Learners have twelve years of formal schooling, from grade 1 to 12. [109] If correct, then the number of South African fungi dwarfs that of its plants. Nature Conservation, Accommodation, Activities, Reservations On 16 May 1876, President Thomas François Burgers of the South African Republic (Transvaal) declared war against Sekhukhune and the Pedi. According to the World Refugee Survey 2008, published by the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, this population numbered approximately 144,700 in 2007. (1984). There are 23 public universities in South Africa: 11 traditional universities, 6 universities of technology and 6 comprehensive universities. The executive, legislature and judiciary are all subject to the supremacy of the Constitution, and the superior courts have the power to strike down executive actions and acts of Parliament if they are unconstitutional. Modern humans have inhabited Southern Africa for at least 170,000 years. Upon formation, the country was named the Union of South Africa in English and Unie van Zuid-Afrika in Dutch, reflecting its origin from the unification of four formerly separate British colonies. Religious Demography", "In South Africa, many blacks convert to Islam / The Christian Science Monitor", "Muslims say their faith growing fast in Africa", "National adult literacy rates (15+), youth literacy rates (15–24) and elderly literacy rates (65+)", "Peoples Budget Coalition Comments on the 2011/12 Budget", "Motsoaledi to reform private health care", "What does the demand for healthcare look like in SA? [152] In 2017, South Africa signed the UN treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.[154]. [38] Representatives of the British East India Company did call sporadically at the Cape in search of provisions as early as 1601, but later came to favour Ascension Island and St. Helena as alternative ports of refuge. About 80% of South Africans are of Black African ancestry,[9] divided among a variety of ethnic groups speaking different African languages. [184], Two distinctive features of the South African water sector are the policy of free basic water and the existence of water boards, which are bulk water supply agencies that operate pipelines and sell water from reservoirs to municipalities. ", "Microfungi occurring on Proteaceae in the fynbos. VI, p. 750. Readers Digest Association, Cape Town, Atlas of Southern Africa. South Africa produced Formula One motor racing's 1979 world champion Jody Scheckter. [108] In 2006, the number of fungi in South Africa was estimated at about 200,000 species, but did not take into account fungi associated with insects. South Africa contains some of the oldest archaeological and human-fossil sites in the world. [72] In addition, the current government has struggled to achieve the monetary and fiscal discipline to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. Encyclopædia Britannica (1975); Micropaedia Vol. There is great diversity in South African music. [77] The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions estimated that over 100,000 people were driven from their homes. Members of the middle class, who are predominantly white but whose ranks include growing numbers of Black, Coloured and Indian people,[231] have lifestyles similar in many respects to that of people found in Western Europe, North America and Australasia. By the early 17th century, Portugal's maritime power was starting to decline, and English and Dutch merchants competed to oust Lisbon from its lucrative monopoly on the spice trade. The majority of people in South Africa use informal minibus taxis as their main mode of transport. The South Africa Act of 1909 could be considered as an empowering of the decisions reached at the National Convention of 1908 by the British Parliament. [218] The healthcare spending in the country is about 9% of GDP. As a concession to the Westminster system, the appointment of the president remained an appointment by parliament, and virtually powerless until P. W. Botha's Constitution Act of 1983, which eliminated the office of Prime Minister and instated a near-unique "strong presidency" responsible to parliament. South African popular musicians that have found international success include Johnny Clegg, rap-rave duo Die Antwoord, and rock band Seether. In the most recent election, held on 8 May 2019, the ANC won 57.5% of the vote and 230 seats, while the main opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA) won 20.77% of the vote and 84 seats. South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. [45] Despite briefly returning to Dutch rule under the Batavian Republic in 1803, the Cape was occupied again by the British in 1806. Up until 1994 it was ruled by a white minority government, which … No President may serve more than two terms in office. The deep interior of mainland South Africa has the hottest temperatures: a temperature of 51.7 °C (125.06 °F) was recorded in 1948 in the Northern Cape Kalahari near Upington,[98] but this temperature is unofficial