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Do not fill this in! == Economy == {{Main|Economy of South Africa}} [[File:Johannesburg Stock Exchange.jpg|thumb|upright|left|The [[JSE Limited|Johannesburg Stock Exchange]] (JSE) is the largest [[stock exchange]] on the African continent and the [[List of stock exchanges|17th largest]] in the world with a [[market capitalization]] of $1.36 trillion<ref>{{Cite web |title=JSE Trading Hours & Market Holidays [2023] |url=https://www.tradinghours.com/markets/jse |access-date=2023-03-26 |website=www.tradinghours.com}}</ref>]] South Africa has a [[mixed economy]], South Africa's economy is the most industrialized and technologically advanced in Africa respectively,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=http://www.investsa.gov.za/ |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=InvestSA |language=en-US}}</ref> it has the [[List of African countries by GDP (nominal)|second largest]] economy in Africa, after Nigeria and the [[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|39th largest]] in the world. It also has a relatively high gross domestic product (GDP) per capita compared to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa US$16,080 at [[purchasing power parity]] as of 2023 ranked 95th. Despite this, South Africa is still burdened by a relatively high rate of poverty and unemployment and is ranked in the top ten countries in the world for [[Economic inequality|income inequality]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/161.html|title=Inequality in income or expenditure / Gini index, Human Development Report 2007/08|publisher=Hdrstats.undp.org|date=4 November 2010|access-date=26 June 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116234423/http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/indicators/161.html|archive-date=16 January 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2172.html|title=Distribution of family income – Gini index|publisher=Cia.gov|access-date=26 June 2013|archive-date=13 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613005439/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2172.html|url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iol.co.za/business/business-news/south-africa-has-widest-gap-between-rich-and-poor-1.707558|title=South Africa has highest gap between rich and poor|publisher=Business Report|date=28 September 2009|access-date=7 November 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023162404/http://www.iol.co.za/business/business-news/south-africa-has-widest-gap-between-rich-and-poor-1.707558|archive-date=23 October 2011 }}</ref> measured by the [[Gini coefficient]]. South Africa is ranked 40th by [[List of countries by total wealth|total Wealth]], making it the second wealthiest country in Africa, in terms of private wealth South Africa has a private wealth of $651 billion making South Africa's population the richest in Africa followed by [[Egypt]] with $307 billion and [[Nigeria]] with $228 billion.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-15 |title=South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria account for 56% of Africa's wealth |url=https://qz.com/three-countries-account-for-56-of-africa-s-wealth-1849538625 |access-date=2023-02-04 |website=Quartz |language=en}}</ref> Approximately 55.5% (30.3 million people) of the population is living in poverty at the national upper [[Poverty threshold|poverty line]] while a total of 13.8 million people (25% of the population) are experiencing food poverty.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://databankfiles.worldbank.org/public/ddpext_download/poverty/33EF03BB-9722-4AE2-ABC7-AA2972D68AFE/Global_POVEQ_ZAF.pdf|title=World bank : South Africa|accessdate=7 April 2023}}</ref> In 2015, 71% of net wealth are held by 10% of the population, whereas 60% of the population held only 7% of the net wealth, and the Gini coefficient was 0.63, whereas in 1996 it was 0.61.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/southafrica/overview|title=The World Bank In South Africa|access-date=17 May 2020|archive-date=28 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528020105/https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/southafrica/overview|url-status=live }}</ref> Unlike most of the world's poor countries, South Africa does not have a thriving [[informal economy]]. Only 15% of South African jobs are in the [[Informal economy|informal sector]], compared with around half in [[Economy of Brazil|Brazil]] and [[Economy of India|India]] and nearly three-quarters in [[Economy of Indonesia|Indonesia]]. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development ([[OECD]]) attributes this difference to South Africa's widespread welfare system.<ref name="economist1">{{cite news|title=South Africa's economy: How it could do even better.|url=https://www.economist.com/node/16647365|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=17 October 2011|date=22 July 2010|archive-date=12 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312021959/http://www.economist.com/node/16647365|url-status=live}}</ref> [[World Bank]] research shows that South Africa has one of the widest gaps between per capita GDP versus its [[Human Development Index]] ranking, with only Botswana showing a larger gap.<ref>{{cite web|title=DEPWeb: Beyond Economic Growth|url=http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/beyond/global/chapter15.html|publisher=The World Bank Group|access-date=17 October 2011|archive-date=6 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111106020301/http://www.worldbank.org/depweb/english/beyond/global/chapter15.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[File:Johannesburg Skyline.jpg|thumb|[[Johannesburg]], the financial capital of South Africa and the African continent<ref>{{Cite web |last=Oluwole |first=Victor |date=2022-04-14 |title=Top 10 wealthiest cities in Africa |url=https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/top-10-wealthiest-cities-in-africa/2l5l5t4 |access-date=2023-04-23 |website=Business Insider Africa |language=en}}</ref>]] After 1994, government policy brought down inflation, stabilised public finances, and some foreign capital was attracted; however, growth was still subpar.<ref name="assessment2008-2">{{cite web|url=http://www.oecd.org/document/63/0,3343,en_2649_34577_40981951_1_1_1_1,00.html|title=Economic Assessment of South Africa 2008: Achieving Accelerated and Shared Growth for South Africa|publisher=OECD|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809083550/http://www.oecd.org//document//63//0%2C3343%2Cen_2649_34577_40981951_1_1_1_1%2C00.html|archive-date= 9 August 2009 }}</ref> From 2004 onward, economic growth picked up significantly; both employment and [[capital formation]] increased.