South Africa – General info

South Africa – General information

The Republic of South Africa is located at the southern tip of the African continent. The country is bordered to the east by the Indian Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland, officially renamed since 2018). Lesotho is completely enclosed by South Africa.

Three geographical regions dominate South Africa’s landscape: the inland highlands, the mountains and the coastal region. The inland highlands are characterised by a largely constant altitude and are separated from the other landscapes by mountain breaks (the Great Escarpment) that rise above the plains (veld) of the high plateau.

Although there are two major river systems, the Limpopo and the Orange River, the surface of the plateau is arid. On the coast there are both sandy beaches and rocky bays, the hinterland is overgrown with shrubs. The mountainous region, which stretches from the Cape of Good Hope along the coast to the Limpopo Valley in the northeast, consists of the Drakensberg, Nuweveld and Stromberg mountain ranges.

Provinces (corrected): Since the first democratic elections in 1994, South Africa has been divided into nine provinces: Western Cape (provincial capital Cape Town), Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State (Bloemfontein), North West (Mahikeng), Limpopo (Polokwane – the province originally called “Northern Province” was renamed in 2003), Mpumalanga and Gauteng (Johannesburg/Pretoria) – the ninth province incorrectly referred to as “Johannesburg” in the original. Gauteng is the smallest province in the country in terms of area, but by far the most populous.

Capital: Pretoria (seat of government, today around 2.5–3 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area). Cape Town (seat of parliament, today around 4.8 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area). Bloemfontein also remains the seat of the highest court of appeal – South Africa thus has three unique capitals, each with different government functions.

Area: 1,219,090 km² (or about 1,213,090 km² pure land area).

Population: around 63 to 65 million (as of 2025/26) – significantly more than the previously mentioned 42.1 million (as of 1999). The largest metropolitan region today is Johannesburg with around 4.8 million inhabitants, closely followed by Cape Town with around 4.77 million.

Economy: South Africa continues to have the most developed industrial economy in the southern part of Africa, although Nigeria and Egypt now have higher overall GDP values in some cases. Livestock farming is widespread, sugar and grain are produced in large quantities. Mining remains an important pillar of the economy: coal is mined in large quantities, as well as chromium, manganese, vanadium and platinum. The country’s most valuable raw materials continue to be gold and diamonds, although South Africa’s share of world gold production has declined significantly compared to previous decades.

Mining and agriculture continue to be among the major employers and export pillars, but the largest economic sector today is clearly the service sector. The tourism sector is now one of the country’s most important sources of foreign exchange income; visitor numbers have more than doubled since the previously mentioned 6 million (1999), with sometimes significant fluctuations due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2020-2022 and a recovery since then.

The South African economy has been struggling with structural challenges for years: high structural unemployment (the rate was most recently around 30–33%, in some cases even higher than the 36% from 2000 mentioned in the original), recurring power outages caused by the ailing state-owned energy supplier Eskom and economic growth that is only moderate by international standards. China, the USA, Germany and other EU countries are now among the most important trading partners.

Politics/form of government: Parliamentary republic (in the Commonwealth) since 1961, current constitution since 1997. Bicameral parliament: National Assembly (400 members) and National Council of Provinces (90 members).

Current head of state and government: Cyril Ramaphosa (ANC), in office since February 2018 (as successor to the resigned Jacob Zuma), confirmed in office in 2019 and 2024.

Important current political development that is missing in the original: In the parliamentary elections in May 2024, the ANC lost its absolute majority for the first time since the end of apartheid in 1994 and only achieved around 40% of the vote. Since no party achieved its own majority, Ramaphosa formed a “Government of National Unity” (GNU) – a broad alliance of the ANC, the largest opposition party Democratic Alliance (DA), the IFP and several smaller parties. This marks a historic turning point in South Africa’s post-war politics and is seen by many observers as an opportunity for more pragmatic reforms, even if the coalition is repeatedly struggling internally to find a course and fill the post.

Currency: 1 Rand (ZAR) = 100 Cents.

South Africa – population, safety and driving

South Africa’s large cities continue to be characterized by sometimes sharp social contrasts: While better residential areas are often generously laid out and maintained, the “townships”, in which a significant part of the population still lives, consist mainly of simple houses, barracks or informal settlements. In particular, the townships, but also parts of the inner cities of large cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, continue to suffer from high crime; South Africa is one of the countries with a particularly high rate of violent crime internationally. Tourists can become the target of robberies, in which perpetrators sometimes do not shy away from violence. In the event of a robbery, it is still generally advised to refrain from resisting and to hand over valuables without resistance.

For up-to-date, regionally differentiated security assessments (e.g. on certain districts or regions), it is advisable to take a look at the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office before travelling, as the situation can vary regionally and temporarily.

Driving a car: There is left-hand traffic; outside the large conurbations, traffic is usually manageable. Some practice is required to merge into roundabouts and the 4-way stop signs common in South Africa at many intersections: whoever arrives at the intersection first drives first, then the next one in the order of arrival.

