Socio-economic situation of the country. The main directions of development of the economy of South Africa Conditions for the formation and development of South Africa

The content of the article

REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA, South Africa. State in southern Africa. Capital- Pretoria (1.9 million people - 2004). Territory- 1.219 million sq. km. Administrative-territorial division- 9 provinces. Population– 46.3 million people (2005). official languages- Afrikaans, English, Isizulu, Isikosa, Isindebele, Sesotho Saleboa, Sesotho, Setswana, Sivati, Tshivenda and Hitsong. Religions- Christianity, etc. Currency unit- rand. National holiday- April 27 - Freedom Day (1994). South Africa is a member of more than 50 international organizations, incl. UN since 1946, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of African Unity (OAU) since 1994, and since 2002 its successor - the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) since 1994, a member of the Commonwealth (an association of countries that were part of the British Empire) and others

The urban population is 64% (2004). Approx. 80% of the "white" population. Major cities are Cape Town (approx. 4 million people - 2005), Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg and Bloemfontein.

Among those who came to the country for permanent residence in con. 1990s - early. In the 2000s, there were many citizens of Zimbabwe, which in turn accepted refugees from South Africa during the years of the apartheid regime (in 2004, there were 2 million Zimbabweans in South Africa), Nigeria, China and the UK. According to the established tradition, labor migrants from Swaziland, Lesotho and Botswana come to South Africa to work in mines and farms (12 thousand people officially immigrate from Botswana annually to work in the mines, and about 30 thousand people work illegally in the manufacturing industry and farms).

There is a Russian diaspora, which includes both the descendants of Russian gold and diamond miners who came to South Africa in the 1870s and emigrants who left Russia after the 1917 revolution. There are also Russian entrepreneurs who immigrated to the country in 1990–2000.

Emigrants from South Africa live in Namibia and other African countries. There is a problem of the so-called. "brain drain". In 2003, more than 10,000 people emigrated from South Africa to the United States, European countries, Australia, and New Zealand, among whom were many medical workers (including about 200 experienced doctors), accountants, and teachers (about 700 people). ), as well as specialists in the field of information technology.

Since the 2000s, the gap between the number of emigrants and immigrants has been slowly narrowing.

Religions.

Complete freedom of religion is legally enshrined. More than 80% of the population are Christians (the majority are Protestants). The spread of Christianity began in mid. 17th century and is associated with the activities of European missionaries. In the city of Midrand, located not far from the capital, there is a church of St. Sergius of Radonezh (the first Russian church in South Africa). There are a number of Christian-African churches that arose in the 1880s on the basis of schismatic movements. Some Africans adhere to traditional African beliefs (animalism, fetishism, the cult of ancestors, the keepers of the hearth, the forces of nature, etc.). The Muslim community (the majority profess Sunni Islam) includes Cape Malays, Indians, people from northern Mozambique, and others. Among the Indian population there are also Ismaili Shiites. There is a Hindu community. Judaism is widespread, there are approx. 200 Jewish societies.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

State device.

Parliamentary republic. The constitution adopted in 1996 is in force. The head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is the president, who is elected during the first meeting of the National Assembly after the elections from among its deputies. The term of office of the president is 5 years, he can be elected to this post no more than two times. Legislative power is exercised by a bicameral parliament, which consists of the National Assembly (400 seats) and the National Council of Provinces (NCP, 90 seats). Deputies to the National Assembly are elected on the basis of proportional representation from the provinces for a 5-year term. The NSP performs the functions of the Senate and coordinates the activities of all regions. Composition of the NSP: 54 permanent representatives from the provinces (6 from each of the 9 provinces) and 36 alternate representatives (4 from each province).

Increasing racial discrimination.

Apartheid became the cornerstone of National Party politics. A law passed in 1949 forbade the marriage of whites to coloreds or Africans. The Population Registration Act of 1950 provided for the classification and registration of South Africans on a racial basis; "ethnic" zones - racial ghettos for Africans, coloreds and Indians, where they had the right to own property. The government secured constitutional amendments that changed the voting rights of the colored population of the Cape Province: now it could elect four white deputies to parliament. Declaring that, in accordance with the Statute of Westminster, it was no longer necessary to obtain the necessary two-thirds majority in Parliament, as provided for by the South Africa Act of 1910, which formed the basis of the South African constitution, in 1951 the government passed the Separate Vote Act by a simple majority. ". The ensuing constitutional crisis was overcome in 1955 by increasing the number of members of the Senate in such a way that the government could always count on the two-thirds of the votes it needed. The law "On Bantu Self-Government" adopted in 1959 provided for the creation of new political institutions on the territory of South Africa - bantustans (the first of them, the Transkei, was created in 1963). The law provided that in 1960 the representation of the African population in the lower house of parliament by three white deputies would be abolished. In the 1960s, the process of separating the population along racial lines and Africans along linguistic lines continued. Legislative acts passed in 1963-1964 regulated living and working in "white" areas. In accordance with the new legislation of 1968, the colored population of the Cape Province was deprived of the right to elect four white deputies to parliament.

