Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
South Africa at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
14%
of electricity
Food imported
7%
of merchandise imports · ~US$9,174m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About South Africa.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see South Africa, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
Diabetes is the leading cause of death
Diabetes was South Africa's leading underlying cause of death in 2024 for the third year running, accounting for 6.1% of deaths. Among women it caused 7.9% of deaths, more than any other cause.
SoberingHealth
More than half of adults are overweight
In 2022, 55% of adults in South Africa were overweight.
SoberingHealth
About one in six adults live with HIV
In 2024, 17.2% of people aged 15 to 49 in South Africa were living with HIV.
SoberingEnvironment
Most electricity still comes from coal
In 2024, about 85% of South Africa's electricity was generated from coal.
RemarkableFood
A sugar tax cut sugar bought from drinks by half
South Africa's Health Promotion Levy on sugary drinks started on 1 April 2018. A study of household purchases found sugar bought from taxed drinks fell by about 51% and volume by about 29% after the levy, compared with the earlier trend.
RemarkableNature
Nearly a fifth of Africa's plants in a tiny corner
The Cape Floral Region covers less than 0.5% of Africa's area but is home to nearly 20% of the continent's flora. Some 69% of its 9,000 plant species are endemic. It became a World Heritage Site in 2004.
RemarkableFood
Rooibos was Africa's first EU protected food
In May 2021 rooibos became the first African food to receive protected status in the EU. Only rooibos grown or wild harvested in designated areas of the Western and Northern Cape can use the name.
Worth knowingNature
Home to the world's largest rhino population
At the end of 2025 South Africa had at least 15,096 rhinos, 4.9% more than in 2024. Poaching remains a threat: 230 rhinos were killed nationally in the first eight months of 2026.
The History of South Africa.
South Africa is a multilingual country with 12 official languages, among them isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Setswana, Tshivenda and isiNdebele. Music and dance run deep, from the a cappella isicathamiya singing made famous around the world by Ladysmith Black Mambazo to the stamping rhythms of the gumboot dance.
The land itself: a vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and a narrow coastal plain. Its high point is Mafadi, 3,446 m. Source: National Geo-spatial Information, the national mapping agency, with the UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names.
Where it starts
The oldest drawing in the world
At Blombos Cave, a workshop where a liquefied ochre-rich mixture was produced and stored in abalone shells was in use 100,000 years ago, evidence of the ability to source, combine and store substances that enhance technology or social practices. A cross-hatch pattern drawn in ochre on a stone flake there, about 73,000 years old, is the earliest known drawing made by a human. Engraved ochre and shell beads from the same levels show symbolic behaviour far earlier than was once assumed.
How it got here
Mapungubwe, then the Cape
The Kingdom of Mapungubwe flourished between 900 and 1300 and lasted about four hundred years, built on gold and ivory traded through the ports of the East African coast. A Dutch station at the Cape from 1652 grew into settlement and then into a century of frontier war, followed by diamond and gold mining at scale. Apartheid was made law in 1948 and finally fell after decades of resistance, with the first democratic election held in April 1994.
The timeline
c. 100,000 years ago
The ochre workshop at Blombos.
Early humans mixed an ochre-rich pigment and stored it in shells, an early sign of the ability to plan ahead. Source
c. 73,000 years ago
Engraved ochre and shell beads.
The Still Bay levels at Blombos Cave have yielded shell beads, cross-hatched engravings on pieces of ochre and a range of new technologies. Source
c. 73,000 years ago
The oldest known drawing.
A cross-hatch pattern drawn in ochre on a stone flake at Blombos Cave is the earliest known drawing made by a human. Source
c. 2,000 years ago
Bantu-speaking settlement.
Bantu-speaking farmers and herders begin arriving in southern Africa, spreading from the eastern lowlands to the Highveld, where Khoekhoe herders and San hunter-gatherers already live. Source
AD 900 to 1300
The Kingdom of Mapungubwe.
The centre of perhaps the greatest kingdom in southern Africa for about 400 years, grown rich on gold and ivory traded through ports on the East African coast. Its court later moved to Mapungubwe Hill, where royal graves held gold objects. Source
1652
A Dutch station at the Cape.
The Dutch East India Company sets up a settlement at Table Bay to supply passing ships with fresh produce, and settlement expands from it. Source
1800s
Dispossession and mineral wealth.
A century of frontier war is followed by the discovery of diamonds near Kimberley in 1867 and of the Witwatersrand goldfields in 1886, a turning point in the country's history. Source
1948 to 1994
Apartheid.
The National Party comes to power in 1948 with the ideology of apartheid, harsher than the segregation policies before it. Decades later apartheid falls, and the first democratic election follows in 1994. Source
1994
Democratic elections.
The first democratic election is held in April 1994 under an interim Constitution. Source
Nature and Biodiversity in South Africa.
Terrestrial protected areas cover about 9.6 per cent of the land and marine protected areas about 15.4 per cent of territorial waters (World Bank, 2025), backed by world-class enforced parks such as Kruger and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site and a network expanded under Operation Phakisa. Rhino poaching remains a serious pressure on the estate.
