South Africa Facts for Kids

A Picture of the South Africa Flag
  • Country Name: South Africa
  • Continent: Africa
  • Primary Language: Zulu (predominant)
  • Population: 51,770,560 (2011 Census)
  • Currency: South African rand (ZAR)
  • GDP: $368.289 billion (2018, World Bank)

23 South Africa Facts for Kids

  1. South Africa is a country on the African continent (Africa).
  2. The official name for South Africa is the Republic of South Africa.
  3. A native or resident of South Africa is called a South African.
  4. The predominant language spoken in South Africa is Zulu (22.7%), many South African’s speak more than one language. Other popular languages spoken in South Africa include Xhosa (16%), Afrikaans (13.5%) and English (9.6%).
  5. The capital cities of South Africa are Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), Cape Town (legislative).
  6. The population of South Africa is 51,770,560 according to a 2011 census.
  7. According to estimates by the United Nations in 2019, South Africa was the 24th most populated country in the world.
  8. The national currency of South Africa is South African rand (ZAR).
  9. In 2018, the World Bank estimated the GDP of South Africa was 368.289 billion USD.
  10. According to the estimates by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), South Africa was 30th on the list of counties with the highest GDP(PPP) in 2019.
  11. The country of South Africa covers 471,359 square miles.
  12. South Africa is the 24th largest country by square miles.
  13. The largest city in South Africa is Johannesburg.
  14. The highest point in South Africa is the Mafadi mountain at 11,329 feet.
  15. The longest river in South Africa is the Orange River at 1,400 miles long.
  16. The largest lake in South Africa is Lake Chrissie at 592,875 square miles.
  17. The government of South Africa is a parliamentary republic.
  18. South Africa is divided into nine provinces.
  19. Drivers in South Africa drive on the left side of the road.
  20. The country calling code for South Africa is +27.
  21. The ISO 3166 code for South Africa is ZA.
  22. The national anthem of South Africa is “National anthem of South Africa”, also known as “Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika” (God Bless Africa).
  23. 79.8% of the people living in South Africa are Christian.

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