Ideally, a rental car should be booked from home; current prices vary significantly depending on the season, vehicle class and provider and should be compared before travelling.

When overtaken, the prudent driver keeps far to the left or swerves into the hard shoulder to let the overtaking driver pass; as a thank you, the hazard lights are often briefly activated, and the overtaken driver retaliates with a short flashing light – a traffic gesture common among locals and often new to tourists.

South Africa – Climate

South Africa stretches between 22 and 34 degrees south latitude and thus falls into the subtropics. Compared to areas of similar latitude, however, temperatures are lower in many regions. On the west coast, the cold Benguela sea current ensures moderate temperatures; in the central highlands, it is the altitude (Johannesburg is at an altitude of around 1,753 m) that rarely causes the thermometer to climb above 30 degrees, even in midsummer.

In winter, temperatures drop to freezing point – also due to altitude – and sometimes even below; only on the coasts is it warmer. Precipitation falls mainly in the summer months, with the exception of the western cape, which is considered a winter rain area.

The seasons are exactly the opposite of those in Europe: when there is winter in Germany, it is summer in South Africa – and vice versa. The South African winter (June to August) is usually dry and pleasantly warm, except in the region around Cape Town, where it can rain extensively at this time of year and become sensitively cool at night. Snow is then possible in the Drakensberg. In midsummer (October to February), temperatures rise to around 30 degrees, and in Durban and the neighboring provinces, humidity is high.

In the transitional months, climatic conditions prevail throughout South Africa that can be compared to the southern European spring and autumn.

South Africa – Fauna

South Africa is rightly proud of its rich natural heritage, which is carefully protected in numerous nature reserves and national parks. The country is home to more than 300 species of mammals, over 500 species of birds, more than 100 species of reptiles, as well as countless species of insects.

South Africa is not only home to the three largest land mammals in the world – the African elephant, white rhinoceros and hippopotamus – but is also home to the tallest (giraffe), the fastest (cheetah) and one of the smallest mammals (the pygmy shrew).

The biodiversity remains impressive, even if some species have become extinct since the arrival of Europeans. Most of the big game lives in the national parks, where there is the greatest chance of spotting buffalo, lions, leopards, elephants, and white and black rhinos. All of South Africa’s major game reserves are located in the savannah or semi-savannah.

There are numerous antelope species such as impala, kudu or springbok, as well as ostriches, flamingos and zebras. Despite intensive conservation measures, rhino poaching remains a serious problem, especially in the Kruger National Park, although international cooperation and increased ranger operations have contributed to a certain decline in poaching numbers in recent years. The overwhelming diversity of South Africa’s wildlife should be experienced with your own eyes.

South Africa – Flora

With over 20,000 plant species – around 10% of all plant species worldwide – South Africa has an exceptionally species-rich flora.

Around 8,000 species are concentrated in the small western Cape region. Of the six flora kingdoms on earth, this “fynbos” vegetation zone at the Cape is one – it is mainly evergreen hardleaf plants with mostly fine, needle-like leaves.

The fynbos is particularly rich in magnificent flowering plants, especially the proteas, of which there are over 130 different species.

If this is contrasted with the abundance of flowering plants, the situation is quite different for the forest stands: only about 1% of South Africa’s area is forested. These forests are located almost exclusively in the rainy coastal strip of the Indian Ocean and in the adjacent middle altitudes of the marginal threshold mountains. These are mainly plantations with imported tree species, mostly eucalyptus, pines or spruces.

The original forest largely fell victim to overexploitation, as it was long considered economically unprofitable and was therefore ruthlessly cleared in South Africa’s earlier history. Only small patches of the original “Indigenous Forest” are still preserved today; the coveted hardwoods Yellowwood, Stinkwood and Ironwood are now under strict nature conservation.

By far the largest part of South Africa is grassland. Especially in the Highveld, a vegetation of various grasses, low bushes and isolated acacias, mostly camel thorn or hawthorn, dominates. In the northwest, vegetation becomes sparser due to lower rainfall; especially in the dry, hot Namaqualand, there are numerous water-storing succulent species as well as aloes and euphorbias.

In the northeast, the grass and thorn savannah increasingly turns into a more densely overgrown bush savannah. Particularly striking here are the baobabs, which can be observed well in the northern part of the Kruger National Park.

South Africa – History and Culture

The settlement of South Africa by Europeans began in Cape Town. After the English had initially decided against the establishment of a colony at the Cape of Good Hope, the Dutch were the first to recognize the strategic and economic importance of the Cape. On behalf of the Dutch East India Trading Company, the merchant Jan van Riebeeck landed in the bay at the foot of Table Mountain on April 6, 1652.

Since the beginning of the 18th century, the settlers at the Cape have expanded further and further north and east – carried by the so-called Trekburs, white farmers in search of pastureland. Since the end of the century, the Xhosa peoples settling in the east have opposed them.