Is wild South Africa protected? 9.6% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in South Africa?
Forest cover18.8%
Terrestrial protected area9.6%
Marine protected area15.4%
668 listed as threatened.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · GBIF occurrence data · IUCN Red List, threatened species by country (Summary Statistics, Table 5) · World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters): South Africa · World Bank, Threatened species indicators: South Africa · IUCN World Heritage Outlook, Maloti-Drakensberg Park
Found only here. The Cape Floristic Region fynbos (around 9,000 plant species, most endemic), the riverine rabbit, the geometric tortoise and many endemic proteas and reptiles.
The watchlist
ThreatenedDiceros bicornis Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedGyps africanus Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedGrey Nurse (Carcharias taurus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray).
ThreatenedCape Flats Conebush (Leucadendron levisanus) Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (plant).
ThreatenedSpheniscus demersus Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedNecrosyrtes monachus Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedTrigonoceps occipitalis Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Diceros bicornis
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in South Africa. GBIF holds 4 verified occurrence records.
Gyps africanus
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in South Africa. GBIF holds 230 verified occurrence records.
Grey Nurse (Carcharias taurus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in South Africa. GBIF holds 6 verified occurrence records.
Cape Flats Conebush (Leucadendron levisanus)
Critically Endangered, the last IUCN category before Extinct in the Wild, and still recorded in South Africa. GBIF holds 20 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for South Africa filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in Limpopo, mapped and named in the open record for South Africa. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Western Cape, mapped and named in the open record for South Africa. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Western Cape, mapped and named in the open record for South Africa. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Eastern Cape, mapped and named in the open record for South Africa. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Eastern Cape, mapped and named in the open record for South Africa. OpenStreetMap.
National park in Eastern Cape, mapped and named in the open record for South Africa. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in South Africa.
South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024). Cape Town's 2018 Day Zero crisis, ageing infrastructure and rural access gaps all point to genuine, ongoing water stress, even though major cities are engineered for supply.
Does South Africa have enough fresh water? Under pressure
68% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Coverage is well short of universal, so a visitor should not assume the tap is safe.
Cleanest water: Mountain streams of the Cape fold mountains and the Drakensberg.
How much fresh water does South Africa have, per person?
718 m³
South Africa
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
South Africa withdraws about 21,110 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 67.6% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as high water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 59%, homes and towns 17%, industry 23%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on South Africa beaches?
·Tap water: Varies.
✕Plastic rules: Plastic bag levy and minimum-thickness rules since 2004; no full single-use ban, and litter and illegal dumping remain widespread..
✕Solo travel: rated take care on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 15.4% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named on the open map: Baggies Beach, Castle Beach, Doonside Beach, Estuary Beach, Fisherman‘s Beach, Ingwe Beach, Jabula Beach, Kammabaai Beach. That is 16 named beaches in the public record for South Africa, each one a place you can look up before you go. OpenStreetMap.
Where does the sewage go?
73.8%
of people have safely managed sanitation
73.8% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). The rest is what the rivers and the coast receive.
How is the sea around South Africa doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Mediterranean Cape (rainy winter), subtropical east; the interior is dry and hot in summer.
Nearshore
Protected water
15.4% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Mountain streams of the Cape fold mountains and the Drakensberg..
The record
Measured
South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024). Cape Town's 2018 Day Zero crisis, ageing infrastructure and rural access gaps all point to genuine, ongoing water stress, even though major cities are engineered for supply.
South Africa scored 69 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, below the global average of 72, and ranked 144th of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
15.4%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
668
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in South Africa?
68% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 718 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 7 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 67.6% of what South Africa renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is past the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply is being pushed towards its limit.
When is the best time to visit South Africa? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does South Africa actually have?
Nature renews about 718 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks South Africa 41 of 208 countries measured, putting it in the drier half of the world. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is below that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Food and Drink in South Africa.
South Africa is a major agricultural producer and exports far more food than it imports, led by grapes, citrus, maize, wine and sugar. It still relies on the world market for rice, wheat and palm oil, so it is not fully self-provisioning, but large-scale farming underpins the food supply.
Where does the food in South Africa come from?
7.2% imported
about US$9,174m a year
On the plate: Maize meal (pap), samp and beans, morogo (wild greens), pumpkin, sweet potato and chakalaka, with abundant fruit and a strong braai culture.
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$9,174m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 7.2% of everything South Africa imports (2025, World Bank). Farming itself is 2.8% of the economy and 79.4% of the land is agricultural, of which 9.9% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in South Africa? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined37.2%
Diabetes7.2%
South Africa does not publish a national count of amputations. A study in Global Health Action estimated that diabetes leads to about 2,000 new amputations a year nationally, and the Mail & Guardian noted in 2014 that this is an estimate because amputation data is lacking. In November 2018 the KwaZulu-Natal health department put the figure for that province alone at about 2,500 leg amputations a year linked to diabetes, roughly six a day in government hospitals. Source: TimesLIVE.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 55.1%.
Can South Africa feed itself?
