South Africa at a glance

• Official languages

English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Afrikaans, Siswati, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Tshivenḓa, Xitsonga and South African Sign Language.

• Currency

Rand (ZAR) – 100 cents equals one rand.

• Time

GMT +2 hours

• Government

Constitutional multiparty democracy, with three spheres – local, provincial and national government. Read more about South Africa’s government.

• Capitals

Pretoria (administrative)
Cape Town (legislative)
Bloemfontein(link is external) (judicial)

The Constitutional Court(link is external) is located in Johannesburg.

• Transportation

Excellent roads, rail and air facilities (both domestic and international). Public transport in all major cities include the Gautrain between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and the Bus Rapid Transport System in major cities.

• Telecommunications

World-class infrastructure. Internet access is widely available. The five mobile (cellular) networks are Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, Telkom Mobile and Virgin Mobile.

• Health

Top-quality public and private healthcare is available throughout the country. Malaria precautions are necessary in some areas.

• Key economic sectors

Mining, transport, energy, manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture