lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; deforestation; soil erosion; land degradation; desertification; solid waste pollution; disruption of fragile ecosystem has resulted in significant floral extinctions
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
particulate matter emissions: 23.58 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 476.64 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 55.89 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal: 3.89 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 4.1 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 11.39 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
51.35 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights
agricultural land: 79.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 9.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 69.2% (2018 est.)
forest: 7.6% (2018 est.)
other: 13% (2018 est.)
coal revenues: 2.4% of GDP (2018 est.)
urban population: 67.8% of total population (2021)
rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
degree of risk: intermediate (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
note: widespread ongoing transmission of a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is occurring throughout South Africa; as of 6 June 2021, South Africa has reported a total of 2,302,304 cases of COVID-19 or 3,881.9 cumulative cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 population with 113.1 cumulative deaths per 100,000 population; as of 19 July 2021, 7.38% of the population has received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine
municipal solid waste generated annually: 18,457,232 tons (2011 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 5,168,025 tons (2011 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28% (2011 est.)
NOTE: The information regarding South Africa on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of South Africa 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about South Africa 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.
This page was last modified 16 Dec 23, Copyright © 2023 ITA all rights reserved.