and was not recorded with standard equipment, the official highest temperature is 48.8 °C (119.84 °F) at Vioolsdrif in January 1993. This area is popularly known as the Garden Route. Excluding the Prince Edward Islands, the country lies between latitudes 22° and 35°S, and longitudes 16° and 33°E. [80] These people were mainly from Zimbabwe, though many also come from Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. The South African Post Office has introduced a system to reduce the waiting time for beneficiaries collecting the R350 social relief of distress grant. [32][33], Settlements of Bantu-speaking peoples, who were iron-using agriculturists and herdsmen, were already present south of the Limpopo River (now the northern border with Botswana and Zimbabwe) by the 4th or 5th century CE (see Bantu expansion). Official Name: Republic of South Africa short form: South Africa former: Union of South Africa. Gauteng comprises the largest share of the South African populat… "[152] Six nuclear devices were completed between 1980 and 1990, but all were dismantled before South Africa signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1991. It was believed that many of the persons who claimed no affiliation with any organised religion adhered to traditional African religion. To get started, simply register and dive right in. When awarding the prize, the Swedish Academy stated that Coetzee "in innumerable guises portrays the surprising involvement of the outsider."[233]. The Cape Floral Region, being identified as one of the global biodiversity hotspots, will be hit very hard by climate change. While South Africa's many broadcasters and publications reflect the diversity of the population as a whole, the most commonly used language is English. There are even smaller reserves of forests that are out of the reach of fire, known as montane forests. Encyclopædia Britannica (1975); Micropaedia Vol. Many of the unofficial languages of the San and Khoekhoe peoples contain regional dialects stretching northwards into Namibia and Botswana, and elsewhere. The Little Karoo is historically, and still, famous for its ostrich farming around the town of Oudtshoorn. [86] This plateau is surrounded by the Great Escarpment[87] whose eastern, and highest, stretch is known as the Drakensberg. p. 13. The Dutch-influenced folk art of the Afrikaner trekboers and the urban white artists, earnestly following changing European traditions from the 1850s onwards, also contributed to this eclectic mix which continues to evolve today. The Cape Peninsula has a Mediterranean climate, making it and its immediate surrounds the only portion of Africa south of the Sahara which receives most of its rainfall in winter. South Africa has no legally defined capital city. The Group Areas Act of 1950 established residential and business sections in urban areas for each race, and members of other races were barred from living, operating businesses, or owning land in them. [183] On 25 May 2012, it was announced that hosting of the Square Kilometer Array Telescope will be split over both the South African and the Australia and New Zealand sites. South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with a diversity of unique biomes and plant and animal life. Recently they released the 2018 list of top baby names in South Africa.We also have a breakdown of the top boys' names, girls' names and surname per province. Another uniquely South African flowering plant group is the genus Protea. South African literature emerged from a unique social and political history. [174] and is almost certainly detrimental for the wellbeing of those reliant on the healthcare infrastructure. [176] However, the statistics which purport to show a brain drain are disputed and also do not account for repatriation and expiry of foreign work contracts. [222] The rest pay for private care out-of-pocket or through in-hospital-only plans. Check out the figures below for the number of people registered for SA Specialist, and how many have graduated. [66] Apartheid became increasingly controversial, and several countries began to boycott business with the South African government because of its racial policies. The white minority (less than 20%)[62] controlled the vastly larger black majority. "Contextualising the hate speech debate: the United States and South Africa". In 2012, Oscar Pistorius became the first double amputee sprinter to compete at the Olympic Games in London. [119] There have been a number of incidents of political repression as well as threats of future repression in violation of the constitution, leading some analysts and civil society organisations to conclude that there is or could be a new climate of political repression,[120][121] or a decline in political tolerance. According to computer-generated climate modelling produced by the South African National Biodiversity Institute,[115] parts of southern Africa will see an increase in temperature by about 1 °C (1.8 °F) along the coast to more than 4 °C (7.2 °F) in the