Population
63.0M
Unitary Parliamentary republics with an executive presidency
GDP per capita, PPP
$19,827
in 2031
Passport power
#97
60 visa-free destinations
Top-rated city
Cape Town
of 36 cities rated
Country overview
- Official name
- Republic of South Africa
- Capital
- Pretoria
- Continent
- Africa / Southern Africa
- Area
- 1,221,037 km²
- Population
- 63.0M
- Density
- 50.8/km²
- Government
- Unitary Parliamentary republics with an executive presidency
- UN member
- Yes
- Independent
- Yes
- Driving side
- Left
- TLD
- .za
- Calling code
- +27
- Timezone
- UTC+02:00
Visa and travel
- Passport power rank
- #97 of 199
- Visa-free destinations
- 60
- Total accessible
- 94
- Digital nomad visa
- Digital Nomad Visa $2,917/month · 12 mo
- Immigration programs
- 1 Nomad 1 Student 1 Residency
Culture and society
- Languages
- Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele (isiNdebele), Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho (Sesotho), Swazi (SiSwati), Tswana (Setswana), Tsonga (Xitsonga), Venda (Tshivenḓa), Xhosa (isiXhosa), Zulu (isiZulu)
- Religions
- Christianity 85.3%, Traditional faiths 7.8%, No religion 3.1%, Islam 1.6%
- Currencies
- R ZAR — South African rand
Key figures
- HDI
- 0.741
- GDP per capita (2031)
- $19,827
- Life expectancy (2024)
- 66.3 yrs
- Internet users (2024)
- 78.4%
- Gini index (2014)
- 63.0
- Inflation (2031)
- 3.0%
- Unemployment (2031)
- 31.9%
- Urban population (2025)
- 63.8%
- Life satisfaction (2025)
- 5.0/10
- PM2.5 (2024)
- 24.4 µg/m³
- Homicide rate (2022)
- 43.7/100k
- Human capital (2020)
- 0.43
Latest news
| Update | Category | Source | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE Adds Visa-on-Arrival Access for Nationals of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Kenya, and South Africa | Visa & immigration | Erickson Immigration Group | 3 months ago |
| South Africa Proposes Bill Requiring Employers to Prioritize Local Workers Before Hiring Foreign Nationals | Policy & regulation | Erickson Immigration Group | 3 months ago |
| Opinion: Western Passport Holders Face Narrowing Access to BRICS Countries | Opinion & analysis | Nomad Capitalist | 3 months ago |
| Six Countries Identified as Undervalued Land and Residency Markets for 2026 | Opinion & analysis | Nomad Capitalist | 4 months ago |