Population

Population Characteristics

The population in 1995 was 42 741 000. The population density was 35 people per sq km. 51% is classified as urban. The population is multiracial and multiethnic. Blacks make up 76.1%, whites make up 12.8%, Coloureds make up 8.5% and Asians make up 2.6% of the population. The blacks belong to nine ethnic groups (Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Sotho, Tswana, Tsonga, Swazi, Ndebele and Venda. Zulu is the largest group making up 22% of the total population. Whites are mainly descendents of British, Dutch, German and French settlers. The Dutch are often known as Afrikaners or Boers. They form 3/5 of the white population. People with mixed racial origin (mostly Black and Afrikaner) are known as Coloureds. They live mainly in the Cape provinces. Asians have mainly Indian ancestry. They are most numerous in Kwa Zulu/Natal. A small number of Asians have Malay origin. They live mostly in the Cape provinces.

Political Divisions

South Africa was divided into four provinces and ten black homelands, before 1994. The provinces were the Cape Province, Orange Free State, Natal and the Transvaal. The country had its first multiracial election in April 1994. Under the the constitution that took effect at the time of the election, South Africa was divided into nine provinces. They are Gauteng, Northern Transvaal, Eastern Transvaal, North West, Orange Free State, Kwa Zulu/Natal, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape. The black homelands were dissolved.

Soweto is one of the largest communities in South Africa, even though it is not a city. Nearly 2/5 of the total population lives within the metropolitan area (Johannesburg, Pretoria and Vereeniging).

Religion

Nearly 4/5 of the people in South Africa are Christian, mainly Protestant. Most Afrikaners belong to the Dutch Reformed church. Most whites that speak English, as a main language, belong to Anglican, Congregational, Methodist or Roman Catholic churches. Blacks are also members of these dominations and many follow independent churches which combine elements of Christianity and traditional African religions. Some blacks follow traditional beliefs. Most Asians are Hindus and Muslims. There are about 100 000 Jews in South Africa.

Language

There are eleven official languages in South Africa. They are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, Siswati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhose and Zulu. Afrikaans is the first language spoken by most Afrikaaners and Coloured people. English is mainly spoken by whites and some Asians and blacks. Most blacks speak one of the Bantu languages, like Xhosa, Sesotho, etc. Main Asians speak a language of India.

Way of Life

Apartheid left a mark on South African society. Whites have a standard of living that is comparable to people in developed countries. It is not like this for many blacks. They make up 75% of the population but only earn 28% of the country’s income. Whites make up 13% of the population and earn 61% of the country’s income. The amount of income for Asians and Coloureds corresponds with their proportion of the population. The average household income of a white family is twelve times that of a black family. More than half the blacks live below the poverty line. Black unemployment is about 45%. One quarter of blacks live in shacks or don’t have housing. 40% of blacks don’t have access to clean water. Only one third of black homes have electricity. The life expectancy of whites is seventy-three years and the life expectancy of blacks is fifty-seven years. The infant mortality of whites is thirteen per 1000 live births and fifty-seven for blacks. The difference in living standards is greater in rural areas. White farmers own more than 87% of the land. The produce more than 90% of the agriculture export. Whites generally live in centre of major urban areas (close to the business district). Blacks generally live more in the outlying townships. Blacks that work in the city and live in the townships have a long commute. One average it is thirty-seven km. Two to four hours travelling time is not uncommon. Commuting is more expensive and dangerous for blacks. The safety standards are inadequate on public transportation. Assaults occur more often than on transportation used by whites. The number of wealthy blacks has increased since 1975. This group has a lifestyle that is similar to wealthy whites. The income has also increased for the poorest 40% of blacks.

Social Problems

Violence is the most serious problem in South Africa. It can be traced to apartheid. Political violence is violence because of inequalities. The housing shortage creates conditions for violence. In black urban areas, there can be seventeen people sharing three or four rooms. Women, especially black women, are often victims of violence. These problems are worse in rural areas.