already hot hinterland such as the Northern Cape in late spring and summertime by 2050. President Cyril Ramaphosa: South Africa's progress in national effort to contain COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, FW de Klerk opened bilateral discussions with Nelson Mandela in 1993 for a transition of policies and government. [193][194], Statistics South Africa asks people to describe themselves in the census in terms of five racial population groups. A "freeway" is different from most countries as certain things are forbidden which include certain motorcycles, no hand signals, and motor tricycles. [220], About 20% of the population uses private healthcare. During the Dutch and British colonial years, racial segregation was mostly informal, though some legislation was enacted to control the settlement and movement of indigenous people, including the Native Location Act of 1879 and the system of pass laws. Statement on virtual Cabinet Meeting of 24 February 2021. Penny Heyns won Olympic Gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Winters in South Africa occur between June and August. [16] It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World, and the most populous country located entirely south of the equator. From April 2017 to March 2018, on average 57 murders were committed each day in South Africa. [216], In 2004, South Africa started reforming its tertiary education system, merging and incorporating small universities into larger institutions, and renaming all tertiary education institutions "university". The powers of provincial governments are limited to topics listed in the Constitution; these topics include such fields as health, education, public housing and transport. Search for: HOME; ABOUT; RISK ADJUSTED STRATEGY; RESOURCES. Getting started . The provinces are in turn divided into 52 districts: 8 metropolitan and 44 district municipalities. Dias continued down the western coast of southern Africa. [125] The first European based law in South Africa was brought by the Dutch East India Company and is called Roman-Dutch law. These features have led to significant problems concerning the financial sustainability of service providers, leading to a lack of attention to maintenance. [140] The 2019 Johannesburg riots were similar in nature and origin to the 2008 xenophobic riots that also occurred in Johannesburg.[141]. [210] South African Muslims describe their faith as the fastest-growing religion of conversion in the country, with the number of black Muslims growing sixfold, from 12,000 in 1991 to 74,700 in 2004. Breyten Breytenbach was jailed for his involvement with the guerrilla movement against apartheid. [168], The 2020 Financial Secrecy Index (FDI) ranks South Africa as the 58th safest tax haven in the world. Pressured by other Commonwealth of Nations countries, South Africa withdrew from the organisation in 1961 and rejoined it only in 1994. He reached as far up the eastern coast of Africa as, what he called, Rio do Infante, probably the present-day Groot River, in May 1488, but on his return he saw the Cape, which he first named Cabo das Tormentas ('Cape of Storms'). The original temperate forest found by the first European settlers was exploited ruthlessly until only small patches remained. They went on to win the tournament again in 2007 and in 2019. The mid-eastern, and highest part of the plateau is known as the Highveld. [223] In 2018, HIV prevalence—the percentage of people living with HIV—among adults (15–49 years) was 20.4% and in the same year 71000 people died from an AIDS-related illness. The southernmost group was the Xhosa people, whose language incorporates certain linguistic traits from the earlier Khoisan people. [13] The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European, Asian, and multiracial ancestry. Other notable exceptions are the film Tsotsi, which won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards in 2006, as well as U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha, which won the Golden Bear at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival. These languages include English, Afrikaans, the Nguni languages (Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, and Swazi), as well as the Sotho-Tswana languages, which include Tswana, Sotho and Pedi. [149] In recent years, the SANDF has become a major peacekeeping force in Africa,[150] and has been involved in operations in Lesotho, the DRC,[150] and Burundi,[150] amongst others. The Cape Fold Mountains peter out at about the 32° S line of latitude,[93] after which the coastal plain is bounded by the Great Escarpment itself. This population peaked in the 1970s at 120,000, though only around 67,000 remain today, the rest having emigrated, mostly to Israel. The country also recognises several unofficial languages, including Fanagalo, Khoe, Lobedu, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, and South African Sign Language. South African cuisine is heavily meat-based and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as