Portal:South Africa
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South Africa
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Introduction

The Republic of South Africa is a country located at the southern tip of the African continent. It borders the countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Eswatini, and entirely surrounds Lesotho.

South Africa has the largest population of people of European descent in Africa, one of the largest Indian population outside of Asia, as well as the largest Coloured (of mixed European, Asian and African descent) community in Africa, making it one of the most ethnically diverse countries on the continent. Racial and ethnic strife between the black majority and the white minority have played a large part in the country's history and politics. The National Party began introducing the policy of apartheid after winning the general election of 1948; however, it was the same party under the leadership of F.W. de Klerk who started to dismantle it in 1990 after a long struggle by the black majority, as well as many white, coloured and Indian South Africans.

The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état, and regular free and fair elections have been held since 1994, making it a regional power and among the most stable and liberal democracies in Africa.

South Africa is ranked as an upper-middle income economy by the World Bank. It has the second largest economy in Africa after Nigeria, and the 34th-largest in the world. By purchasing power parity, South Africa has the 7th highest per capita income in Africa. Although being the second largest economy, South Africa has the most sophisticated economy in the continent, with modern infrastructure common throughout the country. The country is considered to be a newly industrialized country according to the World Bank classifications.

Selected article -

Johannesburg CBD

Johannesburg (/dʒoʊˈhænɪsbɜːrɡ/ joh-HAN-iss-burg, US also /-ˈhɑːn-/ -⁠HAHN-, Afrikaans: [jʊəˈɦanəsbœrχ]; Zulu and Xhosa: eGoli [ɛˈɡɔːli]; colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. The City of Johannesburg itself has a population of 5,538,596, while the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality has a population of 6,599,190, making it one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, and seat of the country's highest court, the Constitutional Court. Situated on the mineral-rich Witwatersrand hills, the city has long been at the epicentre of the international mineral and gold trade. The richest city in Africa by GDP and private wealth, Johannesburg functions as the economic capital of South Africa and is home to the continent's largest stock exchange, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

Johannesburg was established in 1886, following the discovery of gold, on what was once farmland. Within a decade, the population surged to over 100,000, driven by the large gold deposits found along the Witwatersrand. Modern Johannesburg is an amalgamation of formerly separate cities, townships and settlements, reflecting apartheid-era spatial segregation policies. Soweto ("South-Western Townships"), designated a "blacks only" city until 1994, is one of the most historically significant areas for modern South Africa. Home to key anti-apartheid leaders, including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, it became the epicenter of the 1976 Soweto Uprising, where peaceful student protests were met with brutal force. In contrast, Lenasia is predominantly populated by English-speaking Indo-South Africans (people of Indian and South Asian descent). Formerly "white-only" areas include Sandton, known as "Africa's richest square-mile", Randburg and Roodeport. (Full article...)

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The Voortrekker Monument is located just south of Pretoria in South Africa. This massive granite structure is prominently located on a hilltop, and was raised to commemorate the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854.

Did you know... -

WikiProjects

WikiProject South Africa

WikiProject South Africa discussions • South Africa Wikipedians' Notice Board • South African Wikipedians • Wikipedians in South Africa • Wikimedia ZA • Subscribe to the Wikimedia ZA mailing list

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.

SAS President Pretorius was the last of three President-class Type 12 frigates built in the UK for the South African Navy (SAN) during the 1960s. The ship spent most of her career training and visited foreign ports in Africa and Australia. She had a lengthy modernisation during the 1970s and manpower shortages limited her activities after that was completed in 1977. President Pretorius was paid off in 1985 and was sold for scrap in 1992. (Full article...)

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Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius ("Blade Runner") is a South African amputee sprint runner. Pistorius competed in able-bodied and disabled events with the assistance of carbon-fibre prosthetics. On 14 February 2013, Pistorius was charged with the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who was fatally shot at his home in Pretoria in the early hours of that morning.

Selected fare or cuisine -

Bobotie with salad and chutney

Bobotie (Afrikaans pronunciation: [bəˈbuəti] ⓘ) is a South African dish consisting of spiced minced meat baked with an egg-based topping. (Full article...)

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Selected panorama -

Giant's Castle in the Drakensberg.

General images -

The following are images from various South Africa-related articles on Wikipedia.

Topics

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South Africa
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Buildings and structures in South Africa
Culture of South Africa
Economy of South Africa
Environment of South Africa
Geography of South Africa
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History of South Africa
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Organisations based in South Africa
South African people
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Recognized content

Wikipedia:WikiProject South Africa/Recognized content

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  • Leopoldsburg War Cemetery (talk) by TheMasterGuru started on 2026-03-01, score: 22
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