Study, Work or Volunteer in South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is the only country in the world that has 3 capital cities: Cape Town (legislative capital); Pretoria (administrative); and Bloemfontein (judicial). It is situated at the southernmost tip of the African continent and frequently referred to as the “Rainbow Nation” to illustrate the nation’s recently developed multicultural diversity. It gained independence from the United Kingdom and became a republic in May 31, 1961. Its government is a federal parliamentary republic, the President acts as the head of the government. The current president is Thabo Mbeki of the African National Congress which is the present predominating political party. South Africa is the most developed country in Africa and its economy is the 24th largest in the world in 2007. The UN already classified it as a middle-income nation with modern infrastructures and advanced social and economic systems. HIV/AIDS related issues are extremely monitored by the South African government due to its socio-economic effects.

South Africa’s population of 43 million is composed of diverse cultures, languages, and religions. In a 2006 midyear report, it is projected that the country can be categorized according to the following groups: Black African (79.5%); White (9.2%); Coloured (8.9%); and Asian (2.5%). The 2001 National Census concluded that almost 80% of the population consider themselves as Christians. South Africa has the 2nd most number of official languages in the world with a total of 11, second to India. In addition, it also recognizes 8 other non-official languages. Slowly becoming a major wine producer, South Africa has some of the finest vineyards located in Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Franschoek. Its cuisines are typically meat-based such as the very popular braii, or barbecue. Most popular sports in the country include football, rugby union, boxing, and cricket. South Africa won the 1995 and 2007 Rugby World Cup and will be hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.