9.9%
Arable land
79.4%
Agricultural land
1,445,399
Farmers
29,652,600
Arable acres
2.8%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Deciduous fruit and wine grapes from February to April; citrus in winter (May to August).
Feeding itself
South Africa is a major agricultural producer and a consistent net exporter of fruit, wine, citrus, maize and sugar, and is broadly self-sufficient in most staples. It does import wheat and rice, so it is not fully self-provisioning, but real, large-scale farming underpins the food supply.
Certification
Only about 0.04 per cent of South Africa's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020 (FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture), a tiny fraction despite the size of the farming sector.
Water for crops
South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024). Cape Town's 2018 Day Zero crisis, ageing infrastructure and rural access gaps all point to genuine, ongoing water stress, even though major cities are engineered for supply.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 79.4% of the country is agricultural land and 9.9% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
SugarcaneMaizeSoybeansPotatoesWheatGrapesOrangesApples
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in South Africa are sugarcane, maize and potatoes (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy direct where residents buy: African Arts Market, Blaauwklippen Family Market, Cape Town Market, Franschhoek Village Market, Gansbaai Farmers Market, Hermanus Country Market. Each is a mapped, named marketplace, so the money stays with the seller rather than the importer. OpenStreetMap.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: Lekker Vegan, vegan takeaway on Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town: vegan junk food such as a Gatsby, burgers and gluten free nacho bowls; Sunshine Food Co, plant based café in Three Anchor Bay, Cape Town: dishes built on sprouts and microgreens, including a bunless vegan burger; Ditto, ice cream parlour on Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town: 100 per cent plant based ice cream with weekly flavours; Kanela Cafe, breakfast café in Sea Point, Cape Town: vegan flapjacks and a vegan mac and cheese among its dishes. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in South Africa?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
SampBeansPumpkinSweet potatoChakalaka
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Mail & Guardian, When hospitals don't make the cut (2014) · TimesLIVE, Diabetes claims around 2,500 leg amputations a year in KZN (2018) · Cape Town Magazine, Healthy eateries in Cape Town (updated 14 April 2026) · National Agricultural Marketing Council, South Africa's agricultural trade performance in 2024 · FAO, Food-based dietary guidelines: South Africa
Climate and Energy in South Africa.
South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths of electricity through the state utility Eskom, and it is also a major coal producer and exporter. Per-person emissions are high for a developing economy at about 6.87 tonnes of CO2 in 2024, and years of load-shedding have slowed the shift to cleaner power. An internationally backed Just Energy Transition Partnership aims to move the country away from coal, and wind and solar procurement is expanding, but progress is slow. Fossil dependence and the coal export trade keep the overall climate footprint heavy.
What powers South Africa?
Renewable 13.6%Fossil 82.2%
The national grid is run by the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), a wholly owned subsidiary of the state utility Eskom, which is being split into separate generation, transmission and distribution companies. The regulator, NERSA, approved its transmission licence in July 2023, and the NTCSA began trading on 1 July 2024. It acts as network operator, system operator and grid planner. On 31 July 2026 President Ramaphosa endorsed a Treasury led task team report calling for an independent transmission system operator, separate from Eskom, to own the NTCSA's assets. In the meantime Eskom directors may not sit on the NTCSA board and market and financial decisions move to the NTCSA. The NTCSA must build about 14,000 km of new high voltage lines over the next decade, at an estimated cost of R440 billion.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
6.88 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
9.55 tonnes
The grid
South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths of electricity through the state utility Eskom, and it is also a major coal producer and exporter. Per-person emissions are high for a developing economy at about 6.87 tonnes of CO2 in 2024, and years of load-shedding have slowed the shift to cleaner power.
Pollution
The national annual mean PM2.5 is about 22.3 micrograms per cubic metre (UChicago AQLI, 2023), but the Mpumalanga Highveld coal belt, with its cluster of Eskom power stations and Sasol, is among the world's worst point sources of air pollution. A plastic bag levy has applied since 2004 rather than a full ban, and litter and illegal dumping are widespread.
Water stress
South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024). Cape Town's 2018 Day Zero crisis, ageing infrastructure and rural access gaps all point to genuine, ongoing water stress, even though major cities are engineered for supply.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.87.5%
2Industry The Mpumalanga Highveld coal belt (Eskom stations and Sasol) and canned-lion and captive-predator interaction operations..named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.23.26
4On the record The national annual mean PM2.5 is about 22.3 micrograms per cubic metre (UChicago AQLI, 2023), but the Mpumalanga Highveld coal belt, with its cluster of Eskom power stations and Sasol, is among the world's worst point sources of air pollution.