In order to further strengthen the apartheid system, the Public Safety Act, better known as the "sabotage" law, was passed in 1962. Under this law, anyone who committed a criminal act, from a common offense to murder, or who attempted to "implement or encourage social or economic change" in the country, could be sentenced without trial to imprisonment and even the death penalty. The Law on Subversive Activities, passed in 1967, provided for the detention of people without a warrant for arrest, solitary confinement, detention indefinitely, a general trial of people who committed various types of crimes, and the sentencing of a group of people for illegal actions of one person in certain situations. Under a law of 1969, a State Security Administration was created in South Africa, whose activities could be controlled only by a minister specially appointed by the president. A law was also passed prohibiting the dissemination of information harmful to national security.

The position of the Asian population.

The government of the National Party abolished the existing system of immigration, according to which in 1948-1950 more than 40 thousand British subjects entered the country. In 1949, from 18 months to five years, the period was extended until the expiration of which emigrants from the countries of the Commonwealth, led by Great Britain, did not receive voting rights. Since many Afrikaners did not want to bother with the study in English, the system of education in two languages ​​was abolished in educational institutions. In 1961 South Africa withdrew from the Commonwealth and proclaimed itself the Republic of South Africa, thereby avoiding sharp criticism from the Asian and African members of the Commonwealth.

For a long time it was believed that the Indian population, concentrated mainly in the province of Natal and to a much lesser extent in the Transvaal, could not be assimilated. The South African government has developed a whole system of incentives to encourage Indians to leave the country. But many Indians prospered in their new homeland and began to acquire property, which caused growing concern among the white population of Natal. In 1940 and 1943, commissions of inquiry into the "penetration" of Indians into the country worked, and in 1943 the rights of Indians to own property in South Africa were curtailed. Under the law of 1946, areas of the country were established where immigrants from India had the right to own property. After 1950, under the Group Settlement Act, many Indians were forcibly relocated to areas designated for them.

Non-White Organizations.

Before the nationalists came to power in 1948 and in subsequent years, the activities of organizations of the non-white population that professed non-violent methods of struggle did not have much influence on the political life of the country. The African National Congress (ANC), established in 1912, became the leading organization of the African population. Until 1960, it adhered to nonviolent methods of opposing the regime of the white minority.

Efforts were made to create trade unions for African workers. However, the Union of Industrial and Trade Workers, created in 1917, and the South African Federation of Trade Unions, which arose in 1928, lost their influence by the early 1930s.

For many years, the main spokesman for the interests of the colored population was the African Political Organization, founded in 1902 (later it renamed itself the African People's Organization). In 1909-1910, she unsuccessfully tried to extend the voting rights enjoyed by the colored population of the Cape Province to the colored northern provinces. In 1944, the National Union of Colored People was formed, which called for cooperation with the white authorities rather than with the African majority of the South African population.

In 1884, Gandhi, who lived in South Africa, created the Indian Congress of Natal, which in 1920 merged into the South African Indian Congress (SIC). It was the Indians who introduced the methods of non-violent resistance into the political struggle. During the Second World War, the YIC moved to more decisive action and began to advocate for the unity of non-white forces, which ultimately led to the unification of the efforts of the YIC and the ANC.

In 1952, a campaign of non-violent action began against discriminatory laws, during which 10,000 Africans were arrested. The government brutally suppressed non-white protests. In March 1960, the radical Pan-African Congress (PAC), created in 1959, organized a mass demonstration in Sharpeville, which was dispersed by the police, and 67 demonstrators were killed. After that, the government banned the activities of the ANC and PAK, which abandoned non-violent methods of struggle and went underground.

In the 1960s and early 1970s, South Africa experienced a period of economic prosperity. The government ensured the internal security of the country by strengthening the police forces and modernizing and increasing the size of the army.

