Area: 1,221,037 km²
Residents: 56,521,900 (2017)
Population density: 46 U / km²
Form of Government: Federal Republic
System of Government: Parliament- bound executive power
Neighboring countries: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, Lesotho
Capital: Pretoria
National Languages: Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, North Sotho, South Sotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga
Religions:
25.74% independent African churches,
8.9% Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk,
8.6% Roman Catholic,
7.1% Evangelical Methodist Church,
4.0% Anglican Church,
2.6% Evangelical Lutheran Church,
2.0% Animists,
1.4% Hinduists,
1.4% Muslims,
0.94% New Apostolic. Church,
0.2% Judaism,
0.18% Jehovah’s Witnesses,
17.62% other Christian Churches,
12.5% other religions
Roads: Left-hand traffic
Currency: Rand (ZAR)
1 ZAR = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
1 EUR = 18.28 ZAR
10 ZAR = 0.55 EUR
1 CHF = 16.51 ZAR
10 ZAR = 0, 61 CHF
(rate from 10.03.2021)
Telephone area code: +27
Time zone: UTC +2
In 2020, 364 Germans officially emigrated to the Republic of South Africa and 1,088 returned to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 9,507 Germans officially emigrated to South Africa and 11,599 moved back to Germany. Germans settled in South Africa from the 17th century.
South Africa is a multicultural country, but the traces of the abolished apartheid are still visible everywhere. For example, the four large demographic groups – blacks (around 79% of the population), whites (of European origin, 9%), coloreds (of mixed origins, 9%) and Asians (mostly from India, 2.5%) – often live in separate residential regions and are still differentiated in official state statistics.
The African or black population group can in turn be subdivided into different ethnic groups. The largest of these groups are the Zulu, Xhosa, Basotho, Venda, Tswana, Tsonga, Swazi and Ndebele. In addition, several million refugees, mainly from Zimbabwe, live illegally in South Africa.
In 2017 7.1% of the population were born abroad. Most of the official immigrants come from Mozambique (680,000), Zimbabwe (360,000) and Lesotho (310,000). On the other hand, many white people have recently emigrated to the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries.
In addition to English and Afrikaans, South Africa has 9 other official languages. About 1% of blacks and 59% of whites speak Afrikaans as their mother tongue, as do most of the coloreds. English is spoken by 0.5% of all blacks and around 39% of whites. The remaining languages are spoken by the black Bantu population as their mother tongue.
Many white South Africans also speak European languages such as Portuguese, German or Greek. The Indian-born South Africans mainly speak Gujarati or Tamil.
The climate varies greatly due to the size of the country and several other factors such as ocean currents and altitude. They range from extreme deserts in the Kalahari on the border with Namibia to subtropical forests in the southeast and on the border with Mozambique. The western coastal zone has a maritime climate. On the south coast it is semi-arid to semi-humid because of the meeting of cold and warm currents. The region around Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate. Snow in winter is only found in higher mountain areas.
South Africa has a lot to offer: Among other things, very varied and beautiful landscapes and impressive wildlife. That is why South Africa was a popular destination for German emigrants for many years. But immigration today is associated with a number of hurdles. If you cannot emigrate to South Africa as a result, you can travel to this beautiful African country at any time and you will certainly be happy about our tips. Cape Town is not only a popular starting point for trips inland, but also a paradise for kitesurfers.
Travel, visa, entry requirements
Changed travel regulations during and after the corona pandemic
All travelers over five years of age must show a negative COVID-19 test on arrival, which meets the requirements of the WHO and must not be older than 72 hours upon departure. Travelers who enter the country without such a test certificate must undergo an antigen test immediately upon arrival at their own expense and, in the event of a positive test result, go to a 10-day quarantine. When examining the requirements for passengers to take passengers on their way to South Africa, airlines rely on the requirements of the South African Civil Aviation Authority and experience has shown that they require proof of negative PCR tests without exception. Visit cellphoneexplorer for Shongololo Express South Africa By Train.
A fully completed travel health questionnaire must be submitted upon entry. It is advisable to have the questionnaire with you when you start your journey.
All travelers are also expected to have the ” COVID Alert South Africa ” mobile app installed on their mobile phone, to show travel health insurance and to present their proof of accommodation including address should quarantine be required. Airlines and immigration control points check compliance with these requirements. Foreign travel health insurance is no longer mandatory for entry, but it is still strongly recommended.
