Springbok (antelope), king protea flower; national colors: red, green, blue, yellow, black, white.
Title | "National Anthem of South Africa" |
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Lyric/music | Enoch SONTONGA and Cornelius Jacob LANGENHOVEN/Enoch SONTONGA and Marthinus LOURENS de Villiers |
Date of Independence | 31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 22 August 1934 (Status of the Union Act); 31 May 1961 (republic declared); 27 April 1994 (majority rule) |
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National holiday | Freedom Day, 27 April (1994) |
Legal system | mixed legal system of Roman-Dutch civil law, English common law, and customary law |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
Constitution | |
History | Several previous; latest drafted 8 May 1996, approved by the Constitutional Court 4 December 1996, effective 4 February 1997 |
Amendments | Proposed by the National Assembly of Parliament; passage of amendments affecting constitutional sections on human rights and freedoms, non-racism and non-sexism, supremacy of the constitution, suffrage, the multi-party system of democratic government, and amendment procedures requires at least 75% majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council of Provinces, and assent of the president of the republic; passage of amendments affecting the Bill of Rights, and those related to provincial boundaries, powers, and authorities requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, approval by at least six of the nine provinces represented in the National Council, and assent of the president; amended many times, last in 2020 |
Citizenship | |
Citizenship by birth | no |
Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of South Africa |
Dual citizenship recognized | yes, but requires prior permission of the government |
Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 year |
Executive Branch | |
Chief of state | President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024) |
Head of government | President Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (since 19 June 2024) |
Cabinet | Cabinet appointed by the president |
Elections/appointments | president indirectly elected by the National Assembly for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 May 2024 (next to be held in 2029) note - the president is both chief of state and head of government |
Election results | 2024: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed 2019: Matamela Cyril RAMAPHOSA (ANC) elected president by the National Assembly unopposed 2014: Jacob ZUMA (ANC) reelected president by the National Assembly unopposed
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Legislative branch | |
Description | Bicameral Parliament consists of: National Council of Provinces (90 seats; nine 10-member delegations, each with 6 permanent delegates and 4 special delegates, appointed by each of the 9 provincial legislatures to serve 5-year terms; note - the Council has special powers to protect regional interests, including safeguarding cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities) National Assembly (400 seats; half the members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies and half in a single nationwide constituency, both by proportional representation popular vote; members serve 5-year terms) |
Elections | National Council of Provinces and National Assembly - last held on 15 June 2024 (next to be held on 30 June 2029) |
Election results | National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - ANC 29, DA 13, EFF 9, FF+ 2, IFP 1; composition - men 30, women 24, percentage women 44.4%; note - 36 appointed seats not filled |
Judicial branch | |
Highest court(s) | Supreme Court of Appeals (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 21 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the chief and deputy chief justices and 9 judges) |
Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court of Appeals president and vice president appointed by the national president after consultation with the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), a 23-member body chaired by the chief justice and includes other judges and judicial executives, members of parliament, practicing lawyers and advocates, a teacher of law, and several members designated by the president of South Africa; other Supreme Court judges appointed by the national president on the advice of the JSC and hold office until discharged from active service by an Act of Parliament; Constitutional Court chief and deputy chief justices appointed by the president of South Africa after consultation with the JSC and with heads of the National Assembly; other Constitutional Court judges appointed by the national president after consultation with the chief justice and leaders of the National Assembly; Constitutional Court judges serve 12-year nonrenewable terms or until age 70 |
Subordinate courts | High Courts; Magistrates' Courts; labor courts; land claims courts |
Diplomatic representation in the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Ismail ESAU (since 3 May 2024) |
Chancery | 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
Telephone | [1] (240) 937-5760 |
FAX | [1] (202) 265-1607 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.saembassy.org/ |
Consulate(s) general | Los Angeles, New York |
Diplomatic representation from the US | |
Chief of mission | Ambassador Reuben E. BRIGETY II (since 11 August 2022) |
Embassy | 877 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria |
Mailing address | 9300 Pretoria Place, Washington DC 20521-9300 |
Telephone | [27] (12) 431-4000 |
FAX | [27] (12) 342-2299 |
Email address and website | [email protected] https://za.usembassy.gov/ |
Consulate(s) general | Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg |
National heritage | |
Total World Heritage Sites | 10 (5 cultural, 4 natural, 1 mixed) |
Selected World Heritage Site locales | Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa (c); iSimangaliso Wetland Park (n); Robben Island (c); Maloti-Drakensberg Park (m); Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape (c); Cape Floral Region Protected Areas (n); Vredefort Dome (n); Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape (c); Khomani Cultural Landscape (c); Barberton Makhonjwa Mountains (n) |
Want to know more about South Africa? Check all different factbooks for South Africa below.