African performances. After the fall of the Portuguese colonial empire in Africa in the mid-1970s ruling regime South Africa is facing a serious threat. In 1974-1975, the national liberation struggle in Mozambique ended with the coming to power of left-wing Africans, who provided political asylum to partisans who fought against the white minority regime in Southern Rhodesia (modern Zimbabwe). The South African Police provided assistance to the Southern Rhodesian government. In Angola, after the departure of the Portuguese began Civil War between rival factions that waged an armed anti-colonial struggle. South Africa provided assistance to the one supported by the United States. However, the victory in 1976 was won by a group that enjoyed the support of the USSR and Cuba. Thus, a regime hostile to South Africa became a neighbor of South West Africa (modern Namibia). The national liberation movement also covered a significant part of the territory of Namibia itself. South Africa unsuccessfully tried to create a multi-racial independent government in this country, which should not include figures of the national liberation movement, and in 1990 South African troops were withdrawn from Namibia.

On June 16, 1976, race riots swept South Africa itself. On this day, students in the black Johannesburg suburb of Soweto, where approx. 2 million people demanded the abolition of Afrikaans as a compulsory language in schools. The police opened fire on the students, after which the riots spread throughout Soweto. Although the government made concessions to students, protests against the apartheid regime continued among the urban African population until the end of 1976. More than 600 Africans were killed in the suppression of the riots.

In the 1970s - early 1980s, ca. 3.5 million Africans were forcibly evicted to the territory of bantustans created on an ethnic basis. On October 26, 1976, the South African government announced the granting of "independence" to the Transkei bantustan, December 6, 1977 - Bophutthatswana, September 13, 1979 - Wende and December 4, 1981 - Ciskei. Millions of Africans who lived in the Bantustans and were assigned to them were deprived of their South African citizenship.

In 1977, one of the leaders of the African movement, Stephen Biko, was killed in police dungeons. In the same year, the South African authorities banned almost all organizations that opposed the policy of apartheid. Against this background, the number of acts of sabotage by the ANC against state-owned enterprises and institutions has increased. In June 1980 there were riots in Cape Town, during which more than 40 people were killed.

New constitution.

In 1983, Prime Minister P.V. Botha made a proposal to amend the constitution, which provided for some participation of the colored and Asian population in government. Despite stubborn resistance from the most conservative elements of the white population and opposition from the Africans, the proposed constitutional changes received the support of the majority of the white population in a referendum held in November 1983. On September 3, 1984, a new constitution came into force, according to which President Botha also became the head of the executive branch and a tricameral parliament was created (representatives of whites, coloreds and Indians). The majority of the colored and Indian population considered the reforms insufficient and refused to participate in the elections.

The armed struggle of the ANC against the apartheid regime continued. A new generation of African and colored youth rioted in the streets, clashed with the police and attacked those Africans who collaborated with the white minority regime. Demonstrations were banned, but the funeral of the Africans killed by the bullets of the police turned into thousands of rallies. Forces opposed to the regime demanded the release of ANC leader Nelson Mandela from prison.

Strengthening the struggle against the apartheid regime.

In the context of ongoing unrest, local authorities in African settlements practically ceased to function, and young ANC activists began to create new self-government bodies. In July 1985, the government introduced a state of emergency in a large part of the country. By the end of November of that year, over 16,000 Africans had been arrested. Many of those who were subsequently released spoke about the use of torture in the dungeons.

In the summer of 1985, South Africa faced serious financial difficulties. The country's external debt reached $24 billion, of which $14 billion were short-term trade credits that had to be renewed periodically. As the fight against the racist regime in South Africa intensified, foreign banks refused to provide short-term loans. In September, the South African government announced a freeze on foreign debt repayments.

By intensifying the struggle against the opposition, the South African government tried to create the appearance of reforming the apartheid system. In April 1986, the pass laws for Africans were repealed, but the replacement of passes with identity cards made little difference. In March, the state of emergency was lifted, but already in June, law enforcement measures were tightened throughout the country. Many thousands of Africans were thrown into prison.

Real power in South Africa increasingly passed into the hands of the command of the country's armed forces. In May 1986, South African commandos attacked ANC bases in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. Between September 1984 and August 1986, more than 2.1 thousand people were killed in South Africa itself, almost all of them were Africans.

