SOUTH AFRICA MAP

Representative democracy

Government

Area

popultion

470,693 mi²

61M

South Africa is a relatively young democracy with the largest economy in the African continent. The majority of South Africa's population came of working age in the early twenty-first century, and the country's international prominence and influence grew. South Africa has leveraged its economic and diplomatic weight on the world stage to advocate for issues vital to lower- and middle-income nations.

south africa

AFRICA

HDI

Rank 110

• GDP per capita - 13,186
• Literacy rate - 90.00%
• Life expectancy - 61.48 years
• Infant mortality rate - 24.306 deaths per 1000 live births
• HDI score - 0.713

South africa type of economy

MIXED ECONOMY

• South Africa has a mixed economy in which there is a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.

level of development

A developing, newly industrialised country

• More than two decades after the end of low economic growth, corruption and inequality constrains South Africa's development. It is a middle-income country with a well-educated and increasingly healthy labor force (having made great strides combatting AIDS and other communicable diseases)

Economic Activities

South Africa Economic Outlook

• The services sector contributed 62.6% of GDP in 2022, driven by financial services, real estate, and transport. Industry’s share of GDP declined from 36% in 1990 to about 25% in 2023. Manufacturing’s share halved to 12% of GDP in 2023 , while agriculture’s contribution remained static at 13%