In the urban communities, the danger of confrontation between citizens striving for political self-determination and a weak, corrupt colonial administration grew. In Swellendam and Graaff-Reinet, the first, short-lived republics were proclaimed. The power struggle ended in 1795 with the landing of British ships at the Cape and the takeover of the colony by the English kingdom.

The 19th century was marked by the “Groot Trek”: from 1835 onwards, more than 10,000 Boers, the “Voortrekkers”, left the Cape Colony with their families and moved north and northeast. At the same time, larger ethnic communities were formed in southern Africa from loose tribal associations – a process that was by no means peaceful. The development of the Zulu Kingdom also took place during this time; through a high degree of violence, the Zulu warrior Shaka gained supremacy over various Zulu clans and systematically expanded his sphere of influence.

After futile negotiations and several catastrophic raids, the decisive battle took place in 1838: on 16 December, 464 Boers under Andries Pretorius defeated about 10,000 Zulu warriors.

The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama had already reached the bay of today’s Durban at Christmas 1497 and named it “Rio de Natal”; however, a first permanent settlement, “Port Natal”, was not established until 1823, and in 1835 the place was named Durban after the governor of the Cape Colony at the time. In 1844, Natal became a British crown colony; the Anglo-Zulu War ended in 1879 with the victory of the British after numerous battles with heavy losses.

After the Voortrekkers were defeated by the British in Natal in 1842, the Groot Trek moved further northeast to the areas south and north of the Vaal River. In the north, the independent Transvaal was first created, later transformed into the South African Republic. Meanwhile, the Cape Colony continued to expand; in 1848, the entire country between Vaal and Orange became British territory. On February 23, 1854, the Treaty of Bloemfontein led to the founding of the Orange Free State.

After the founding of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the policy of consistent racial segregation was initiated by a series of laws that increasingly curtailed the rights of the black majority of the population – such as the “Mines and Works Act” (1911) and the “Native Land Act” (1913), which declared 7.3% of the country’s land area to be “reservations” for blacks and prohibited them from purchasing land outside these areas.

Since there were hardly any opportunities for political protest due to the lack of voting rights and a general ban on strikes for non-whites, the “African National Congress” (ANC) was founded in 1912 as well as other resistance movements, which initially acted with little effectiveness. After the Second World War, the conflicts intensified; the insecure white electorate helped the right-wing conservative National Party under D. F. Malan, who had promised drastic measures against the supposed “black danger”, to an election victory in 1948. Malan coined the term “apartheid” and initiated its systematic implementation.

In February 1990, a few months after taking office, Frederik Willem de Klerk heralded the end of apartheid with a historic parliamentary speech; the ANC ban was lifted, and a few days later Nelson Mandela was released after 27 years in prison. In secret negotiations, the ANC and the government had previously agreed on a non-violent, peaceful transition and a new constitution.

In April 1994, South Africa’s first free elections were held, in which, as expected, the ANC won an overwhelming victory. On 10 May 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first black president of the new South Africa, succeeding de Klerk, who became second vice-president of the interim government. The first vice-president was Thabo Mbeki, who succeeded Mandela as president in 1999 and remained in office until 2008.

Continuation of the story to the present – missing in the original: After Mbeki’s forced resignation in 2008 (in the course of internal party power struggles), Kgalema Motlanthe followed as interim president, then from 2009 Jacob Zuma, whose almost nine-year presidency was increasingly overshadowed by corruption allegations and the so-called “state capture” affair. After internal party pressure, Zuma resigned in 2018; his successor was the former vice president and current incumbent Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ramaphosa won the 2019 presidential election, but lost an absolute majority with the ANC in the 2024 elections for the first time since 1994 and has since governed at the head of the “Government of National Unity” described above. Central political issues in recent years include the ongoing energy crisis with recurring nationwide power shutdowns (“load shedding”), high youth unemployment, dealing with corruption and debates about possible land reform.

South Africa – Food & Drink

Local specialties include sosaties (a kind of shashlik), bobotie (minced meat with curry seasoning), bredies (stew with meat, tomatoes and other vegetables), crayfish (crayfish) and biltong (air-dried dried meat) – the latter is still considered a popular South African snack par excellence today.

Drinks: South Africa produces excellent local wines – the South African wine industry, especially around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl, has gained significant international prestige in recent decades. Sherry is also pressed in the country. Liquor stores selling spirits are usually open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., although exact opening hours may vary depending on the province and local regulations; alcohol is now also available in many supermarkets.

To greet each other, people shake hands. For private visits, usual forms of politeness are expected; casual clothing is appropriate in everyday life, elegant clothing on special occasions. Smoking is prohibited in cinemas and theaters.

Tipping: Around 10% is customary if the tip is not already included in the price. Porters, waiters, room service staff, porters and taxi drivers expect a tip; hotel bills usually do not include service charges.

Note: All information on population figures, political offices, the security situation and economic key figures is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For up-to-date, binding information, it is advisable to take a look at the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office before travelling.