On the way to reforms.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, South Africa embarked on a path of gradual abandonment of the apartheid policy. This course of the government was largely forced: the country's economic situation has deteriorated significantly, not least because of the economic sanctions undertaken by the EU, the US and other countries in order to put pressure on the South African authorities. In addition, private foreign companies and creditors began to wind down their activities in South Africa, fearing further destabilization. Despite state repression and strict media censorship, the resistance of the African population to the racist regime has steadily increased.

In early 1989, P.V. Botha suffered a stroke, and instead of him, the leader of the party's branch in the Transvaal, Frederick W. de Klerk, became the leader of the National Party and the president of the country. During his election campaign on the eve of the 1989 parliamentary elections, de Klerk put forward a five-year plan to dismantle the apartheid system, which, however, did not provide for the transfer of power to the African majority. The National Party won the parliamentary elections, but the far-right Conservative Party received a large number of votes.

Changes in public policy began almost immediately after the elections. In September, one of the leaders of the ANC, Walter Sisulu, was released from prison, and racial segregation on the beaches and in some places where the white population lived was eliminated in November. In February 1990, the government lifted the ban on the activities of the ANC, and Nelson Mandela was released from prison. In May, at meetings of President F.V. de Klerk with the delegation of the ANC, headed by N. Mandela, an agreement was reached on the terms of negotiations on a new constitution. As a gesture of goodwill, the government lifted the state of emergency throughout the country, except for Natal, and the ANC suspended hostilities.

In 1991, the government allowed the ANC fighters who were in Zambia to return to their homeland and released all political prisoners. Two main racist laws were repealed - "On the registration of the population" and "On resettlement in groups." Some states, including the US, Japan, Canada and India, have responded to these moves by easing economic sanctions against South Africa. After a 21-year excommunication from the international Olympic movement, South Africa was allowed to participate in the 1992 Olympic Games.

In the second half of 1991, the facts of secret government financing of the Inkata movement, a predominantly Zulu organization led by chief Mangosutu Buthelezi, became public. Part of the funds was directed to organizing rallies of this organization, which the white authorities intended to turn into a reliable counterbalance to the more radical ANC and PAK. The government also financed the covert training by South African troops of Inkata militants, many of whom subsequently participated in attacks on the population of African townships that supported the ANC. It was believed that Inkata supporters living in workers' dormitories in the 1980s and early 1990s were responsible for the numerous bloody clashes that swept through the black townships.

Transition to multiracial democracy.

In December 1991, the first meeting of the Convention for a Democratic South Africa (CODESA), a forum created by de Klerk and N. Mandela to discuss a new constitution and the country's transition to a multiracial democratic society, took place. The Convention was criticized by whites who advocated the maintenance of apartheid, as well as by militant African organizations such as the PAC, which refused to participate in the negotiations. Nevertheless, in a white referendum held on March 18, 1992, de Klerk's efforts to restructure the country's political system were supported 2:1.

Negotiations within the framework of CODESA were almost disrupted in June 1992, when representatives of the ANC and some other African organizations declared that it was impossible to continue work. This demarche was prompted by the fact that the supporters of Inkatha, with the approval or even with the active participation of the police, killed at least 45 residents of one of the black townships near Johannesburg. Three months later, during a demonstration in the bantustan of Ciskei against the local military ruler, 35 ANC supporters fell at the hands of soldiers. The escalation of political violence forced F.V. de Klerk and N. Mandela meet at the end of September; during this meeting, the leader of the ANC agreed to continue negotiations within the framework of CODESA. A protocol was signed providing that a new constitution would be drafted by an elected constitutional assembly and that a multi-racial transitional government should be formed following the elections. The Inkata Movement, now known as the Inkata Freedom Party (FSI), opposed this agreement, and in December 1992 Chief Buthelezi published a draft constitution for the future state of the ethnic Bantustan of KwaZulu and the province of Natal. The conservative wing of the Afrikaners reacted to the agreement by creating a secret committee to mobilize the discontented white population to fight the reforms. The ultimate goal of the conspirators was to create, if necessary, a separate Afrikaner state.

Negotiations between the ANC and the de Klerk government continued in 1993 against the backdrop of an ongoing bloody terror against the ANC by the Inkata militants, who enjoyed the support and protection of the South African security forces, who continued their habitual practice of carrying out terrorist acts at the hands of their African agents. Supporters of the ANC and PAK responded to killings with killings. On April 10, 1993, the Secretary General of the South African Communist Party, Chris Hani, died at the hands of a white extremist. Several members of the Conservative Party took part in the conspiracy, and three of them were later convicted and imprisoned.

