South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC),which had ruled the country since 1994, saw its worstelectoral performance during the August 2016

municipal polls. This was blamed on the public being dis-satisfied with ANC-led governments and growing tired ofthe scandals surrounding Pres. Jacob Zuma. During theyear a high court ruling and an investigative report by thepublic protector’s office were both critical of Zuma’sactions. Each led to either an impeachment vote or a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly, although bothvotes failed in the ANC-dominated body. Zuma also facedthe possibility of the rein-statement of nearly 800 cor-ruption-related charges thathad been dropped in 2009amid controversy.

Vital statisticsBirth rate per 1,000 population (2014): 22.4(world avg. 19.5).

Death rate per 1,000 population (2014):10.2 (world avg. 8.1).

Life expectancy at birth (2014): male 59.1years; female 63.1 years.

Adult population (ages 15–49) living withHIV (2015): 19.2% (world avg. 0.8%).

DemographyPopulation (2016): 55,929,000.Density (2016): persons per sq mi 118.7,persons per sq km 45.8.

Sex distribution (2015): male 48.91%;female 51.09%.

Population projection: (2020) 57,648,000;(2030) 61,071,000.

Major urban agglomerations (2011):Johannesburg 3,844,000; Cape Town

3,562,000; Ekurhuleni (EastRand) 3,357,000; eThekwini(Durban5) 3,012,000;Tshwane (Pretoria2)1,501,000.

Urban-rural (2014):

South Africa

Official name: Republic of South Africa.1Form of government: multiparty republic withtwo legislative houses (National Council ofProvinces [90]; National Assembly [400]).

Head of state and government: President JacobZuma.

Capitals (de facto): Pretoria2 (executive);Bloemfontein3 (judicial); Cape Town (legislative).

Official languages: 1.Official religion: none.Monetary unit: rand (R); valuation (Sept. 1,2016) 1 U.S.$ = R 14.67; 1 £ = R 19.51.

Ethnic composition (2015):

Age breakdown (2015):

Religious affiliation (2005):

Area and population area population

20164

Provinces Capitals sq mi sq km estimate

Eastern Cape Bisho 65,238 168,966 6,996,976Free State Bloemfontein 50,126 129,825 2,834,714Gauteng Johannesburg 7,018 18,178 13,399,724KwaZulu-Natal Pietermaritzburg 36,433 94,361 11,065,240Limpopo Polokwane 48,554 125,755 5,799,090Mpumalanga Nelspruit 29,535 76,495 4,335,964North West Mahikeng 40,495 104,882 3,748,435Northern Cape Kimberley 143,973 372,889 1,193,780Western Cape Cape Town 49,986 129,462 6,279,730TOTAL 471,3596 1,220,813 55,653,653

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National economyBudget (2014–15). Revenue: R 962,781,800,000 (income tax 34.9%,

VAT 27.7%, corporate taxes 22.7%). Expenditures: R1,142,562,400,000 (transfer to provinces 31.7%, policeand defense 13.2%, debt payments 10.1%, education4.9%, transportation 4.3%).

Public debt (external, outstanding; 2014): U.S.$57,870,-000,000.

Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture,forestry, fishing (2013): sugarcane 18,000,000, corn(maize) 12,486,000, potatoes 2,252,000, wheat 1,879,000,grapes 1,850,000, oranges 1,671,508, apples 811,523, dryonions 668,201, sunflower seeds 557,000; livestock (num-ber of live animals) 25,000,000 sheep, 14,000,000 cattle,68,000 beehives; roundwood (2015) 26,406,172 cu m, of

which fuelwood 45%; fisheries production (2014) 600,462 (fromaquaculture 1%); aquatic plants production (2014) 15,211 (fromaquaculture 13%). Mining and quarrying (value of sales in R’000,000; 2014): coal 101,697; platinum-group metals 77,502; iron ore58,699; gold 46,819; rough diamond production 8,075,500 carats.Manufacturing (value of sales in R ’000,000; 2014): food productsand beverages 391,873; base and fabricated metals 302,179; trans-portation equipment 221,207; chemicals and chemical products196,153; refined petroleum products 186,482; machinery and appara-tus 93,133; paper and paper products 60,932. Energy production(consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 2014–15) 257,795,000,000 ([2012]211,600,000,000), by source (2013): fossil fuels 92.6%; nuclear ener-gy 6.4%; renewable energy 1.0%, of which hydroelectric 0.5%; coal(metric tons; 2014) 270,000,000 ([2011] 186,000,000); crude petrole-um (barrels; 2014–15) 1,500,000 ([2011] 162,000,000); petroleumproducts (metric tons; 2011) 19,272,000 (17,439,000); natural gas (cum; 2013) 1,170,000,000 (4,889,000,000).