the braai, a variation of the barbecue. The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1884 in the interior started the Mineral Revolution and increased economic growth and immigration. [45], Great Britain occupied Cape Town between 1795 and 1803 to prevent it from falling under the control of the French First Republic, which had invaded the Low Countries. Black musicians have developed a unique style called Kwaito, that is said to have taken over radio, television, and magazines. [173] Restrictive labour regulations have contributed to the unemployment malaise. The high Drakensberg mountains, which form the south-eastern escarpment of the Highveld, offer limited skiing opportunities in winter. Even so, these numbers make the Jewish community in South Africa the twelfth largest in the world. [59], The Natives' Land Act of 1913 severely restricted the ownership of land by blacks; at that stage they controlled only seven percent of the country. 2903 Views. [45] Vrijburgers who became independent farmers on the frontier were known as Boers, with some adopting semi-nomadic lifestyles being denoted as trekboers. between the Outeniqua and Langeberg ranges to the south and the Swartberg range to the north) is known as the Little Karoo,[87] which consists of semi-desert scrubland similar to that of the Great Karoo, except that its northern strip along the foothills of the Swartberg Mountains, has a somewhat higher rainfall and is, therefore, more cultivated than the Great Karoo. South Africa signed the Rio Convention on Biological Diversity on 4 June 1994, and became a party to the convention on 2 November 1995. The Constitution of South Africa is the supreme rule of law in the country. Despite government efforts to encourage entrepreneurship in biotechnology, information technology and other high technology fields, no other notable groundbreaking companies have been founded in South Africa. Pretoria, South Africa’s executive capital, may one day permanently change its name to Tshwane. The struggle to control these important economic resources was a factor in relations between Europeans and the indigenous population and also between the Boers and the British.[51]. [162], After 1994, government policy brought down inflation, stabilised public finances, and some foreign capital was attracted, however growth was still subpar. Geological map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (1970). The plays of Athol Fugard have been regularly premiered in fringe theatres in South Africa, London (Royal Court Theatre) and New York. The security forces cracked down on internal dissent, and violence became widespread, with anti-apartheid organisations such as the African National Congress (ANC), the Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO), and the Pan-Africanist Congress (PAC) carrying out guerrilla warfare[64] and urban sabotage. [196], South Africa hosts a sizeable refugee and asylum seeker population. [210][211], South Africa is also home to a substantial Jewish population, descended from European Jews who arrived as a minority among other European settlers. South Africa has won the Rugby World Cup three times, tying New Zealand for the most Rugby World Cup wins. [217], According to the South African Institute of Race Relations, the life expectancy in 2009 was 71 years for a white South African and 48 years for a black South African. How South African Names of Places Have Changed. French is spoken in South Africa by migrants from Francophone Africa. South Africa hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and FIFA president Sepp Blatter awarded South Africa a grade 9 out of 10 for successfully hosting the event.[238]. [169], South Africa is a popular tourist destination, and a substantial amount of revenue comes from tourism. The coastal belt below the south and south-western stretches of the Great Escarpment contains several ranges of Cape Fold Mountains which run parallel to the coast, separating the Great Escarpment from the ocean. Under apartheid, schools for black people were subject to discrimination through inadequate funding and a separate syllabus called Bantu Education which only taught skills sufficient to work as labourers. [167], In August 2013, South Africa was ranked as the top African Country of the Future by fDi magazine based on the country's economic potential, labour environment, cost-effectiveness, infrastructure, business friendliness, and foreign direct investment strategy. Grade R, or grade 0, is a pre-primary foundation year. Registered. [65] The three rival resistance movements also engaged in occasional inter-factional clashes as they jockeyed for domestic influence. Experience the beauty and diversity of South African National Parks, Travel and explore South Africa! [197], South Africa has 11 official languages:[198] Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English, Pedi,[199] Tswana, Southern Sotho, Tsonga, Swazi, Venda, and Southern Ndebele (in order of first language speakers). South Africa has