GFmag Online Readers Survey 2012
South Africa


South Africa Country Report: GDP data and GDP forecasts; economic, financial and trade information; the best banks in South Africa; country and population overview

DATA ON GDP AND ECONOMIC INFORMATION
Central bankSouth African Reserve Bank
International ReservesUS$ 49.725 billion (Source: IMF; Data updated: November 2011)
Gross Domestic Product - GDPUS$ 383.124 billion (2010 estimate)
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity)548.333 billion of International dollars (2010 estimate)
Real GDP growth
20002001200220032004200520062007
4.2%2.7%3.7%2.9%4.6%5.3%5.6%5.5%
2008200920102011*
3.7%-1.7%2.8%3.5%

*Estimate

GDP per capita - current pricesUS$ 7,585 (2008 estimate)
GDP per capita - PPP$10,856 International Dollars (2008 estimate)
GDP (PPP) - share of world total
19801990200020102015**
1.01%0.86%0.7%0.71%0.7%

**Forecast

GDP - composition by sector
  • agriculture: 2.5% 
  • industry: 31.6% 
  • services: 65.9% (2011 estimate)

    • (Data released on February 2012)

Gross domestic expenditure on R&D (% of GDP)0.92% (2007)

(Data released on November 2010)

Inflation
2008200920102011*
11.5%(2008)7.1%4.3%4.9%

*Estimate

Unemployment rate
2008200920102011*
21.9%24.3%24.8%(2009)24.4%

*Estimate

Household saving ratesN/A

(Data released on November 2010)

Public debt (General government gross debt as a % of GDP)
20072008200920102011*
27.4%26.7%30.9%35.7%39.6%

*Estimate

Public deficit (General government net lending/borrowing as a % of GDP)
2007200820092010*2011**
1.1%-0.5%-5.2%-5.8%-4.5%

*Estimate    **Forecast

Government bond ratings

Standard & Poor's: BBB+/Negative/A-2

Moody's rating: A3

Moody's outlook: STA

(Foreign Currency Government Bond Ratings; Data last updated Nov 2010)

Market value of publicly traded shares
200720082009
US$833.548 billionUS$491.282 billionUS$704.822 billion
Largest companies in South AfricaStandard Bank Group (Major Banks), MTN Group (Telecommunications services), Sasol (Oil & Gas Operations), FirstRand (Major Banks), Sanlam (Life & Health Insurance), Bidvest Group (Conglomerates)
(2011)
DATA ON TRADE AND COMPETITIVENESS
Current account balanceUS$ -16.7 billion (2010 estimate)(After 2008)
Current account balance by percentage of GDP-4.4% of GDP (2010 estimate)(2009)
Exports as percent of GDP

(Exports of goods and services)

27.1% (2009)

(Data released on December 2010)

Shares in world total merchandising export0.54%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Shares in world total commercial services export0.37%(2007)

(Data were released in Nov 2011 and refer to 2010)

Total exportsUS$76.86 billion f.o.b. (2010 estimate)
Export commoditiesgold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment
Total importsUS$87.3 billion f.o.b. (2008 estimate)
Import commoditiesmachinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs
Exports - major partnersUS 11.9%, Japan 11.1%, Germany 8%, UK 7.7%, China 6.6%, Netherlands 4.5% (2007)
Imports - major partnersGermany 10.9%, China 10%, Spain 8.2%, US 7.2%, Japan 6.1%, UK 4.5%, Saudi Arabia 4.2% (2007)
FDI inflows
200820092010
US$9,006 millionUS$5,365 million(2009)US$1,553 million(2009)
FDI outflows
200820092010
US$-3,134 millionUS$1,151 millionUS$450 million
Value of cross-border M&A, by country of purchaser
2008200920102011
US$2,817 millionUS$1,491 million(2009)US$1,488 million(2009)US$3,316 million
Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2008

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Cross-border M&A deals worth over $3 billion completed in 2010

(Acquiring company, Acquired company, Country of the acquired company, Value of the deal)

N/A(2008 estimate)

(for a monthly update on M&A click here )

Best countries for doing business

World Bank/IFC Doing Business Project

(Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 – 183. A high ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.)

Overall ranking: 34 out of 183 countries(2009) (2010)

Subcategories:

Starting a business: 75 out of 183 countries(2009)

Registering property: 91 out of 183 countries

Paying Taxes: 24 out of 183 countries

Getting credit: 2 out of 183 countries

Protecting investors: 10 out of 183 countries

Trading across border: 149 out of 183 countries

Enforcing Contracts: 85 out of 183 countries

(2010)

Global competitiveness ranking
(ranking by country on a basis of 142, the first is the best)		50

(2011/2012)

Index of Economic Freedom

WSJ and Heritage Foundation

Ranking: 74 Score: 62.7 (Moderately Free) (2009)

(100=totally free 0=totally repressed )

COUNTRY AND POPULATION OVERVIEW
Time zoneUTC+2
Total area 1,221,037 km2 (2006)
CapitalPretoria (administrative capital) (2009)
Currencyrand (ZAR) (2009)
Government typerepublic (2009)
LanguagesIsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census)
ReligionsZion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census)
Total population
1980199020002010*2015**
29.14 million36.85 million44.52 million49.91 million52.98 million

