Where the Atlantic and Where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meetIndian Oceans meet

South AfricaSouth Africa

After Apartheid

geographic geographic featuresfeatures

South Africa has a South Africa has a relatively narrow relatively narrow coastline, an coastline, an escarpment that has a escarpment that has a maximum height of maximum height of about 3500 metres, about 3500 metres, and an interior and an interior highlands that have highlands that have a relatively constant a relatively constant height of about 1000 height of about 1000 to 1700 metres.to 1700 metres.

Climate of South Africa

South Africa is known as a World in One Country because of its remarkable diversity: from spectacular natural beauty to the vibrant "rainbow nation" mix of cultures. Throughout the year the climate there is mostly Semiarid land; subtropical; cool nights; sunny days.

Government of South Africa

Picture of present ruler

President Thabo Mbeki, a President Thabo Mbeki, a bourgeois politician with politician with struggle credentials, struggle credentials, played a central role both played a central role both in planning the armed in planning the armed insurrection that caused insurrection that caused the first cracks in the the first cracks in the edifice of white rule and in edifice of white rule and in the talks that led to its the talks that led to its end. end.

South African EconomySouth African Economy

Source: SARBSource: SARB

  2004 2007

GDP (billions) US$ 213 US$ 283

GDP per capita US$ 4,561 US$ 5,825

Merchandise exports (billions) US$ 43.6 US$ 70

Total Foreign Debt / GDP 20.8% Not yet available

GDP Growth 3.7% 5.1 %

Unemployment 26.5% 23.5%

Inflation (CPIX) 4.3% 6.5%

Prime Rate 12% (Dec’07) 14.5%

South South Africa’s Africa’s MediterraneaMediterranean-type n-type climate and climate and fertile soil fertile soil allows for a allows for a variety of variety of commercial commercial farming farming crops crops including: including: corn, wheat, corn, wheat, sugarcane, sugarcane, fruits, and fruits, and vegetables.vegetables.

Agriculture

South Africa's population is growing rapidly. As 42% South Africa's population is growing rapidly. As 42% of South Africans are under 18 years old, the of South Africans are under 18 years old, the population is likely to continue to grow, depending on population is likely to continue to grow, depending on the effect of the effect of HIV/AIDS. .

Apartheid

While its per capita While its per capita income of about income of about $3000 is the highest $3000 is the highest in Africa, the in Africa, the disparity between disparity between whites and blacks, a whites and blacks, a legacy of legacy of apartheid is glaring.

Soweto slumsSoweto slums

• South Africa is the world’s largest producer of South Africa is the world’s largest producer of platinum, gold, and chromium.platinum, gold, and chromium.

Gold minesGold mines

South Africa’s investment South Africa’s investment environmentenvironment

South Africa today is one of the most sophisticated and South Africa today is one of the most sophisticated and promising emerging markets globally, mainly because promising emerging markets globally, mainly because

of …of …

Economic stability & sound macro-economic

management

Competitive sectors/industries

Favourable cost of doing business

Skillsavailability

World class financial system

Excellenttransport &logistical

infrastructure

Abundantnatural

resources

• South Africa is one of the most sophisticated South Africa is one of the most sophisticated and promising emerging markets, offering a and promising emerging markets, offering a unique combination of highly developed first unique combination of highly developed first world economic infrastructure with a vibrant world economic infrastructure with a vibrant emerging market economy.emerging market economy.

• South Africa is one of the world’s 26 South Africa is one of the world’s 26 industrialized nations.industrialized nations.

• The country is also regarded as the gateway The country is also regarded as the gateway to Africa.to Africa.

• South Africa has the largest economy on the South Africa has the largest economy on the African continent, accounting for African continent, accounting for approximately 25% of the continent’s GDP. approximately 25% of the continent’s GDP.

Global perspectiveGlobal perspective

Strengths of South Africa’s provinces

•

Western Cape:•Tourism•Agro-processing•Biotechnology•Petrochemicals•Clothing and textiles•Fishing

Northern Cape:•Agro-industries•Transport and storage•Mining and beneficiation

North West:•Agro-processing•Bio-fuels•Leather products•Mining

Limpopo:•Food processing•Agri-business•Mining•Fertilisers and pesticides •Energy

Mpumalanga:•Tourism•Mining (Coal)•Forestry •Agriculture•Agro-processing

Gauteng:• Financial and business services

• ICT• Pharmaceuticals• Food and beverages• Mining

Free State:•Agriculture•Agro-processing•Machinery and equipment•Mining and beneficiation

Eastern Cape:•Agriculture and forestry•Aquaculture•Automotive•Clothing and textiles•Leather and leather products

KwaZulu-Natal:•Aluminium•Automotive•Petrochemicals•Wood and wood products•Tourism•Clothing and textiles

STRATEGIC GEOGRAPHIC POSITION TO STRATEGIC GEOGRAPHIC POSITION TO GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTESGLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTES

Sun City

Tourists visit coastal Tourists visit coastal areas and national areas and national parks in the parks in the Mpumalanga Region, Mpumalanga Region, Kwazulu-Natal, Kwazulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Western Cape, and Sun City.Sun City.

Tourism

Kruger National Park

Elephant at Kruger National ParkElephant at Kruger National Park

Caracal kittenCaracal kitten

Blue WildebeestBlue Wildebeest

AIDS/HIVEven the young take part in HIV/AIDS awareness Even the young take part in HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, as shown here in eastern Cape. campaigns, as shown here in eastern Cape.

Customs and TraditionsZulu tribal woman

Bishop Bishop Desmond Desmond TutuTutu

ApartheidApartheidThe table below shows the The table below shows the wide disparities that once wide disparities that once existed between the white existed between the white South Africa ruling South Africa ruling minority and the minority and the immigrants to that country.immigrants to that country.

White and black segregation at a 1976 soccer match.

Apartheid signs

At the first legal At the first legal gathering of the gathering of the ANC in 30 years, ANC in 30 years, Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela spoke again in spoke again in terms of his ideal of terms of his ideal of a multi-racial South a multi-racial South Africa where all Africa where all races and cultures races and cultures lived on an equal lived on an equal footing. footing. 

Nelson Mandela

Mandela has been a proponent of cultural diversity.

British soldiers digging trenches in South Africa

The Boer WarThis war erupted This war erupted between Afrikaaners between Afrikaaners (descended from (descended from early Dutch settlers) early Dutch settlers) and the British in and the British in South Africa, South Africa, resulting in British resulting in British imprisonment of the imprisonment of the Afrikaaner women Afrikaaner women and children in and children in concentration camps.concentration camps.

Links:• http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/

1071886.stm1071886.stm• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/

1069402.stm1069402.stm• http://www.kidon.com/media-link/za.phphttp://www.kidon.com/media-link/za.php• http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/02/13/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/02/13/

zuma.rapetrial.reut/index.htmlzuma.rapetrial.reut/index.html• http://www.geographia.com/south%2Dafrica/http://www.geographia.com/south%2Dafrica/• http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbpyrs.pl?http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbpyrs.pl?

cty=SF&out=s&ymax=250cty=SF&out=s&ymax=250