Destinations › Africa · The Destination Index · universal template · every figure sourced
South Africa.
Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. 1,219,090 sq km and 64,747,319 people, 2,798 km of coastline, mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights.
Region · AfricaPopulation · ~64,747,319Languages · isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Sesotho. Twelve official languages including sign languageEco Index · 62/100 · Passable
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Conservation
Wildlife
Water
Food & farming
Organic & clean
Climate & energy
Waste
Health
Heritage
Ownership
Governance
Future
The History of South Africa.
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.
Where the name comes from
Named for its position on the continent. 'Africa' itself comes from the Roman name for the province around Carthage, later applied to everything south of it. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
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. Thirteen pieces of 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 was established around 1075 and lasted roughly four hundred years, built on gold and ivory traded through the Swahili ports of the east coast. A Dutch refreshment station at the Cape from 1652 grew into settlement and then into wars of dispossession, followed by diamond and gold mining at scale. Apartheid was made law in 1948 and dismantled after decades of resistance, with the first elections under universal franchise held on 27 April 1994.
The timeline
c. 100,000 years ago
The ochre workshop at Blombos.
A workshop where a liquefied ochre-rich mixture was produced and stored in two abalone shells, found in 2008. It is early evidence of the ability to source, combine and store substances that enhance technology or social practices. ↗
75,000 to 100,000 years ago
Engraved ochre and shell beads.
Thirteen pieces of incised ochre and shell beads from Blombos show symbolic behaviour far earlier than once assumed. ↗
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. ↗
A kingdom based on gold and ivory traded through the Swahili ports of the east coast, with a class-ranked society and a royal hill settlement. It was established around 1075 and lasted about 400 years. ↗
1652
A Dutch station at the Cape.
A refreshment station is established, and settlement expands from it. ↗
1800s
Dispossession and mineral wealth.
Wars of dispossession are followed by diamond and gold mining at scale, reshaping the region's economy and forcing Black South Africans into migrant labour. ↗
1948 to 1994
Apartheid.
Racial segregation is made law, and is dismantled after decades of resistance. ↗
1994
Democratic elections.
The first elections with universal franchise are held on 27 April. ↗
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
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 bicornisCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (mammal).
ThreatenedGyps africanusCritically 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 demersusCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedNecrosyrtes monachusCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
ThreatenedTrigonoceps occipitalisCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (bird).
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.
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.
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.
Cleanest water
here
Mountain streams of the Cape fold mountains and the Drakensberg..
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.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
.
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.
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.
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.
How often each food is on the plate
Share of people eating each one regularly. These overlap, so they do not add up to 100%.
Samp51%
Beans42%
Pumpkin24%
Sweet potato15%
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%
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. Certified-organic farmland is not separately reported for South Africa, and that is a certification gap rather than proof nothing is grown cleanly. 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.
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.
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%
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 gridThe share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.87.5%
2IndustryThe Mpumalanga Highveld coal belt (Eskom stations and Sasol) and canned-lion and captive-predator interaction operations..named
3AirModelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.23.26
4On the recordThe 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.
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
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 play
2
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 published
3
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-grown
4
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 away
5
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.
split
6
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 $100
7
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 exports
9
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 CO2
10
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$480bn
GDPUS$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.
All-inclusive resortForeign-owned hotel and tourist restaurantsLocally owned stay and local restaurantsGuesthouse, markets and public transport
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. Eco tours →
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.
swipe →
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.
Mosetlha Bush CampWhale Huys Eco VillaKwandwe Game ReserveTanda Tula
.
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.
How well is South Africa run? · each scored out of 100, higher is better
Clean government, scored 44 of 100
Control of corruption scores 44 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is below the halfway mark of governments measured.
44
Freedom and rights, scored 68 of 100
Voice and accountability, which measures free expression, free media and the ability to choose a government, scores 67.5 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Citizens have some room to question their government.
68
Government effectiveness, scored 47 of 100
Government effectiveness, which measures the quality of public services and how well policy is actually delivered, scores 46.9 out of 100 (2024, World Bank WGI). Delivery is rated below average, so a pledge on paper is not the same as a pledge kept.
47
Income equality, scored 54 of 100
The Gini index of income inequality reads 54.1 (2022, World Bank). Zero is perfect equality and 100 is one person holding everything. Above 40 is the level usually treated as socially strained, and South Africa sits above it.
54
LGBTQ+ status: MixedSolo female travel: Take care91.2% adult literacyIndustry to avoid: The Mpumalanga Highveld coal belt (Eskom stations and Sasol) and canned-lion and captive-predator interaction operations.
