About Africa

Population:
45,000,000

Location:
Southern Africa, bordered on the north by Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe.

Time Zone:
Six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time during Daylight Savings (April through October). All other times of the year, seven hours ahead of EST.

Government:
South Africa is a republic; the president serves as the head of state for a five-year term.

National Symbols:
The design of the South African flag shows the convergence of diverse elements within South African society taking the road ahead in unity. The colors are said to have different meanings for different people and have no universal symbolism attached to them. The national anthem is Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika (God Bless Africa).

Climate:
As South Africa is located in the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are opposite from those in America. Summer (October to March) is warm to hot with periods of rain. Winter season (April to September) is very cold and dry. August is known as the windy month in Harrismith; November through February is the rainy season.

Language:
There are eleven official languages including Zulu, Afrikaans, Sesotho, and English. Sesotho is the primary language spoken in our area of ministry.

Currency:
The currency in South Africa is the Rand. The exchange rate is constantly fluctuating, but is approximately R6 to $1 at present.

Challenges:
Although remarkable progress has been made since 1994, South Africa continues to face enormous challenges. Nearly half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line and unemployment rates are extremely high nation-wide. Economic inequality is among the highest in the world. Life expectancy of South Africans is currently 47 years. Despite a very pro-poor government housing policy, almost 10 million South Africans live in poverty housing. The HIV/AIDS crisis has mushroomed in recent years to infect nearly 1 in 4 people. More people are infected with HIV/AIDS in South Africa than in any other country in the world.