South Africa Missions

Missionaries serving:

Stan and Donna Armes

Dennis and Cindy Bennett

Bruce and Barbara Wannemacher

Capital

Pretoria (1,080,200, 1991 est.)

System of Government

Multiparty Republic

Area

1,221,042 Sq Km (471,447 Sq Mi) (twice the size of Texas)

Estimated 2000 Population

38,577,200

Geography

South Africa is located at the southern end of Africa. It is bound by Namibia to the northwest, Botswana to the north, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland to the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the east and southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest and west. South Africa contains a broad centrally depressed plateau and a continuous series of mountain ranges known as the Great Escarpment that ring the interior plateau.

Climate

South Africa has a temperate climate influenced by the warm current from Mozambique and the Indian Ocean to the east, and the cold current from the Atlantic Ocean on the west coast. Average temperature ranges in Cape Town are from 48 to 63 degrees Fahrenheit in July to 61 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit in February.

People

The population of South Africa is divided into four main ethnic groups. Black Africans account for 76% of the country’s population. The Whites are about 13% of the population, and Asians about 3%. The Coloreds, who are of mixed White and Black descent, account for 9% of the population.

Vital Statistics

Life Expectancy at Birth: 61.0 years male, 67.0 years female (1991). Infant Mortality Rate: 51.0 per 1,000 live births (1991). HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate: 19.94% (1999 est.).

Religions

South Africans are 68% Christian. Bantu Churches account for 22% of the population. Religious minorities include Hindus which account for 1%, Muslims 1% and Jews 1%.

Languages

The official languages are Afrikaans derived mostly from Dutch, English, Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi, Ndebele, Venda, Tsonga, and Sotho.

History

After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) moved north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1886 spurred immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted the British, but they were defeated in 1902 in the Boer War. The resulting Union of South Africa operated under a policy of apartheid – the separation of the races. In 1948 the National Party came to power. In the 1950’s they passed racial legislation that prohibited mixed marriages, categorized the nation’s racial groups, defined areas for ethnic groups to live, and prohibited sex between different ethnic groups. In 1955 the African National Congress demanded equal political rights, and in 1956 Nelson Mandela and other anti-apartheid leaders were arrested. Mandela was imprisoned for life. In 1961 South Africa became a republic and left the Commonwealth. In the 1970’s serious unrest escalated in protest of the discriminative policies of the government. In 1984 riots broke out which were violently repressed by security forces. In 1989 Prime Minister de Klerk was elected President, and he began social reforms so that U.N. sanctions imposed on South Africa because of apartheid would be lifted. In 1990 Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years. The 1990’s brought an end to apartheid politically and ushered in black majority rule. Despite the repeal of aparthed in 1991 and subsequent free elections in 1994, South Africa is spiralling downward into corruption and rampant crime, making it the most dangerous land in the world. Only the spread of the Gospel can end the legacy of violence, mistrust, and hatred that is pulling South Africa into despair.