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.
✓Air quality, measured Modelled annual mean 23.26. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³.
✓Where the air is cleanest The Western Cape coast and mountains and the Cederberg and Karoo interior.
✓Tap water Varies
✓What to drink Cape Town and major cities are drinkable; rural and small towns vary, check with your host.
✓Plastic rules Plastic bag levy and minimum-thickness rules since 2004; no full single-use ban, and litter and illegal dumping remain widespread.
✓Sockets and voltage Type C/D/M, 230V
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.
A living tradition of South Africa, still practised rather than archived.
Indlamu
A living tradition of South Africa, still practised rather than archived.
Gumboot dance
A living tradition of South Africa, still practised rather than archived.
Kwaito
A living tradition of South Africa, still practised rather than archived.
AmapianoA living tradition of South Africa, still practised rather than archived.
Sangoma ancestral healingA living tradition of South Africa, still practised rather than archived.
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)..
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.
-6%
Forest cover
1995: 14.8 % → 2023: 14 %
+2178%
Renewable electricity
1995: 0.28 % → 2021: 6.45 %
-6%
CO2 per person
1995: 7.3 t → 2024: 6.88 t
-17%
Tourist arrivals
1995: 4684 k → 2020: 3887 k
+37%
Protected land
2013: 7 % → 2025: 9.6 %
-42%
Farm workforce
1995: 9.32 % → 2025: 5.41 %
+27%
Protected sea
2013: 12.1 % → 2025: 15.4 %
-1%
Agricultural land
1995: 80.4 % → 2023: 79.4 %
+20%
Urban population
1995: 53.3 % → 2025: 63.8 %
+14%
Air pollution
1995: 24.3 µg/m³ → 2023: 27.7 µg/m³
-29%
Fresh water per person
1995: 1005.8 m³ → 2022: 718.2 m³
+26%
Adult overweight
1995: 43.8 % → 2022: 55.1 %
+57%
Electricity access
1996: 57.6 % → 2024: 90.2 %
+71%
GDP per person
1995: 3856 → 2025: 6598
+45%
Population
1995: 44542 k → 2025: 64747 k
-46%
Renewable energy use
1995: 18.1 % → 2021: 9.7 %
-18%
Energy per person
1995: 2358 kg → 2023: 1939 kg
+32%
Protected area, total
2013: 9.8 % → 2025: 12.9 %
+8%
Life expectancy
1995: 61.6 yrs → 2024: 66.3 yrs
+221%
Cereal yield
1995: 1419 ha → 2024: 4562 ha
+36%
Fertiliser use
1995: 56.8 ha → 2023: 77.2 ha
-23%
Rural population
1995: 46.7 % → 2025: 36.2 %
+14%
Water productivity
1995: 15 $/m3 → 2022: 17.1 $/m3
+21%
Health spending
2000: 7.34 % → 2023: 8.91 %
-6%
Forest area
1995: 179601 km2 → 2023: 169409 km2
-16%
Electric power use
1995: 3868 kWh → 2023: 3247 kWh
-4%
Emissions: Agriculture
1990: 33 e → 2023: 31.5 e
-3%
Emissions: Building
1990: 18.2 e → 2023: 17.7 e
+70%
Emissions: Electricity/Heat
1990: 146.5 e → 2023: 248.8 e
+45%
Emissions: Energy
1990: 281.6 e → 2023: 407 e
+99%
Emissions: Industrial Processes
1990: 7.7 e → 2023: 15.3 e
-15%
Emissions: Manufacturing/Construction
1990: 54.6 e → 2023: 46.4 e
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 14.8% to 14.0% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.ZS
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 0.3% to 6.4% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 7.3 t to 6.9 t across 29 recorded years.
World Bank EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 4684k to 3887k across 25 recorded years.
World Bank ST.INT.ARVL
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 7.0% to 9.6% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.LND.PTLD.ZS
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 9.3% to 5.4% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SL.AGR.EMPL.ZS
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 12.1% to 15.4% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 80.4% to 79.4% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.AGRI.ZS
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 53.3% to 63.8% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 24.3 µg/m³ to 27.7 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 1005.8 m³ to 718.2 m³ across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.H2O.INTR.PC
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 43.8% to 55.0% across 27 recorded years.
World Bank SH.STA.OWAD.ZS
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 57.6% to 90.2% across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.ELC.ACCS.ZS
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 3856 to 6598 across 30 recorded years.