What has South Africa promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2050
Electricity renewable today6.4% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target9.6% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target15.4% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2050, status: in policy document. Measured against it, 6.4% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 93.6% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year6.88 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy3.01 t CO2e
New York return, economy2.31 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy1.99 t CO2e
London return, economy1.63 t CO2e
Paris return, economy1.57 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to South Africa emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. At COP26 in November 2021 the UK, US, France, Germany and the EU announced a US$8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership to help South Africa move away from coal. The US Treasury calls it the first JETP programme. The United States withdrew in March 2025, but by December 2025 the remaining partners said pledges had reached US$12.4 billion, or US$13.7 billion including development bank pledges. Earlier, in June 2014, the City of Johannesburg issued a green bond of about R1.5 billion to fund solar power, landfill gas, wastewater energy and hybrid buses, which the Climate Bonds Initiative called the first emerging market green city bond.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · South African Government, Minister Gordhan welcomes approval of remaining licences for NTCSA (Sept 2023) · SAnews, Eskom owned transmission company officially commences trading (July 2024) · TimesLIVE, Ramaphosa backs Eskom asset split to boost power grid (Aug 2026) · US Treasury, Statement on the South Africa JETP investment plan (Nov 2022) · European Commission, Joint statement on the US withdrawal from the JETP in South Africa (Mar 2025) · UK Government, 12 month JETP leaders update 2025 · Climate Bonds Initiative, First emerging market green city bond: City of Johannesburg (2014)
AI and Data Centres in South Africa.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in South Africa.
Data centres
28
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
13.6 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in South Africa?
Almost everything a machine here consumes is burned fossil fuel.
Renewable 13.6%Fossil 86.4%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 6.4% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. South Africa has 28 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Cape Town (6), Johannesburg (6), Centurion (4), alongside 12 internet exchanges (JINX, CINX, NAPAfrica IX Johannesburg, NAPAfrica IX Cape Town). Named sites include OADC CPT3 - Cape Town, Teraco Johannesburg Campus, South Africa, Teraco CT1 Cape Town, South Africa, Teraco DB1 Durban, South Africa.
Where the cables land. 8 landing points · Amanzimtoti, Cape Town, Duynefontein, Gqeberha
Economy and Tourism in South Africa.
81% residents to 19% visitors across a year. 14,797,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 64,747,319 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in South Africa
3,887k
Visitors a year
0.1
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is South Africa?· for every $100 South Africa earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 79What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 83The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $83 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 South Africa earns in a year, it owes $79 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in South Africa?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 14,797,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 64,747,319 residents, one visitor a year for every 4 residents (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in South Africa is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 7.2% of everything South Africa imports (2025, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, sugarcane, maize, soybeans, potatoes, wheat, grapes, oranges, apples, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
93.6% of the electricity is fossil (2021, World Bank). Lighting, cooling and hot water are paid for largely in imported fuel.
burns away5
What actually stays
On the parts that can be measured, the power leaves and the plate stays. It is genuinely a coin toss, decided by what you book.
split6
Pay the bank first
South Africa owes $79 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$79 per $1007
A spread hand
The largest single export, pearls, gemstones and precious metals, is 18.4% of the total (2024, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 17.7%8
Community chest
Tourism earns 2.9% of everything South Africa makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
2.9% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Los Angeles a return economy seat is 3.01 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
3.01 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$480 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$480bnGDPUS$427.2bn
Agriculture, share of GDP2.8%
Visitors a year3,886,600
Visitors per resident0.1
Residents~64,747,319
Agriculture
Farming is 2.8% of the economy. South Africa is a major agricultural producer and a consistent net exporter of fruit, wine, citrus, maize and sugar, and is broadly self-sufficient in most staples.
Natural materials
South Africa is the world's leading producer of mohair from Karoo Angora goats and a major Merino wool producer, both living industries. Rich craft traditions continue in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele beadwork and grass and telephone-wire basketry.
Energy
South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths of electricity through the state utility Eskom, and it is also a major coal producer and exporter. Per-person emissions are high for a developing economy at about 6.87 tonnes of CO2 in 2024, and years of load-shedding have slowed the shift to cleaner power.
Who owns the biggest hotels in South Africa?
By rooms · company records and press.
Mosetlha Bush Camp · ~10 roomsIndependentnot published
Whale Huys Eco Villa · ~1 roomsIndependentnot published
Kwandwe Game Reserve · ~26 roomsIndependentnot published
Tanda Tula · ~9 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
201513,952k
201615,121k
201714,975k
201815,004k
201914,797k
20203,887k
International tourism receipts run at about US$2.72 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 2.9% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting South Africa, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking maize meal (pap), samp and beans, morogo (wild greens), pumpkin, sweet potato and chakalaka, with abundant fruit and a strong braai culture. over imported menus. The checked list
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use Distances are large, so self-drive or domestic flights are usual, with limited long-distance public transport and guided transfers advised in some areas.
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
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First time here
South Africa is one of the planet's most biodiverse countries with world-class parks and community tourism, but coal-heavy power, water stress and pollution weigh on its footprint.
Best time: Dry winter for safari game viewing; summer for the Cape.
Getting around
Distances are large, so self-drive or domestic flights are usual, with limited long-distance public transport and guided transfers advised in some areas.
