About South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa. The South African coast stretches 2,798 kilometres and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans. 

To the north of South Africa's borders are Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe and to the east are Mozambique and Swaziland, while the Kingdom of Lesotho is surrounded by South African territory.

South Africa is known for its diversity in cultures, languages, and religious beliefs. Eleven official languages are recognised in the constitution.

English is the most commonly spoken language in official and commercial public life; however, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language. 

Eastern Cape

Free State

Gauteng

South Africa Map & History

Modern human beings have inhabited Southern Africa for more than 100,000 years. At the time of European contact, its indigenous people reflected migrations from other parts of Africa, where new tribes had become dominant, namely the Xhosa and Zulu tribes. In 1652, a century and a half after the discovery of the Cape Sea Route, the Dutch East India Company founded a refreshment station at what would become Cape Town.

Cape Town became a British colony in 1806. European settlement expanded during the 1820s as the Boers (original Dutch, Flemish, German and French settlers) and the British 1820 Settlers claimed land in the north and east of the country.

Conflicts arose among the Xhosa, Zulu and Afrikaner groups who competed for territory.

The discovery of diamonds and later gold triggered the conflict known as the Anglo-Boer War, as the Boers and the British fought for the control of the South African mineral wealth. Although the Boers were defeated, the British gave limited independence to South Africa in 1910 as a British dominion.

Within the country, anti-British policies among white South Africans focused on independence. During the Dutch and British colonial years, racial segregation was mostly informal, though some legislation were enacted to control the settlement and movement of native people, including the Native Location Act of 1879 and the system of pass laws. Power was held by the colonists.

In the Boer republics, from as early as the Pretoria Convention, and subsequent South African governments, the system became legally institutionalised segregation, later known as apartheid, which established three classes of racial stratification. South Africa achieved its political independence in 1961 when it was  declared a republic. The government legislated for a continuation of apartheid, despite opposition both in and outside of the country.