Since the end of apartheid, government accountability and quality of life have substantially improved. South Africa has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Africa. It has been classified by the World Bank as a newly industrialised country and has the third-largest economy in Africa and the most industrialized, technologically advanced economy in Africa overall as well as the 33rd-largest in the world. It is a developing country, ranking 109th on the Human Development Index, the 2nd highest in Africa. South Africa is a middle power in international affairs it maintains significant regional influence and is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and the G20. South Africa is often referred to as the ' rainbow nation' to describe the country's multicultural diversity, especially in the wake of apartheid. Since 1994, all ethnic and linguistic groups have held political representation in the country's liberal democracy, which comprises a parliamentary republic and nine provinces. After a long and sometimes violent struggle by the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid activists both inside and outside the country, the repeal of discriminatory laws began in the mid-1980s. The National Party imposed apartheid in 1948, institutionalising previous racial segregation. During the 20th century, the black majority sought to claim more rights from the dominant white minority, which played a large role in the country's recent history and politics. However, the vast majority of Black South Africans were not enfranchised until 1994. The country is one of the few in Africa never to have had a coup d'état, and regular elections have been held for almost a century. The two next ones are of European origin: Afrikaans (13.5%) developed from Dutch and serves as the first language of most Coloured and White South Africans English (9.6%) reflects the legacy of British colonialism and is commonly used in public and commercial life. According to the 2011 census, the two most spoken first languages are Zulu (22.7%) and Xhosa (16.0%).

Its pluralistic makeup is reflected in the constitution's recognition of 11 official languages, the fourth-highest number in the world.

South Africa is a multiethnic society encompassing a wide variety of cultures, languages, and religions. The remaining population consists of Africa's largest communities of European ( White South Africans), Asian ( Indian South Africans and Chinese South Africans), and multiracial ( Coloured South Africans) ancestry. The largest city is Johannesburg.Ībout 80% of the population are Black South Africans. South Africa has three capital cities, with the executive, judicial and legislative branches of government based in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town respectively. With over 60 million people, the country is the world's 23rd-most populous nation and covers an area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles). South Africa is a biodiversity hotspot, with unique biomes, plant and animal life. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World, and the second-most populous country located entirely south of the equator, after Tanzania. It also completely enclaves the country Lesotho. It is bounded to the south by 2,798 kilometres (1,739 mi) of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans to the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe and to the east and northeast by Mozambique and Eswatini. South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa ( RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa.

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