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is maize meal (pap), samp and beans, morogo (wild greens), pumpkin, sweet potato and chakalaka, with abundant fruit and a strong braai culture.. Plant staples are central, from maize meal (pap) and samp and beans to morogo wild greens, pumpkin, sweet potato and abundant fruit, so unprocessed plant eating is easy and affordable.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards everywhere; ZAR. Load-shedding (power cuts) still happens, ask your host.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the big hotels
Mosetlha Bush CampIndependent · 10 rooms
Whale Huys Eco VillaIndependent · 1 rooms
Kwandwe Game ReserveIndependent · 26 rooms
Tanda TulaIndependent · 9 rooms
None of the 4 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in South Africa.
How well is South Africa actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, South Africa scores 53 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That matters here because every pledge on this page is only as good as the machinery meant to deliver it.
What is daily life in South Africa really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around Distances are large, so self-drive or domestic flights are usual, with limited long-distance public transport and guided transfers advised in some areas.
91.2%
literacy. Public spending on education runs at 6.0% of GDP and 19.1% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment stands at 104.1% gross (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2023 to 2025).
Made in South Africa.
South Africa is the world's leading producer of mohair from Karoo Angora goats and a major Merino wool producer, both living industries. Rich craft traditions continue in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele beadwork and grass and telephone-wire basketry. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What South Africa actually sells the world
The single biggest thing South Africa sells the world is pearls, gemstones and precious metals, 17.7% of all exports in 2023 (about US$19.59 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are ores, slag and ash at 14.7%, vehicles at 11.5%, mineral fuels and oils at 10.7%, iron and steel at 5.9%.
Made now · natural materials
Major Merino wool producer
Worked in South Africa from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Xhosa
Worked in South Africa from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Ndebele beadwork
Worked in South Africa from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Grass
Worked in South Africa from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Buys in · 11.5% of imports
Electrical machinery and electronics
South Africa imported US$12.33 billion of electrical machinery and electronics in 2023, 11.5% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 8.2% of imports
Other
South Africa imported US$8.83 billion of other in 2023, 8.2% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 2.5% of imports
Plastics
South Africa imported US$2.64 billion of plastics in 2023, 2.5% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
Buys in · 2.3% of imports
Pharmaceuticals
South Africa imported US$2.41 billion of pharmaceuticals in 2023, 2.3% of everything it bought abroad, and sells none of it back. Every point of that is a business that could be built at home rather than shipped in. UN Comtrade.
The maths for an entrepreneur. South Africa produces about US$427 billion a year, which is roughly US$6,598 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 2.8% of that, while food is 7.2% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 9.9% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
See the verified makersCulture in South Africa.
All-night competitions, weekly
Isicathamiya singing
An all-male vocal tradition of Zulu migrant workers, its name from cathama, to walk softly. Weekly all-night competitions in Johannesburg and Durban can draw as many as 30 choirs.
Late 1890s
Gumboot dance
A stamping, boot-slapping team dance that grew up among Bhaca migrant workers from southern KwaZulu-Natal, who worked the Johannesburg gold mines and the Durban docks and railways. It draws on Bhaca dance, minstrel shows and tap.
Kwaito
Black township dance music that grew from bubblegum, local pop and imported house music. It is often tied to the end of apartheid and the 1994 elections, though scholars trace its roots into the 1980s.
Around 2012
Amapiano
Electronic dance music that emerged in the Black townships around Pretoria and Johannesburg. The name means the pianos, and its sound rests on synth keys and a deep log drum bass, building slowly over songs that often run past seven minutes.
Sangoma ancestral healingSangomas are initiated healers who answer a spiritual calling, and many say the voices of their ancestors guide their work. A 2007 law set up a council to register traditional health practitioners.
Does South Africa protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. South Africa holds some of the richest living heritage on the continent, spanning Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Ndebele and other nations. Music and dance run deep, from Zulu isicathamiya harmony singing and the stamping indlamu to the mineworkers' gumboot dance and the urban sounds of kwaito and amapiano. Ancestral traditions remain central, with sangoma healers and the veneration of the amadlozi ancestors guiding many households.
Who it belongs to. Diverse living cultures, including Zulu, Xhosa and San communities, underpin strong community-conservancy and township and cultural tourism models that channel income to local people. Deep inequality and some enclave safari tourism mean benefits are unevenly shared.
Only here. The Cape Floral Kingdom, the smallest and richest of the world's six floral kingdoms, found only at the Cape (UNESCO World Heritage)..
UNESCO · Veit Erlmann, Singing Brings Joy to the Distressed, a social history of isicathamiya (herri) · Muller and Topp Fargion, Gumboots, Bhaca Migrants and Fred Astaire, African Music journal, Rhodes University · Eaby-Lomas, Kwaito as history, African Music journal (2023) · PBS NewsHour, South Africa mulls regulating traditional healers for the modern age (2016) · SABC News, Traditional healing contributes to SA's cultural diversity (2015)
The Future of South Africa.
