SOUTH AFRICA

Diversity is a key feature of South Africa, where 11 languages are recognised as official, where community leaders include rabbis and chieftains, rugby players and returned exiles, where traditional healers ply their trade around the corner from stockbrokers and where housing ranges from mud huts to palatial homes with swimming pools.

The diverse communities, however, have not had much representation for long.
Until 1994 South Africa was ruled by a white minority which considered itself superior, and which was so determined to hang onto power that it took activists most of last century before they succeeded in their fight to get rid of apartheid and extend democracy to the rest of the population.

• Capital City: Pretoria
  
• Population: 45 million (UN, 2003)
  
• Major languages: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans, Sesotho, Setswana, Xhosa and Zulu
  
• Major religion: Christianity, Islam, indigenous beliefs
  
• Life expectancy: 45 years (men), 51 years (women)
  
• Monetary unit: 1 Rand = 100 cents
  
• Main exports: Gold, diamonds, metals and minerals, machinery
  
• Average annual income: US $2,820 (World Bank, 2001)
  
• Internet domain: .za
  
• International dialling code: +27

THE MEDIA

Newspapers and magazines publish reports and comment critical of the government and the state-owned SABC is far more independent now than during the apartheid era.

• The Press
  
  • The Star - Johannesburg-based daily, the city's oldest newspaper
    
  • The Sowetan - Johannesburg-based tabloid; the country's biggest-selling daily
    
  • Beeld - largest Afrikaans daily
    
  • Mail and Guardian - upmarket weekly
    
  • Financial Mail - business weekly
    
  • Sunday Times - South Africa's oldest Sunday newspaper
    
    
    
• Television
  
  • SABC - the state broadcaster operates three national TV networks, two pay-TV channels and Bop TV
    
  • e.tv - free-to-air commercial network and SABC's main competitor
    
  • TV Africa - free-to-air pan-African network broadcasting to some 26 countries in English and French. Though based in South Africa, it does not broadcast to the country
    
    
    
• Radio
  
  • SABC - state broadcaster with 20 regional and national services in 11 languages, including: national English-language network SAfm; contemporary music station 5 FM; national Afrikaans station Radio Sonder Grense; national Zulu station Ukhozi FM; Sesotho station Lesedi FM
    
  • Channel Africa - SABC's external radio service, targeted at the entire continent
    
  • YFM - popular Johannesburg commercial R&B, soul and hip-hop station
    
  • 702 Talk Radio - Johannesburg commercial news and talk station

• News agency
  • South African Press Association (SAPA)