This is South Africa (1987)

While still a developing country by UN definition, South Africa is the most highly developed country by far on the African continent. Including six self-governing Black national states, South Africa accounts for only 4 per cent of Africa’s surface area and 6,5 per cent of the continent’s population.

Yet the country is credited with 25 per cent of the continent’s gross national pro- duct, 40 per cent of its industrial output, 45 per cent of mining \ production, 66 per cent of all steel consumption and electricity generated, 46 per cent of all motor vehicles and 36 per cent of all telephones.

The adult literacy rate is about 70 per cent compared with 47 per cent in Kenya and 34 per cent in Nigeria. There is one doctor for every 1 500 people. This is six times better than the ratio for Africa as a whole. South Africa has become the economic mainstay of Southern Africa, a region of 12 countries with a population of about 100- million and an area roughly equal to Western Europe.

South Africa accounts for 80 per cent of the gross national product of this region, which relies heavily for its socio-economic development if not survival on the Republic’s infrastructure (transportation and manufacturing), labour market and expertise in many areas. Seven landlocked countries have no reliable link with the world other than the South African transport system.

About 350 000 foreign Blacks are legally employed in South Africa. Money remitted by them, which can be as much as R600-million a year, accounts for a substantial proportion of the income of the supply countries. Many development projects in the region are financed by South African sources and built by South Africans familiar with African conditions.

South Africa is a reliable supplier of vital machinery, spares, intermediate and consumer goods – especially food – to the region. Two-way trade between the Republic and the rest of Africa now exceeds R2-billion a year. Major trading partners are the EEC countries (including Britain), the US, Canada, Japan and the Republic of China.

Main imports are capital and intermediate goods and industrial raw materials. Main exports are mineral ores, minerals, metals, chemicals, machinery and transport equipment, and agricultural pro- ~ ducts such as wool, sugar and fruit. Imports and exports account for about 60 per cent of the gross domestic product – one of the highest ratios in the world.

South Africa is one of the world’s great mineral treasure houses. It has the largest known reserves of gold, chrome, platinum, vanadium, manganese, andalusite and fluorspar, as well as substantial deposits of other significant minerals such as coal, uranium, diamonds, iron ore, antimony, asbestos, nickel and phosphates.

The Republic is the world’s foremost supplier of gold (nearly half of total production), chrome, ferrochrome, vanadium, aluminium silicate, granite, vermiculite and the platinum group metals. South Africa has also become a major supplier of coal- exports have reached 44-million tons a year. The Republic’s strategic importance to the West goes beyond its mineral wealth. The country commands the most important sea route between East and West, along which most of the West’s oil supplies are carried.

South Africa has always been strongly anti-communist, and during the past two decades has built up and equipped from its own resources a Defence Force which is acknowledged to be the most powerful on the African continent. Democracy has been substantially broadened at all levels of government. A new constitution was implemented in September 1984 which brought the Coloured and Indian minority communities into Parliament. The Government is also committed to democratic power sharing with Blacks, and have invited all leaders who disavow violence to join it in negotiations for a constitution that will give all communities an equitable say in government. Meanwhile, Blacks vote for their own local authorities (36 full-fledged municipalities and about 300 town committees) and also have a share in provincial government. Blacks may also vote in regular elections to constitute the governments of the six selfgoverning national states. This booklet provides concise information on the more important aspects of the Republic of South Africa, its peoples and their achievements. Further information is available from the Bureau for Information, Private Bag X745, Pretoria 0001, or the nearest South African diplomatic or consular mission.