Three futures for South Africa, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: Museum (Old Pass Court) (Cape Town), Walter Sisulu National Botanical Gardens (Krugersdorp), Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (Cape Town), Pretoria National Botanical Garden (Pretoria), Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden (Breede Valley Local Municipality). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: ARTicles, Artworx, Beadazzling Beads, Deckle Egde, Kudzie, Mother Land.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 16.7% to 18.8% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 0.28% to 6.45% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 7.3 t to 6.88 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 4,684k to 3,887k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 7% to 9.6% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 9.32% to 5.41% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 12.1% to 15.4% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 80.4% to 79.4% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 53.3% to 63.8% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 24.3 µg/m³ to 27.7 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 1,006 m³ to 718 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 43.8% to 55% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 57.6% to 90.2% across 28 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 3,856 to 6,598 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 44,542k to 64,747k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 18.1% to 9.7% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 2,366 kg to 1,907 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 9.8% to 12.9% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 61.6 yrs to 66.3 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 1,419 kg/ha to 4,562 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 56.8 kg/ha to 120 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 46.7% to 36.2% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 15 $/m3 to 17.1 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 7.34% to 8.91% across 23 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 202,544 km2 to 228,814 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 3,868 kWh to 3,308 kWh across 29 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 32.97 to 31.49 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 18.23 to 17.74 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 146.48 to 248.84 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 281.57 to 406.99 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 7.69 to 15.32 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 54.64 to 46.36 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, organic farming at 1/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift organic farming
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of South Africa's record. Only about 0.04 per cent of South Africa's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020 (FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture), a tiny fraction despite the size of the farming sector.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift energy
It scores 1 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of South Africa's record. South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths of electricity through the state utility Eskom, and it is also a major coal producer and exporter.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift water
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of South Africa's record. South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024).
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in South Africa.
Who is in charge of South Africa now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Cyril Ramaphosa
President
Cyril Ramaphosa is the head of government of South Africa, in office since 19 June 2024. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 70.2 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 70.0 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 45.4 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 44.7 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 58.9 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 57.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 59.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 59.2 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 54.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Unchanged from 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Cyril RamaphosaPresident
ParliamentLegislature, bicameral
Last election29 May 2024
Constitution1996, as revised to 2012
Government typeparliamentary republic
South Africa national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
Plain Answers About South Africa.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
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Is South Africa sustainable?
South Africa scores 62 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. South Africa is one of the planet's most biodiverse countries with world-class parks and community tourism, but coal-heavy power, water stress and pollution weigh on its footprint.
Is the water in South Africa safe and plentiful?
South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024). Cape Town's 2018 Day Zero crisis, ageing infrastructure and rural access gaps all point to genuine, ongoing water stress, even though major cities are engineered for supply.
Can South Africa feed itself?
South Africa is a major agricultural producer and a consistent net exporter of fruit, wine, citrus, maize and sugar, and is broadly self-sufficient in most staples. It does import wheat and rice, so it is not fully self-provisioning, but real, large-scale farming underpins the food supply.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in South Africa?
Plant staples are central, from maize meal (pap) and samp and beans to morogo wild greens, pumpkin, sweet potato and abundant fruit, so unprocessed plant eating is easy and affordable. Braai (grilled meat) culture is strong, but cities also have a fast-growing vegan and plant-based scene.
How much of South Africa is actually protected?
Terrestrial protected areas cover about 9.6 per cent of the land and marine protected areas about 15.4 per cent of territorial waters (World Bank, 2025), backed by world-class enforced parks such as Kruger and the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site and a network expanded under Operation Phakisa. Rhino poaching remains a serious pressure on the estate.
What wildlife is left in South Africa?
South Africa is one of the world's most biodiverse countries, home to the Big Five, the endemic-rich Cape Floristic Region and outstanding marine life, with 668 threatened species recorded (IUCN via World Bank, 2022), the highest in this batch. Active conservation and private-reserve rewilding sit alongside a continuing rhino poaching crisis.
Is South Africa on clean energy?
South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths of electricity through the state utility Eskom, and it is also a major coal producer and exporter. Per-person emissions are high for a developing economy at about 6.87 tonnes of CO2 in 2024, and years of load-shedding have slowed the shift to cleaner power. An internationally backed Just Energy Transition Partnership aims to move the country away from coal, and wind and solar procurement is expanding, but progress is slow.
How polluted is South Africa?
The national annual mean PM2.5 is about 22.3 micrograms per cubic metre (UChicago AQLI, 2023), but the Mpumalanga Highveld coal belt, with its cluster of Eskom power stations and Sasol, is among the world's worst point sources of air pollution. A plastic bag levy has applied since 2004 rather than a full ban, and litter and illegal dumping are widespread.
Does recycling work in South Africa?
Only around a tenth of South Africa's waste is recycled overall, with most refuse landfilled, although material-specific rates are higher for paper and plastic and a large informal reclaimer sector recovers packaging (Recycling in South Africa, c.2025). Formal municipal separation remains limited.
Is the farming in South Africa organic?
Only about 0.04 per cent of South Africa's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020 (FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture), a tiny fraction despite the size of the farming sector.
Are there natural materials and craft in South Africa?
South Africa is the world's leading producer of mohair from Karoo Angora goats and a major Merino wool producer, both living industries. Rich craft traditions continue in Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele beadwork and grass and telephone-wire basketry.