a generally temperate climate because it is surrounded by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans on three sides, because it is located in the climatically milder Southern Hemisphere, and because its average elevation rises steadily toward the north (toward the equator) and further inland. [138] The incidence of child and infant rape is among the highest in the world, largely as a result of the virgin cleansing myth, and a number of high-profile cases (sometimes as young as eight months)[138] have outraged the nation. The Union was a dominion that included the former territories of the Cape, Transvaal and Natal colonies, as well as the Orange Free State republic. South Africa is a parliamentary republic, although unlike most such republics the President is both head of state and head of government, and depends for his tenure on the confidence of Parliament. [9] Estimates based on the 1991 census suggest just under half of South Africans can speak English. Each of the nine provinces is governed by a unicameral legislature, which is elected every five years by party-list proportional representation. [99], Climate change in South Africa is leading to increased temperatures and rainfall variability. The last census was held in 2011, with a more recent intercensal national survey conducted in 2016. OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of South Africa FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic CAPITALS: Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein (judicial) POPULATION: 55, 489, 975 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES: Afrikans, English, IsiNdebele, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga MONEY: Rand AREA: 1,219,089 square kilometres MAJOR … The rand was introduced in South Africa in 1961. Famous boxing personalities include Baby Jake Jacob Matlala, Vuyani Bungu, Welcome Ncita, Dingaan Thobela, Gerrie Coetzee and Brian Mitchell. These healers use a combination of ancestral spiritual beliefs and a belief in the spiritual and medicinal properties of local fauna and flora, commonly known as muti ('medicine'), to facilitate healing in clients. In 1990, the National Party government took the first step towards dismantling discrimination when it lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organisations. The extreme southwest has a climate remarkably similar to that of the Mediterranean Sea with wet winters and hot, dry summers, hosting the famous fynbos biome of shrubland and thicket. In this regard it is fourth only to Bolivia, India, and Zimbabwe in number. [114], Climate change is expected to bring considerable warming and drying to much of this already semi-arid region, with greater frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as heat waves, flooding and drought. While South Africa has a great wealth of flowering plants, only one percent of South Africa is forest, almost exclusively in the humid coastal plain of KwaZulu-Natal, where there are also areas of Southern Africa mangroves in river mouths. [22][23] Moreover, climate change is an important issue for South Africa: it is a major contributor to climate change as the 14th largest emitter of greenhouse gases as of 2018 (in large part due to its coal industry),[24] and is vulnerable to many of its impacts, because of its water-insecure environment and vulnerable communities. There are smaller but still significant groups of speakers of Khoi-San languages which are not official languages, but are one of the eight unofficially recognised languages. In the first quarter of 2011, confidence levels for graduate professionals were recorded at a level of 84% in a Professional Provident Society (PPS) survey. Council for Geoscience, Geological Survey of South Africa. Government 101: The United States Federal Government . The remaining two languages are Venda and Tsonga. Currently, South African hardwood trees like real yellowwood (Podocarpus latifolius), stinkwood (Ocotea bullata), and South African black ironwood (Olea laurifolia) are under government protection. The primary sources of South African law are Roman-Dutch mercantile law and personal law with English Common law, as imports of Dutch settlements and British colonialism. [200] It is the second most commonly spoken language outside of the household, after Zulu.[201]. [80] While xenophobia in South Africa is still a problem, recent violence has not been as widespread as initially feared. While many blacks have risen to middle or upper classes, the overall unemployment rate of black people worsened between 1994 and 2003 by official metrics, but declined significantly using expanded definitions. [165], The South African agricultural industry contributes around 10% of formal employment, relatively low compared to other parts of Africa, as well as providing work for casual labourers and contributing around 2.6% of GDP for the nation. Although few South African film productions are known outside South Africa itself, many foreign films have been produced about South Africa.