*Estimate    **Forecast

Urban population as % of total population
1960198020002009
46.6%48.4%56.9%61.2%
Population median age24.0 years (2006)
Population growth rate1.1% (2009)
Life expectancy50 years (2007)
Adult literacy88% (2000/2007)
% of population living on less than $2 a day35.74% (2011)
Inequality of wealth distribution (Gini index)

67.4 (2006)

(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)

Freedom House rating

Political Rights:2
Civil Liberties:2 (2010)

(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free)

Total telephone subscribers as % of population

108.9% (2010)

(sum of fixed telephone lines and mobile cellular subscribers)

Internet users as % of total population12.3% (Data were released in 2011 and refer to 2010)
Cost of living index

(ranking by city on a basis of 214; the 1st is the most expensive and the 214th is the least expensive)

N/A

CO2 emissions
(Metric tons of CO2 per capita)

8.7759 (2008)

GLOBAL FINANCE RANKINGS AND AWARDS

WORLD'S BEST TREASURY & CASH MANAGEMENT BANKS & PROVIDERS

2012:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Standard Bank (Africa, 2012)
  • Best Provider of Money Market Funds Standard Bank (Africa, 2012)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Standard Bank (Africa, 2012)
2011:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Standard Bank (Africa, 2011)
  • Best Provider of Money Market Funds Standard Bank (Africa, 2011)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Standard Bank (Africa, 2011)
2010:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Standard Bank (Africa, 2010)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Standard Bank (Africa, 2010)
  • Best CLS-Linked Bank Offering Standard Bank (Africa, 2010)
2009:
  • Best Overall Bank for Cash Management Standard Bank (Africa, 2009)
  • Best Bank for Payments and Collections Standard Bank (Africa, 2009)
  • Best CLS-Linked Bank Offering Standard Bank (Africa, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST TRADE FINANCE BANKS & PROVIDERS

2012:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Standard Bank (Africa, 2012)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INTERNET BANKS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Consumer Internet Banks Absa Digital Channels (National, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS / Best Corporate / Institutional Internet Banks Citi (2009)

WORLD'S BEST ISLAMIC FINANCE INSTITUTIONS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Al Baraka Islamic Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Absa Islamic Banking (Non-GCC Middle East/Africa, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Absa Islamic Banking (National, 2011)
2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Absa Islamic Banking (Non-GCC Middle East/North Africa, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Absa Islamic Banking (Non-GCC Middle East/North Africa, 2009)

WORLD'S SAFEST BANKS

2011:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Absa Bank (Sub-Saharan Africa, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS FirstRand Bank (Sub-Saharan Africa, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Standard Bank (Sub-Saharan Africa, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Nedbank (Sub-Saharan Africa, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Investec (Sub-Saharan Africa, 2011)
  • OVERALL SAFEST Absa Bank (Global, 2011)

WORLD'S BEST EMERGING MARKET BANKS

2012:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST SUB CUSTODIANS

2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Standard Bank (Africa, 2010)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Nedbank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Nedbank (Africa, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Nedbank (National, 2009)

WORLD'S BEST INVESTMENT BANKS

2012:
  • Best Investment Bank Standard Bank (Africa, 2012)
  • Best Equity Bank Java Capital (Africa, 2012)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • Best Investment Bank Standard Bank (Africa, 2011)
  • Best Debt Bank Standard Bank (Africa, 2011)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • Best Investment Bank Standard Bank (Africa, 2009)
  • Best Debt Bank Standard Bank (Africa, 2009)
  • Best Investment Bank Standard Bank (Africa, 2009)
  • Best Debt Bank Standard Bank (Africa, 2009)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2009)
  • Best M&A Bank Rand Merchant Bank (2009)

CENTRAL BANKER REPORT CARD

2011:
2010:
2009:

WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS

2011:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Standard Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Absa Bank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Nedbank (Global, 2011)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST FirstRand Bank (Global, 2011)
2010:
  • BIGGEST BANKS IN AFRICA The Standard Bank of South Africa (Africa, 2010)
  • BIGGEST BANKS IN AFRICA Absa Bank (Africa, 2010)
  • BIGGEST BANKS IN AFRICA Nedbank (Africa, 2010)
  • BIGGEST BANKS IN AFRICA FirstRand Bank (Africa, 2010)
  • BIGGEST BANKS IN AFRICA Investec Bank (Africa, 2010)

TOP 200 EMERGING MARKETS BANKS

2010:
  • OVERALL BIGGEST The Standard Bank of South Africa (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Absa Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Nedbank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST FirstRand Bank (Global, 2010)
  • OVERALL BIGGEST Investec Bank (Global, 2010)

WORLD'S BEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE PROVIDERS

2012:
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Standard Bank (Africa, 2012)
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2012)
2011:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2011)
  • REGIONAL WINNERS Standard Bank (Africa, 2011)
2010:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2010)
2009:
  • COUNTRY WINNERS Standard Bank (National, 2009)
ARTICLES AND COUNTRIES REPORTS FROM GLOBAL FINANCE ARCHIVE