Is there living culture in South Africa?
Diverse living cultures, including Zulu, Xhosa and San communities, underpin strong community-conservancy and township and cultural tourism models that channel income to local people. Deep inequality and some enclave safari tourism mean benefits are unevenly shared.
What heritage does South Africa keep alive?
South Africa holds some of the richest living heritage on the continent, spanning Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Ndebele and other nations. Music and dance run deep, from Zulu isicathamiya harmony singing and the stamping indlamu to the mineworkers' gumboot dance and the urban sounds of kwaito and amapiano. Ancestral traditions remain central, with sangoma healers and the veneration of the amadlozi ancestors guiding many households.
So is South Africa actually green? The measured answer
What is working: the record is thin on the headline measures, and the sourced numbers below say why.
What is not: land protected at 9.6% against a 30% mark, renewable electricity at 6.4% against a 100% mark.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · CIA World Factbook data, South Africa (factbook.json archive) · World Bank, Population total: South Africa · South African Government, South Africa's people · South African History Online, The melody of freedom
How South Africa Ranks, region and world.
Where South Africa sits on the Eco Index, against its Africa neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does South Africa compare in Africa?
1Ethiopia70
2Zambia70
3Uganda65
4Tanzania65
5Namibia65
Scored Africa destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
3Finland77
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
South Africa sits 45 of 77 at 62/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is South Africa particularly good at?
✓ Food and farming, scored 5/5. South Africa is a major agricultural producer and a consistent net exporter of fruit, wine, citrus, maize and sugar, and is broadly self-sufficient in most staples. It does import wheat and rice, so it is not fully self-provisioning, but real, large-scale farming underpins the food supply.
✓ Heritage, scored 5/5. South Africa holds some of the richest living heritage on the continent, spanning Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Venda, Ndebele and other nations. Music and dance run deep, from Zulu isicathamiya harmony singing and the stamping indlamu to the mineworkers' gumboot dance and the urban sounds of kwaito and amapiano. Ancestral traditions remain central, with sangoma healers and the veneration of the amadlozi ancestors guiding many households. The San and Khoi are among the earliest peoples of southern Africa, hunter-gatherers and pastoralists established here for thousands of years before later arrivals, and ceremonies such as the Zulu reed dance, Umkhosi woMhlanga, are still held.
✓ Plant-based eating, scored 4/5. Plant staples are central, from maize meal (pap) and samp and beans to morogo wild greens, pumpkin, sweet potato and abundant fruit, so unprocessed plant eating is easy and affordable. Braai (grilled meat) culture is strong, but cities also have a fast-growing vegan and plant-based scene.
Where does South Africa score worst?
✕ Organic farming, scored 1/5. Only about 0.04 per cent of South Africa's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020 (FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture), a tiny fraction despite the size of the farming sector.
✕ Energy, scored 1/5. South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths of electricity through the state utility Eskom, and it is also a major coal producer and exporter. Per-person emissions are high for a developing economy at about 6.87 tonnes of CO2 in 2024, and years of load-shedding have slowed the shift to cleaner power. An internationally backed Just Energy Transition Partnership aims to move the country away from coal, and wind and solar procurement is expanding, but progress is slow. Fossil dependence and the coal export trade keep the overall climate footprint heavy.
✕ Water, scored 2/5. South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024). Cape Town's 2018 Day Zero crisis, ageing infrastructure and rural access gaps all point to genuine, ongoing water stress, even though major cities are engineered for supply.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Organic farming, 1/5
Only about 0.04 per cent of South Africa's agricultural land was certified organic in 2020 (FiBL, The World of Organic Agriculture), a tiny fraction despite the size of the farming sector.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of South Africa's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Energy, 1/5
South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths of electricity through the state utility Eskom, and it is also a major coal producer and exporter.
Water, 2/5
South Africa is a dry country that relies on large dams and inter-basin transfers such as the Lesotho Highlands scheme, and only about 68 per cent of the population uses safely managed drinking water (WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, 2024).
The South Africa Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in South Africa, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores South Africa
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
18.8
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
9.6
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
15.4
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
6.4
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
6.9 tonnes (2024)
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
668
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
45.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
51.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
59.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
58.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
70.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
37.6 / 100 · 111 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 111 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
36.6 / 100 · 129 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 129 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
28.9 / 100 · 134 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 134 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
24.2 / 100 · 139 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 139 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
29.9 / 100 · 137 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 137 of 177 countries assessed.
Marine habitat protected
48.5 / 100 · 19 of 111
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 19 of 111 countries assessed.