In November 1993, 19 CODESA members approved a draft provisional constitution, which was ratified in December by the South African Parliament, thereby voting for self-dissolution.

Now, no terrorist actions and provocations on the part of Afrikaner extremists and PSI militants could prevent changes in the life of the country. In March 1994, the population of the Bantustans of Ciskei and Bophutthatswana overthrew their rulers, and the provisional government of South Africa took over the administration of these territories. In the same month, a state of emergency was declared in Natal, where the PSI called for a boycott of the elections and again turned to violent tactics. However, at the last minute, the PSI leadership nevertheless decided to participate in the elections, which took place on 26-29 April. On April 27, 1994, an interim constitution came into force, and South Africa became a multiracial democracy.

The ANC came to power with the support of an absolute majority of voters - 63%, while 20% voted for the National Party, and 10% for the Inkata Freedom Party. The remaining political parties failed to overcome the 5% barrier required to include their representatives in the government. As a result, the coalition government of national unity, which was supposed to lead the country for the next five years, was formed from representatives of the ANC, the National Party and the Inkata Freedom Party.

On May 9, 1994, the National Assembly elected Nelson Mandela President of South Africa. The outstanding personal qualities of the new president played a decisive role in maintaining stability in the country during the transition period.

In November 1995, local elections were held throughout the country, with the exception of KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Town, again ending in a landslide victory for the ANC, which received the support of 64% of the voters, while the National Party - 16% and the Inkata Freedom Party - 0.4%.

Having repeatedly expressed disagreement with the policy of the ANC, the National Party in July 1996 withdrew from the government of national unity, becoming the largest opposition force. One of the reasons for the conflict between the parties was the fact that the draft of the new constitution did not provide for the preservation of a coalition government after 1999. The Inkata Freedom Party made claims to the ANC about certain provisions of the constitution. This party wanted the main document of the country to more firmly enshrine the principles of federalism and, in protest, boycotted the meetings of the Constitutional Assembly. The Freedom Front also expressed its dissatisfaction, which insisted on mentioning the Volkstaat (People's State of the Boers) in the text of the constitution. Nevertheless, the Constitutional Assembly in October 1996 approved a new constitution for South Africa, which came into force on February 4, 1997.

In late 1998, the Truth Restoration and Reconciliation Commission published its final report on the results of its activities, which contained accusations against the National Party, as well as the ANC and other political organizations, of massive violations of human rights during the apartheid period. Although accusations were made against some members of his own party, Nelson Mandela supported this document.

During 1998, South Africa was preparing for the second democratic elections scheduled for May 1999. In 1997, the leader of the African National Congress, and in 1998, the probable successor to Mandela and Vice President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, became the de facto leader of the country. The National and Democratic parties gradually lost their political positions, and the Inkatha Freedom Party continued to cooperate with the ANC in the coalition government of national unity. Trade unions became increasingly disillusioned with the government's policy of creating a market economy in the country and with Mbeki's approach to social and economic problems. Throughout 1998, South Africa continued to move extremely slowly towards achieving its goals - economic growth and a fair reorganization of society. GDP growth was less than 2% per year, while the population increased, access to education became more difficult, and medical care for the population deteriorated.

In the parliamentary elections held on June 2, 1999, the ANC won a landslide victory with 66% of the vote. The second place was taken by the Democratic Party (10% of the vote), the third place was taken by the Inkata Freedom Party.

On June 16, 57-year-old Thabo Mbeki, a friend and colleague of N. Mandela, officially took office as President of South Africa.

The new President Mbeki continued the course of his predecessor's government. The government's political and social base was expanded to include members of opposition parties representing all racial and ethnic groups in the country.

At the turn of the 21st century the key element of the foreign and domestic policy of South Africa has become the concept of "African renaissance". It was put forward by President Mbeki in May 1996 at a meeting of parliament dedicated to the adoption of the constitution, as a new "national idea" that determined the role and place of South Africa in Africa. The concept of "African renaissance" was officially announced by him at a conference on attracting capital to Africa (Virginia, 1997). Mbeki, together with Algerian President A. Bouteflika and Nigerian President O. Obasanjo, became one of the authors of The Millennium Partnership for the African Recovery Program (MAP), put forward at the OAU summit in 1999. In October 2001 in Abuja (Nigeria) at the first meeting of the Committee for the implementation of the program (by that time the so-called Omega Plan of the President of Senegal A. Wada had been integrated into it), the document was amended, and it was approved called the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). The secretariat of the committee was located in Midrand (a suburb of Pretoria). At the first summit of the African Union (AU), held in Durban on July 9-10, 2002, NEPAD was declared its operational economic program. Mbeki was elected Chairman of the AC.

