and dry, sunny winters. Chief crops include bananas, citrus fruits, sugar cane, and vegetables. Durban is a major industrial center, port, and resort area.
The Cape Mountains Region
stretches from the Coastal Strip to the Namib Desert. Mountain ranges in the west and south meet northeast of the great port city of Cape Town. Between the mountains and the Great Escarpment lie two dry plateaus—the Little Karoo and the Great Karoo. There, farmers grow wine grapes and other fruits on irrigated land. They also grow wheat and raise sheep and ostriches. The Cape Mountains Region has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. 
The Namib and Kalahari deserts.
The Namib lies along the Atlantic Ocean north of the Cape Mountains Region and extends into Namibia. The Kalahari lies north of the Middleveld and extends into Botswana. Small bands of hunters and gatherers once roamed the deserts, living on the plants and animals they found. 
Rivers.
South Africa’s longest river is the Orange River. It begins in Lesotho and flows westward about 1,300 miles (2,100 kilometers) into the Atlantic. The Vaal River, the Orange’s largest branch, rises in Mpumalanga. It flows about 750 miles (1,210 kilometers) before joining the Orange in Northern Cape. The Limpopo River begins west of Gauteng and winds about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) across northern and northeastern South Africa and Mozambique before emptying into the Indian Ocean. South Africa also has many shorter rivers. Waterfalls, sand bars, and shallow water make even the longest rivers useless for shipping. 
Economy
South Africa is the richest, most economically developed country in Africa. It occupies only about 5 percent of the continent’s area and also has about 5 percent of its people. Yet the value of goods and services that South Africa produces is nearly 20 percent of the value of goods and services from all African nations combined.
From the 1950’s through the 1970’s, South Africa experienced spectacular economic growth. Many people from other countries invested in South African businesses. In the 1980’s, an economic slowdown and international opposition to apartheid led to the withdrawal of some foreign investments. Some countries reduced or ended trade with South Africa. After the repeal of apartheid in the early 1990’s, foreign trade and investment increased. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, however, the AIDS disease spread rapidly and began to hinder economic growth.
For many years, South Africa’s apartheid government owned many businesses and appointed white South Africans to run them. It also passed laws that reserved the best positions in both industry and government for white employees. Today, white people still hold nearly all the executive, professional, and technical jobs. But an increasing number of Black Africans, Coloured people, and Indian people have moved into these jobs. White people, however, have a much lower unemployment rate and receive higher wages.
Natural resources.
South Africa has long been famous for its vast deposits of gold and diamonds. It also has large supplies of chromite, copper, iron ore, manganese, platinum, and uranium. South Africa has one of the world’s largest coal reserves. Natural gas and petroleum deposits lie near the country’s shore.
South Africa is less fortunate in some other natural resources. Only an eighth of the farmland receives enough rain to grow crops easily. South Africa also has poor forest resources.
Service industries
are economic activities that provide services rather than produce goods. Such industries account for about 70 percent of both South Africa’s employment and its gross domestic product (GDP), the value of all goods and services produced within the country. South Africa’s leading service industries are (1) community, government, and personal services and (2) finance, insurance, real estate, and business services. Hotels, restaurants, and shops greatly benefit from the millions of tourists who visit South Africa each year. Most visitors come from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Eswatini, the United Kingdom, and Zimbabwe.
Manufacturing
accounts for much of South Africa’s GDP. The country’s chief manufactured products include chemicals, clothing and textiles, iron and steel and other metals, metal products, motor vehicles, petroleum products, and processed foods. Most factories are in the Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria areas. 
Mining.
Large gold deposits were discovered in South Africa in the 1880’s, and gold has been the main force behind the country’s growth ever since. Today, South Africa is one of the world’s leading gold producers. Gold mining has attracted huge foreign investments and has led to the development of transportation and manufacturing facilities in South Africa. Many of the mineworkers come from neighboring countries.
In addition to gold, South Africa also has many other minerals. South Africa produces more chromite and platinum than any other country. South Africa is also one of the world’s leading producers of coal, diamonds, iron ore, manganese, and vanadium.
Agriculture.
South Africa’s farmers produce almost all the food needed by its people. Livestock is raised throughout the country. Important livestock include beef and dairy cattle, chickens, and sheep. The leading crops include apples, corn, grapes, oranges, sugar cane, and wheat. Apples, table grapes, and wine grapes are primarily grown in the southern part of the country. Free State is the leading corn producer. Western Cape leads the country in wheat production. Oranges are mainly grown in northeast South Africa, and sugar cane is primarily grown in KwaZulu-Natal. South African farmers also raise bananas, pears, potatoes, and tomatoes. 
Black farms generally have much lower production than white farms because, for many years, Black people were confined to areas where the land was poor. In addition, most Black farmers could not afford modern equipment. Since 1994, the government has redistributed some of the country’s farmland.
Fishing industry.
South Africa’s coastal waters yield hundreds of thousands of tons of fish and shellfish each year. Important catches include anchovies, hake, pilchard, and squid. Overfishing has reduced the once-plentiful supplies of fish in offshore waters, and so the government has set limits on catching certain types of fish.
Energy sources.
Most of South Africa’s electric power comes from plants that burn coal. Africa’s only nuclear power plant is near Cape Town. Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, is one of the largest utilities in the world. South Africa exports electric power to other countries in southern Africa.
The country does not produce enough petroleum to support its needs, so it must import oil. South African refineries produce natural gas and oil from coal.
International trade.
South Africa’s chief trade partners include China, Germany, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. South Africa exports diamonds, gold, machinery, motor vehicles, and platinum. Imports include food products, machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, scientific instruments, and transportation equipment.
Transportation.
South Africa has the best transportation system in Africa. Paved roads crisscross much of the country. Most of the roads in the former Black homelands remain unpaved. Most white families own at least one automobile. Most Black people rely on buses and trains. South Africa has by far the largest railroad system in Africa. South African Airways, British Airways, Comair, and other airlines provide domestic and international service. Johannesburg has South Africa’s busiest international airport. Cape Town, Durban, and Sun City also have international airports. South Africa has large, well-equipped seaports at Cape Town, Durban, East London, Mossel Bay, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, and Saldanha. 
Communication.
South Africa’s constitution guarantees freedom of the press. Large English-language dailies include The Citizen, the Daily Sun, Sowetan, and The Star, published in Johannesburg, and Cape Argus, published in Cape Town. The largest Afrikaans-language dailies include Beeld of Johannesburg and Die Burger of Cape Town.
The Independent Community Authority of South Africa (ICASA) directs the licensing and regulating of all radio and television stations. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) provides most of the country’s public broadcasting. The country also has privately owned stations. Radio and TV shows are broadcast in English, Afrikaans, and a number of Black African languages. Cell phone usage has increased since the late 1990’s. Internet usage has increased since the early 2000’s.
