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Communications of South Africa

Telephones - main lines in use:4.729 million (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:33.96 million (2005)
Telephone system:general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:17 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations:556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:6 million (2000)
Internet country code:.za
Internet hosts:645,179 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):150 (2001)
Internet users:5.1 million (2005)

South Africa Quickstats

  • Population: 43,997,828
  • Area: 1,219,912 sq km
  • Density: 39 /km² (163rd)
  • GDP (total): $570.2 billion (18th)
  • GDP (per capita): $12,161 (57th)
  • Literacy: 86.4%

Languages of South Africa

Useful to know

  • Currency: South African rand (ZAR)
  • Dial code: +27

International Trade

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