South Africa in the 21st century

In the beginning. The 2000s saw the growth of the South African economy, which was driven by high prices for minerals, active inflow of capital investments and increased consumer demand, which in turn led to an increase in imports and a strengthening of the national currency. In 2004, government revenue from privatization was $2 million.

In the general elections held on April 14, 2004, the ruling ANC party won a landslide victory with 69.68 votes. She won 279 seats in the National Assembly. In addition, the Democratic Alliance, DA (50), Inkata Freedom Party (28) and the United Democratic Movement, UDM (9) received seats in parliament. 131 MPs are women. Women have also been appointed to the positions of chairperson and speaker of parliament.

In May 2005, celebrations were held in Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban to mark the 60th anniversary of victory in World War II. (334 thousand volunteers from South Africa fought in parts of the British army in Italy, in North and East Africa). On June 26, 2005, the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter, which became the basis of the 1996 constitution, was widely celebrated. In October 2005, Mbeki participated in the regular AU summit (Abuja, Nigeria), dedicated to the problem of forming a unified government for the African continent.

In 2005, GDP amounted to 527.4 billion US dollars, its growth is 5%. In the same year, investments amounted to 17.9% of GDP, while inflation was 4.6%. The strengthening of the rand in 2003-2005 led to a decrease in exports (in 2005, the foreign trade deficit reached its highest level in the last 22 years - 4.7% of GDP) and job cuts. Unemployment in 2005 was 27.8%. The appreciation of the national currency also led to a decrease in income in the mining industry. The income gap between different segments of the population has widened. The share of the middle class in 2004 was 7.8% (in 1994 - 3.3%). More than 50% of the 7.5 thousand dollar millionaires in Africa are South Africans.

The government's economic policy is aimed at further liberalizing the economy, attracting foreign investment, and fighting poverty. In 2005, a special fund of 42 billion rand was created to provide loans to low-income South Africans for housing construction.

The Africanization policy is being actively pursued not only in relation to changing the racial composition of legislative and executive bodies, but also in the economic sphere - black businessmen are increasingly heading private companies and banks, white citizens are being squeezed out of some areas of business (for example, taxi services). According to the official statement of the authorities, in March 2006, in order to accelerate the progress of land reform, a large-scale confiscation of the lands of white farmers, with whom the authorities could not agree on compensation in a timely manner, will begin. The first such confiscation took place in October 2005.

The government is trying to develop a set of measures to eliminate unemployment and fight crime. In April 2005, a law on combating terrorism was adopted.

On June 14, 2005, ANC Deputy President Jacob Zuma, who was considered the main candidate to succeed the head of state, was fired after a case was filed against him for involvement in corruption. According to the decision of the General Council of the ANC, he nevertheless remained in the post of deputy president of the party. In the apparatus of the ruling party, the struggle intensified over the election of a new leader of the ANC at the congress, which is scheduled for 2007. In early February 2006, President Mbeki announced that he did not intend to amend the constitution in order to be able to run for president again at elections in 2009. The question of a successor, in his opinion, will be decided at the party congress in 2007. Around the same time, Zuma was brought to trial on charges of raping a woman who was a close friend of his family. Zuma's supporters say the campaign against him is political.

In November 2005, a new Anti-Corruption Commission was established. As part of the campaign against corruption in 2004-2005, 66 officials of the Ministry of the Interior of South Africa were fired. In early February 2006, a new political scandal began, in the center of which was the new deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. She was accused of embezzlement of public funds (approx. 100 thousand US dollars), which she used to travel with family and friends to the UAE (December 2005) on a government aircraft. President Mbeki spoke in defense of the accused.