World Bank NY.GDP.PCAP.CD
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 44542k to 64747k across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.POP.TOTL
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 18.1% to 9.7% across 26 recorded years.
World Bank EG.FEC.RNEW.ZS
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 2358 kg to 1939 kg across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 9.8% to 12.9% across 12 recorded years.
World Bank ER.PTD.TOTL.ZS
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 61.6 yrs to 66.31 yrs across 29 recorded years.
World Bank SP.DYN.LE00.IN
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 1419 kg/ha to 4562 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
World Bank AG.YLD.CREL.KG
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 56.81 kg/ha to 77.19 kg/ha across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.CON.FERT.ZS
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 46.7% to 36.18% across 30 recorded years.
World Bank SP.RUR.TOTL.ZS
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 14.99 $/m3 to 17.1 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
World Bank ER.GDP.FWTL.M3.KD
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 7.34% to 8.91% across 23 recorded years.
World Bank SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 179601 km2 to 169409 km2 across 28 recorded years.
World Bank AG.LND.FRST.K2
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 3868 kWh to 3247 kWh across 28 recorded years.
World Bank EG.USE.ELEC.KH.PC
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
Current path
Every line above is a recorded World Bank series for this country. The current path is simply those series continuing at the pace already measured.
Computed from: recorded series, no policy change assumed
Best case
The pledges are met on their own stated timetables and the weakest pillars are lifted to match the strongest. South Africa already shows it can do this: heritage scores 5/5.
Computed from: each published target delivered on its own date
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. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift energy
It scores 2 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. 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. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift pollution
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of South Africa's 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. A plastic bag levy has applied since 2004 rather than a full ban, and litter and illegal dumping are widespread. Lifting it toward the 5/5 the strongest pillars already reach is what the best case turns on.
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, 8 September 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: 67.5 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Control of corruption: 44 / 100. Below the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Political stability and absence of violence: 55.4 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Rule of law: 57.3 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
Regulatory quality: 53.9 / 100. Above the halfway mark of governments measured. World Bank WGI 2024
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
2050
Net zero
In Policy Document
Net-zero target as recorded by Climate Watch. Status: In Policy Document (8/31/2022) ↗
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
swipe →
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.
South Africa sits 58 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?
✓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.
✓Culture, scored 4/5. 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.
✓Food and farming, scored 4/5. 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.
Where does South Africa score worst?
✕Recycling, scored 2/5. 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.
✕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.
✕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.
Similar countries doing it better and worse
TanzaniaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.73
EthiopiaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.72
UgandaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.68
EgyptScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.60
BotswanaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.57
SeychellesScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.57
A note from the lens of mother natureswipe →
Energy, 2/5
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.
Food and farming, 4/5
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, 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.
The South Africa Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in South Africa, checked and listed.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Government effectiveness
46.9 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Rule of law
57.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Political stability
55.4 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Voice and accountability
67.5 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2024. Percentile among all governments measured.
Environmental Performance Index
42.7 / 100 · 106 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 106 of 180 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
49.3 / 100 · 96 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 96 of 180 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
39.5 / 100 · 120 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 120 of 180 countries assessed.
Air pollution
85.3 / 100 · 46 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 46 of 180 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
29.0 / 100 · 134 of 180
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 134 of 180 countries assessed.
Marine protected areas
70.3 / 100 · 65 of 131
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2024, ranked 65 of 131 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. 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
Conservation
Land and sea actually protected, not pledged
02
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost
03
Water
Fresh water per person, and the ocean’s health
04
Food & farming
Whether the place can feed itself
05
Organic & clean
Certified land and pesticide reality
06
Climate & energy
Emissions per person, how the grid is powered
07
Waste
Where the rubbish goes, what comes back
08
Health
What people eat and die of
09
Heritage
Living culture, and what the law keeps standing
10
Ownership
Who owns the economy, how much of a dollar stays
11
Governance
Freedom, honesty, promises kept
12
Future
Measured trends run forward, pledges against pace
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
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
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
Leucadendron levisanus (Cape Flats Conebush), Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and recorded in South Africa in GBIF occurrence data (plant). check
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
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3, The 30x30 target is 30% by 2030, so 14.6 percentage points are still to be designated. check
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3 corroboration check
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment2 FIGURES
UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, South Africa, 2025 (18.9%), country-reported check
UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, South Africa, 2025 (15.6%), country-reported check
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
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 8 September 2026 check
TanzaniaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.73
EthiopiaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.72
UgandaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.68
EgyptScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.60
BotswanaScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.57
SeychellesScored on the same twelve pillars as South Africa.57