Population economically active (2014): total 20,217,000; participationrates (2013): ages 15–64, male 63.4%; female 50.4%; unemployed(July 2014–June 2015) 25.3%, of which youth (ages 15–24; 2014)51.3%.

Average household size (2011): 3.6.Gross national income (GNI; 2015): U.S.$332,593,000,000 (U.S.$6,050per capita); purchasing power parity GNI (U.S.$12,830 per capita).

MilitaryTotal active duty personnel (November 2015): 67,200 (army60.4%, navy 11.4%, air force 15.8%, military health service12.4%). Military expenditure as percentage of GDP (2015): 1.1%;per capita expenditure U.S.$65.

Foreign trade10

Imports (2014): R 1,080,334,100,000 (machinery andapparatus 23.0%; crude petroleum 16.3%; trans-portation equipment 16.0%; chemicals and chemicalproducts 9.5%; refined petroleum products 5.8%). Major import sources:

Exports (2014): R 988,209,100,000 (base and fabricat-ed metals 13.0%, of which iron and steel 7.6%;transportation equipment 10.6%; machinery andapparatus 10.0%; food and food products 9.2%;iron ore 7.4%; platinum-group metals 7.1%; chemi-cals and chemical products 6.4%; gold 5.2%). Major export destinations:

Transport and communicationsTransport. Railroads: route length (2014) 13,040 mi,20,986 km; passenger-km (2006–07) 13,500,000,00011;metric ton-km cargo (2007) 129,000,000,000.Roads (2014): total length 464,172 mi, 747,014km (paved 21%); passenger-km, n.a.; metricton-km cargo (2007) 245,000,000,000. Vehicles(201112): passenger cars 5,596,343; trucks andbuses 2,659,148.

Education and healthLiteracy (2015): percentage of total population age 15 and over liter-ate 94.3%; males literate 95.5%; females literate 93.1%.

Health: physicians (2013) 41,326 (1 per 1,282 persons); hospital beds(2007) 1,591,154 (1 per 30 persons); infant mortality rate (2014) 34.4.

1Country’s official name in each of the country’s 11 official languages: Republiek van Suid-Afrika (Afrikaans); Republic of South Africa (English); IRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika(Ndebele); Rephaboliki ya Afrika-Borwa (Pedi [North Sotho]); Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa (Sotho [South Sotho]); IRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika (Swati); Riphabliki raAfrika Dzonga (Tsonga); Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa (Tswana [West Sotho]); Riphabuliki ya Afurika Tshipembe (Venda); IRiphabliki yaseMzantsi Afrika (Xhosa);IRiphabliki yaseNingizimu Afrika (Zulu). 2Name of larger municipality including Pretoria is Tshwane. 3Name of larger municipality including Bloemfontein is Mangaung.4March. 5Within eThekwini municipality. 6Detail does not add to total given because of statistical discrepancy. 7Taxes on products less subsidies on products. 8Unemployed.9Detail does not add to total given because of rounding. 10Imports c.i.f.; exports f.o.b. 11Nearly all commuter service rail for 5 largest metropolitan regions only. 12January 1.13Subscribers.

Internet resources for further information:• South African Reserve Bank www.resbank.co.za • Statistics South Africa www.statssa.gov.za

Structure of gross domestic product and labour force2014

in value % of total labour % of labourR ’000,000 value force force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing 84,662 2.2 702,000 3.5Mining and quarrying 286,607 7.6 428,000 2.1Manufacturing 452,326 11.9 1,760,000 8.7Construction 138,917 3.7 1,249,000 6.2Public utilities 125,378 3.3 118,000 0.6Transp. and commun. 339,930 9.0 932,000 4.6Trade, hotels 504,854 13.3 3,202,000 15.8Finance, real estate 699,531 18.4 2,030,000 10.0Pub. admin., defense 578,030 15.2

4,728,000 23.4Services 194,260 5.1Other 391,9677 10.37 5,070,0008 25.18

TOTAL 3,796,462 100.0 20,217,0009 100.0

}

Communications units unitsnumber per 1,000 number per 1,000

Medium date in ’000s persons Medium date in ’000s persons

TelephonesCellular 2015 85,19713 1,59313

Landline 2015 4,131 77

Internet users 2009 4,420 88Broadband 2015 2,80913 5313

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