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| Location: | Southern Africa. |
| Area: | 1,219,192 sq km (470,693 sq miles). |
| Population: | 47.4 million (UN estimate 2006). |
| Population Density: | 38.9 per sq km. |
| Capital: | Pretoria (administrative).
Population: 1.8 million (2006). Cape Town (legislative).
Population: 3.2 million (2006). Bloemfontein (judicial).
Population: 369,568 (2004). |
| Government: | Republic. Gained independence from the UK in 1910. |
| Geography: | The Republic of South Africa lies at the southern end of the African continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and is bordered to the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland and totally encloses Lesotho. South Africa has three major geographical regions, namely plateau, mountains and the coastal belt. The high plateau has sharp escarpments which rise above the plains, or veld. Despite two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange, most of the plateau lacks surface water. Along the coastline are sandy beaches and rocky coves, and the vegetation is shrub-like. The mountainous regions that run along the coastline from the Cape of Good Hope to the Limpopo Valley in the northeast of the country are split into the Drakensberg, Nuweveldberg and Stormberg ranges.
Following the 1994 elections, South Africa was organised into nine regions. These comprise the Western Cape with its provincial and national capital of Cape Town, the Eastern Cape with its provincial capital of Bisho, the Northern Cape with its provincial capital of Kimberley, KwaZulu-Natal with its provincial capital of Pietermaritzburg, the Free State with its provincial capital of Bloemfontein, the North West Province with its provincial capital of Mmabatho, Limpopo (formerly called the Northern Province) with its provincial capital of Polokwane (formerly called Pietersburg), Mpumalanga with its provincial capital of Nelspruit, and Gauteng with its provincial capital of Johannesburg. |
| Language: | The official languages are Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga. |
| Religion: | Most inhabitants profess Christianity of some form and belong to Catholic, Anglican and other protestant denominations, Afrikaner Dutch Reformed churches or African independent churches. There are also significant Hindu, Muslim and Jewish communities, and traditional beliefs are still practised widely, sometimes in conjunction with Christianity. |
| Time: | GMT + 2. |
| Social Conventions: | Handshaking is the usual form of greeting. Normal courtesies should be shown when visiting someone's home. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Formal social functions occasionally call for a dinner jacket and black tie for men and full-length dresses for women; this will be specified on the invitation. Smoking is prohibited in public buildings and on public transport, and restaurants have enclosed or outdoor smoking sections. |
| Electricity: | 220/240 volts AC; 250 volts AC (Pretoria), 50Hz. Three-pin round plugs are in use. |
| Head of State: | President Kgalema Motlanthe since 2008. |
| Recent History: | President Thabo Mbeki stepped down in September 2008 over claims of political interference in a corruption case against Jacob Zuma, chairman of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. Kgalema Motlanthe, an ally of Zuma, was named caretaker president until elections take place in early 2009.
South Africa has held three successful national elections as well as local polls since its first genuinely inclusive national election, held in 1994. Thabo Mbeki was elected by parliament to a second five-year term in 2004, following the landslide general election victory of his ruling African National Congress (ANC). Mr Mbeki took over as president when Nelson Mandela stepped down in mid-1999.
Mbeki's administration struggled with two major domestic problems - a huge violent crime wave and an HIV-AIDS pandemic, which according to United Nations estimates (2006) afflicts over 18% of the population. Mbeki's initial refusal to come to terms with the true nature of the HIV virus drew massive international criticism, but his cabinet has since made anti-AIDS drugs available nationally and in early 2007 began a five year and R45 billion action plan to provide treatment and support to those living with HIV-AIDS. He has also been criticised internationally for not taking more prominent action about the political situation in neighbouring Zimbabwe. |
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| Telephone: | Country code: 27. Area codes are used even if you are making a call in the same area. |
| Mobile Telephone: | Roaming agreements exist with international mobile phone companies. Coverage extends to most of the country except in the very remote areas. |
| Internet: | Internet cafes are present around the country and wireless is available at airports and in upmarket hotels. |
| Media: | South Africa’s many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population as a whole. Well-established state-run and commercial TV networks broadcast nationally, and hundreds of thousands of viewers subscribe to pay-TV services operated by major cable and satellite company Multichoice. Deregulation in 1996 led to a proliferation of radio stations. The constitution provides for freedom of the press, and this is generally respected in practice. |
| Post: | Airmail to Europe takes up to seven days.
Post office hours: Generally Mon-Fri 0830-1530; Sat 0800-1100; longer in airports and shopping malls. The smaller post offices close for lunch 1300-1400. |
| Press: |  The main newspapers are in English and Afrikaans, and include Cape Argus, Cape Times, The Citizen, Sowetan and The Star. A weekly highbrow newspaper is Mail & Guardian. |
| Radio: | SABC is a state broadcaster with 18 regional and national services in 11 languages.
Commercial stations include: KFM, Highveld Stereo, Jacaranda FM, Algoa FM, 702 Talk Radio, Classic FM and East Coast Radio. |
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Below are listed the Public Holidays for the January 2008-December 2009 period.
2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21 Mar Good Friday.
24 Mar Family Day.
27 Apr Freedom Day.
1 May Workers’ Day.
2 May Human Rights Day.
16 Jun Youth Day.
9 Aug National Women’s Day.
24 Sep Heritage Day.
16 Dec Day of Reconciliation.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Day of Goodwill.
2009
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
21 Mar Human Rights Day.
10 Apr Good Friday.
13 Apr Family Day.
27 Apr Freedom Day.
1 May Workers’ Day.
16 Jun Youth Day.
9 Aug National Women’s Day.
24 Sep Heritage Day.
16 Dec Day of Reconciliation.
25 Dec Christmas Day.
26 Dec Day of Goodwill.
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| Note: | Holidays falling on a Sunday are observed the following Monday. |
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| Currency: | Rand (ZAR; symbol R) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of R200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are in denominations of R5, 2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10 and 5 cents. |
| Currency Exchange: | Money can be changed at banks, bureaux de change and some hotels. Proof of identity may be requested; therefore, it is advisable to carry a passport. Visitors are restricted to bringing in and taking out a maximum of R5000 in cash. |
| Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs: | MasterCard and Visa are preferred. American Express and Diners Club are also widely accepted. ATMs are available all over the towns and cities including shopping malls and petrol stations, and accept all international debit and credit cards. Almost all hotels, shops and restaurants, and even national parks and game reserves accept credit cards. They are not accepted at petrol stations, however. Petrol must always be paid for with cash. |
| Traveller's Cheques: | Valid at banks, hotels, restaurants and some tourist-orientated shops. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Pounds Sterling or US Dollars. |
| Currency Restrictions: | Restrictions apply. |
| Banking Hours: | Mon-Fri 0900-1530, Sat 0830-1100. |
| Exchange Rate Indicators: |
| Date |
Oct 08 |
| £1.00= |
R15.53 |
| $1.00= |
R8.83 |
| €1.00= |
R12.08 |
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