<ref name="assessment2008-2" /> During the presidency of [[Jacob Zuma]], the government increased the role of [[state-owned enterprise]]s (SOEs). Some of the biggest SOEs are [[Eskom]], the electric power monopoly, [[South African Airways]] (SAA), and [[Transnet]], the railroad and ports monopoly. Some of these SOEs have not been profitable, such as SAA, which has required bailouts totaling R30 billion (${{To USD|30|ZAF}} billion) over the 20 years preceding 2015.<ref>"Commanding Plights." ''The Economist'' 29 August 2015: 37–38. Print.</ref> Principal international trading partners of South Africa—besides other African countries—include Germany, the United States, China, Japan, the United Kingdom and Spain.<ref name=factbook>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-africa/|title=South Africa|website=The World Factbook|publisher=CIA|access-date=23 January 2021|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110042951/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/south-africa|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2020 [[Financial Secrecy Index]] ranked South Africa as the 58th safest [[tax haven]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Financial Secrecy Index 2020: Narrative Report on South Africa|url=https://fsi.taxjustice.net/PDF/SouthAfrica.pdf|access-date=28 February 2021|website=[[Financial Secrecy Index]]|archive-date=17 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417064406/https://fsi.taxjustice.net/PDF/SouthAfrica.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Agriculture in South Africa|South African agricultural industry]] contributes around 10% of formal employment, relatively low compared to other parts of Africa, as well as providing work for casual labourers and contributing around 2.6% of GDP for the nation.<ref name="HRW">{{cite book|title=Unequal protection the state response to violent crime on South African farms|year=2001|publisher=Human Rights Watch|isbn=978-1-56432-263-0|url=https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/safrica2/|access-date=4 December 2016|archive-date=1 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201151617/https://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/safrica2/|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to the [[arid]]ity of the land, only 13.5% can be used for crop production, and only 3% is considered high potential land.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mohamed|first=Najma|editor=Ben Cousins|title=At the Crossroads: Land and Agrarian Reform in South Africa Into the 21st Century|year=2000|publisher=Programme for Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS)|isbn=978-1-86808-467-8|chapter=Greening Land and Agrarian Reform: A Case for Sustainable Agriculture}}</ref> In August 2013, South Africa was ranked as the top African Country of the Future by ''[[fDi Intelligence]]'' based on the country's [[economic potential]], labour environment, cost-effectiveness, infrastructure, business friendliness, and [[foreign direct investment]] strategy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Middle-East-Africa/African-Countries-of-the-Future-2013-14|title=African Countries of the Future 2013/14|publisher=fDiIntelligence.com|access-date=4 December 2013|archive-date=11 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211072835/http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Middle-East-Africa/African-Countries-of-the-Future-2013-14|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Mining=== {{main|Mining in South Africa}} [[File:Platinum Mining.jpg|thumb|An aerial view of the [[Two Rivers mine]] in [[Steelpoort]], [[Limpopo]], owned by both African Rainbow Minerals and Impala Platinum holdings limited.]] South Africa has always been a mining powerhouse. Until 2006 South Africa was the [[List of countries by gold production|world's largest gold producer]] for almost a century, by the end of 2009 gold mining in South Africa had declined rapidly having produced 205 metric tons (mt) of gold in 2008 compared to 1,000 metric tons produced in 1970 (almost 80% of the world's mine supply at the time).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Decline of South African Gold Mining {{!}} E & MJ |url=https://www.e-mj.com/features/the-decline-of-south-african-gold-mining/ |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=www.e-mj.com}}</ref> Despite this, the country still has 6,000 tonnes of gold reserves<ref>{{Cite web |title=South African production: important but no longer globally significant |url=https://www.gold.org/goldhub/gold-focus/2019/06/south-african-production-important-no-longer-globally-significant |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=World Gold Council |date=18 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and is still number 5 in gold production and remains a cornucopia of mineral riches.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold Statistics and Information {{!}} U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/gold-statistics-and-information |access-date=2023-03-11 |website=www.usgs.gov}}</ref> South Africa is home to worlds deepest gold mine, [[Mponeng Gold Mine]], reaching nearly 4000m depth. <ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.harmony.co.za/operations/south-africa/underground/mponeng/ |access-date=2024-03-10 |website=www.harmony.co.za}}</ref>It is the world's largest producer<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/|title=USGS Minerals Information: Mineral Commodity Summaries|website=minerals.USGS.gov|access-date=4 January 2018|archive-date=7 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171207190225/https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/|url-status=live}}</ref> of [[Chromium|chrome]], [[manganese]], [[platinum]], [[vanadium]] and [[vermiculite]]. It is the second largest producer<ref name="auto"/> of [[ilmenite]], [[palladium]], [[rutile]] and [[zirconium]]. It is the world's third largest coal exporter.<ref name="platts.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.platts.com/Coal/highlights/2006/coalp_ee_091106.xml|title=''South Africa's coal future looks bright''|website=Platts.com|access-date=4 January 2018|archive-date=29 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329012315/http://www.platts.com/Coal/highlights/2006/coalp_ee_091106.xml|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a huge producer of iron ore; in 2012, it overtook India to become the world's third-biggest iron ore supplier to China, the world's largest consumers of iron ore.<ref name=mwsa>{{Citation | url = http://www.miningweekly.com/article/sa-replaces-india-as-chinas-no-3-iron-ore-supplier-2013-01-21 | title = SA replaces India as China's No 3 iron-ore supplier | year = 2013 | publisher = [[Mining Weekly]] | publication-place = International | access-date = 31 May 2021 | archive-date = 13 December 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201213113139/https://www.miningweekly.com/article/sa-replaces-india-as-chinas-no-3-iron-ore-supplier-2013-01-21 | url-status = live }}</ref> === Tourism === {{Excerpt|Tourism in South Africa}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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