How South Africa Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 86 sources across 35 institutions
World Bank17 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Adult literacy rate SE.ADT.LITR.ZS, 2024 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 2024 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
- What a Waste 2.0 country-level dataset check
World Bank Open Data10 FIGURES
- threatened species indicators for South Africa (compiled from the IUCN Red List), 2022, South Africa is one of the world's most biodiverse countries, home to the Big Five, the endemic-rich Cape Flor check
- threatened species indicators for South Africa (compiled from the IUCN Red List), 2022 corroboration check
- threatened species indicators for South Africa (compiled from the IUCN Red List), 2022 corroboration check
- threatened species indicators for South Africa (compiled from the IUCN Red List), 2022 corroboration check
- terrestrial and marine protected area indicators for South Africa, 2025, Terrestrial protected areas cover about 9.6 per cent of the land and marine protected areas about 15.4 per cen check
- terrestrial and marine protected area indicators for South Africa, 2025 corroboration check
- terrestrial and marine protected area indicators for South Africa, 2025 corroboration check
- electricity production from coal sources (% of total), South Africa, South Africa has one of the world's most coal-dependent power systems, with coal generating around four fifths check
- electricity production from coal sources (% of total), South Africa corroboration check
- electricity production from coal sources (% of total), South Africa corroboration check
Mohair South Africa6 FIGURES
- South African mohair industry update, April 2023, South Africa is the world's leading producer of mohair from Karoo Angora goats and a major Merino wool produce check
- South African mohair industry update, April 2023 corroboration check
- South African mohair industry update, April 2023 corroboration check
- South African mohair industry update, April 2023 corroboration check
- South African mohair industry update, April 2023 corroboration check
- South African mohair industry update, April 2023 corroboration check
GBIF occurrence search5 FIGURES
- South Africa, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (mammal). check
- South Africa, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Mammalia corroboration check
- South Africa, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Aves, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird). check
- South Africa, IUCN category Critically Endangered, class Elasmobranchii, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (shark or ray check
- South Africa, IUCN category Critically Endangered, all taxa, Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (species). check
South African History Online4 FIGURES
- The South African general elections: 1994, Apartheid was made law in 1948 and dismantled after decades of resistance, with the first elections under univ check
- The South African general elections: 1994 corroboration check
- The South African general elections: 1994 corroboration check
- The South African general elections: 1994 corroboration check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics4 FIGURES
- government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, South Africa, Public spending on education runs at 6.0% of GDP and 19.1% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, South Africa corroboration check
- government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, South Africa corroboration check
- government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, South Africa corroboration check
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, South Africa, 2025 (20.2%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, South Africa, 2025 (63.0%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, South Africa, 2025 (21.9%), country-reported check
SANBI Red List of South African Plants3 FIGURES
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme3 FIGURES
- World Bank, Safely managed drinking water SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 check
- UN SDG Global Database, population using safely managed drinking water (%) SH_H2O_SAFE, South Africa, 2024 (68.0%), modelled estimate check
- UN SDG Global Database, population using safely managed sanitation (%) SH_SAN_SAFE, South Africa, 2024 (73.8%), modelled estimate check
Convention on Biological Diversity2 FIGURES
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment2 FIGURES
Other published sources2 FIGURES
- False: systematic heat treatment of silcrete at Pinnacle Point, also in South Africa, is a deliberate production process dated to about 164,000 years ago, and stone toolmaking at Lomekwi 3 dates to 3.3 million years check
- Distances removed; the official SANParks Rules and Regulations page states no per-species distances, and the other four rules are kept in the wording SANParks actually uses check
South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI)2 FIGURES
Statistics South Africa2 FIGURES
18.45% of total exports in 20241 FIGURE
- the latest year UN Comtrade publishes; HS chapter 71 is still the largest single export check
22.3 micrograms per cubic metre for 20231 FIGURE
- the latest AQLI year; AQLI has also revised its own 2022 value to 23.7, so 23.26 no longer matches any published year check
Carbon Brief1 FIGURE
- The Carbon Brief Profile: South Africa check
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- South Africa 1996 (rev. 2012) check
DFFE1 FIGURE
- National Waste Management Strategy 2020 check
FAO1 FIGURE
- FAOSTAT Production: Crops and Livestock Products, Africa bulk dataset (file dated 31 December 2025, covering 2024) corroboration check
FiBL1 FIGURE
- The World of Organic Agriculture, organic farmland statistics check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, South Africa, 2023 (9.0%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- South Africa elections and chambers check
IRENA1 FIGURE
- South Africa renewable energy statistical profile check
IUCN Red List1 FIGURE
- World Bank, threatened species (mammals, birds, fishes, higher plants), 2022 check
Our World in Data1 FIGURE
- CO2 country profile: South Africa, 2024 check
Our World in Data (Ember; Energy Institute)1 FIGURE
- Share of electricity from renewables, 2024 check
South African National Biodiversity Institute1 FIGURE
- national environmental authority check
South African National Parks1 FIGURE
- national protected-area and wildlife authority check
Superlative removed; Henshilwood et al. (Science1 FIGURE
- 2011) claim only the sourcing, combining and storing of a compound, and deliberate production processes are far older, including stone toolmaking at Lomekwi 3 at 3.3 million years check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UNEP1 FIGURE
- Global Waste Management Outlook check
UNESCO World Heritage1 FIGURE
- Cape Floral Region Protected Areas check
University of Chicago EPIC1 FIGURE
- Air Quality Life Index, annual mean PM2.5 check