Lyubov Prokopenko

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In 1652, the Dutch East India Company established a settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, at the southern tip of Africa. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. the new colony was replenished by immigrants from the Netherlands, Germany and France. The colonists actively imported slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar.
In 1806, this territory came under the control of Great Britain. The British built new forts as they moved east and encouraged the arrival of new settlers. When slavery was banned in 1833, many colonists of Dutch origin - the Boers - moved inland, where they founded the Republic of Natal (1839), the Transvaal Republic (1852) and the Orange Republic (1854). In a new place, the Boers conquered the local tribes and forced them to work on farms.
Until diamonds were discovered in the northern part of the Cape Colony in 1867, and gold in the Witwatersrand mountains in 1886, the Boers subsisted on agriculture. With the discovery of the treasures of the subsoil of South Africa, new settlers poured into these parts, mainly the British, who soon demanded that they be recognized as civil rights, with which the Boers did not agree. First Boer War 1880-1881 ended with the victory of the Boers. But the Second - 1899-1902. has already brought the victory of Great Britain: under its authority was the entire territory of southern Africa. In 1910, the Union of South Africa was created as a dominion of the British Empire from the territories of the former Boer republics. In 1961, South Africa became an independent country of South Africa - the Republic of South Africa.
The policy of apartheid, that is, racial segregation, in South Africa-South Africa was enshrined in law and was carried out from 1948 to 1994, when general democratic elections were held and apartheid was abolished. Until that time, Africans and the so-called colored population of South Africa were deprived of basic civil rights.
The modern mining industry, actively developing the riches of the subsoil of Africa, efficient agriculture, the developed resort and tourism industry, all this was controlled by the white minority. The native population and descendants of imported slaves lived and worked under tight control, with a system of passes and restrictions on free movement.
By the beginning of the 90s. 20th century external pressure on South Africa had a serious impact on the economy - the sanctions imposed by the international community led to large losses in foreign trade, many foreign companies began to curtail their activities in South Africa.
After the abolition of apartheid, economic growth was observed - for example, South African wine became an internationally recognized brand, and high prices for raw materials at the beginning of the 21st century also helped. The new government created many benefits for native Africans, which led to the emergence of a considerable number of rich people among them. Whites from some areas of business began to be actively ousted, for example, from the taxi service or farming.

After the end of apartheid, border control was lost. Today, according to various sources, up to 5 million illegal migrants from neighboring countries live in South Africa - for example, from Zimbabwe, where the standard of living after the expulsion of whites became the lowest in the world, Angola, Mozambique. This creates enormous difficulties as the growth of crime and unemployment, which covers a third of the working population. In 2008, there were pogroms in migrant neighborhoods in South Africa; black citizens of South Africa killed and beat up illegal immigrants. The President of the country had to authorize the participation of the army in the suppression of unrest.

There is no doubt that South Africa is the most economically developed country in Africa today. But its successes are impressive only in comparison with how things are going with its neighbors on the continent. In comparison, for example, with Latin America, South Africa is clearly losing, both in terms of GDP per capita and in other indicators, such as the human development index or , for example, life expectancy (it is only 49 years in South Africa), or infant mortality.
The main wealth of South Africa is minerals. According to the US Geological Survey, South Africa ranks first in the list of the richest countries in the world with mineral resources, the value of ore reserves in this country is more than $2.5 trillion. The basis of the South African economy is mining and processing.
The main income comes from gold, 15% of the world's production of this precious metal is carried out here. 40% of the world's diamond production is controlled by De Beers. The level of platinum production in South Africa is estimated at about 85% of the world, palladium at 30%. Many other valuable metals are also mined, as well as coal, from which even gasoline is made. Since there is no oil in South Africa.
Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, the production of manganese, chromium, and the refining of platinum and gold have also long been developed in South Africa. However, all high-tech industries in last years are experiencing a shortage of highly qualified personnel. According to various sources, in 1994-2004. Between one million and one and a half million skilled workers, mostly members of the white minority, left South Africa, and this trend continues. Moreover, many are willingly accepted by such countries as Canada, Australia, the USA and Great Britain.
The policy of supporting the indigenous population, pursued by the South African government, makes it preferable when hiring native Africans, gives them benefits for doing business, etc. This often leads to the fact that incompetent people get into management, because the level of education among Africans is extremely low.
It got to the point that the Chinese community demanded in 2008 that the Chinese be recognized as "black". The Chinese Association of South Africa has filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court that the Chinese are being discriminated against because they are perceived as "white" by Africans. And the Supreme Court decided to recognize the Chinese as "black."
If we take into account that there are many contradictions between different nationalities living in South Africa, it becomes clear that modern relative economic well-being is under threat. If white professionals still in South Africa continue to emigrate en masse, the industry may simply not be able to resist.
A special problem that hinders the development of tourism in South Africa, which has excellent natural opportunities, is crime. Even during the World Cup, which was held in the summer of 2010 in South Africa, for the first time on the African continent, the country's government, despite the enormous costs of 100 million euros, failed to ensure the safety of the championship guests.
Players, journalists, and fans suffered from robberies, theft and robbery. Considering that the prices for tourist services in South Africa are very high, then before security issues are resolved, it is unlikely that the South African tourism industry will experience a period of rapid growth. Of particular concern is the fact that almost 30% of the population in South Africa has AIDS, and this is already affecting the country's economy.

general information

Official name: Republic of South Africa.

