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South Africa

Africa

Capital

Pretoria

Population

63,212,384

Area

1,219,090 km²

Currency

South African Rand (ZAR)

Phone Code

+27

ISO Codes

ZA / ZAF

ISO numeric

710

Internet domain

.za

Timezone

UTC+2

Religion

Christianity

About South Africa

South Africa is Africa's most industrialized nation, ending apartheid in 1994 under Nelson Mandela. It has 11 official languages, Kruger National Park, and Table Mountain.

Wikipedia ↗

Languages

Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English and 8 others (12 official, incl. South African Sign Language)

South Africa in numbers

These figures are calculated from the data on this page and compared with the other 195 countries Beelad covers.

Population density	52 people per km² rank 134 of 196 (highest first); the average across all 196 countries is 60 per km²
Share of world population	0.781 % world total: 8,091,734,930 (UN, 1 July 2023)
Share of Africa	4.3% of its people, 4.1% of its land area
Area in square miles	470,693 1 km² = 0.386 sq mi
Closest in size	Mali (1,240,192 km²)
Closest in population	France (66,438,822 people)

Who else uses ZAR?

South Africa is the only country in our list that uses ZAR.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the capital of South Africa?

The capital of South Africa is Pretoria.

What is the population of South Africa?

South Africa has a population of approximately 63,212,384 people.

What currency does South Africa use?

The currency of South Africa is the South African Rand (ZAR).

What languages are spoken in South Africa?

The official or major languages of South Africa are Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English and 8 others (12 official, incl. South African Sign Language).

Did You Know?

South Africa ranks #24 of 196 countries by population, with about 63,212,384 people.
South Africa ranks #24 of 196 countries by area, covering 1,219,090 km².
Within Africa, South Africa ranks #6 of 54 countries by population.
South Africa recognises 12 official or major language(s): Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, English and 8 others (12 official, incl. South African Sign Language).

More countries in Africa

Data notes and sources

Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024, estimate for 1 July 2023 (people living in the country, whatever their citizenship).
Area: total area including inland water, in km². Codes: ISO 3166-1 (alpha-2, alpha-3, numeric), ISO 4217 (currency), ITU-T E.164 (calling codes) and the IANA root zone (internet domains).
Time zone: the standard (non-daylight-saving) offset, or the range of offsets for countries with several zones.
Last reviewed: October 2026. Found an error? Tell us through the contact page.

How we check our data →