Form of government: parliamentary republic.

Administrative-territorial division: 3 provinces.
Capitals: (administrative), 2,345,908 people (2007), Cape Town (legislative), 3,497,097 (2007), Bloemfontein (judicial), 463,064 (2009).

Languages: English, Afrikaans, Venda, Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swati, Northern Sotho, Sesotho, Tswana, Tsonga.

Religions: adherents of the Zion churches - 10%, Pentecostals - 7.5%, Catholics - 6.5%, Methodists - 6.8%, Dutch Reformed - 6.7%, Anglicans - 3.8%, Christians of other denominations - 36 %, Muslims - 1.3%, adherents of other religions - 2.3%, undecided - 4%, atheists - 15.1%.

Currency unit: South African rand.

Largest cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Soweto.

Main seaports: Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London.

The most important airports: Jan Smuts Airport (Johannesburg), Louis Botha Airport (Durban), D.F. Malana (Cape Town).

Major rivers: Orange, Limpopo.

Largest lake: Saint Lucia.

Neighbouring countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe.

Numbers

Area: 1,221,037 km2.

Population: 49,991,300 (2010).

Population density: 40.9 people / km 2.

Economically active population: 18 000 000 people
Employment by sector: 65% - service sector 26% - industry, 9% - agriculture (2008).

Agriculture: Africa's leading fishery, 4th in the world in goat wool shearing, 8th in the world in wine production; one of the leading fruit exporters; production of sugar cane, cotton, corn, sunflower; developed animal husbandry.

Service sector: tourism.

Economy features: shortage of qualified labor force, outflow of qualified personnel, high crime and unemployment rates, large number of illegal migrants.

Curious facts

■ History has preserved the date of appearance of the first wine in South Africa - in 1659 the Dutchman Jan van Riebeeck made an entry in the ship's log that the vineyards produced the first wine. Today, South Africa is one of the leading wine producers in the world, and the most famous local grape variety is Pinotage.
■ The record for gold production was set in South Africa in 1970. At that time, 1,000 tons were mined.
■ White farmers, who have been oppressed in recent years in South Africa (according to various sources, from 1,200 to 3,000 people died), are moving to other African countries. So, they have already turned Mozambique into a solid supplier of bananas, and in Zambia they have established the production of corn, after which the country began to provide itself with this product. In 2009, the Congolese authorities announced a program to invite farmers from South Africa.

Description

The Republic of South Africa is a state located at the southern tip of the African continent. In the north it borders on Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, in the northeast on Mozambique and Swaziland. The state of Lesotho is completely surrounded by the territory of South Africa. South Africa is one of the most developed countries on the African continent. The country has rich mineral resources, and is also the most economically developed on the continent and has a relatively strong global position. Thanks to the mining of diamonds and gold, the South African economy is flourishing, and infrastructure and services are at a fairly high level. Today, South Africa is one of the most promising markets among all third world countries. South Africa is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in Africa, and has the largest proportion of white, Indian and mixed populations on the continent. The object of study of the course work is the regional economy of South Africa.

Introduction……………………..……………………………........................... .......3
Chapter 1. General characteristics, characteristics of the resources and population of South Africa
1.1 "Business card"……………………….………………………………..4
1.2 Form of the State……………………………………………………………..5
1.3 Economic and geographical position of the country....................................................6
1.4 Economic assessment of natural conditions and resources………………….6
1.5 Population geography……………………………………………………….8
Chapter 2. Economic characteristics of South Africa
2.1 General characteristics of the economic complex of the country……..……..12
2.2 Geography of means of communication and transport……………………………...17
2.3 Foreign economic relations of the country……………………………………18
Conclusion …………..……………………………………………….………22
References…………………………………………………………...24
Appendix……….............................................. .........................

The work consists of 1 file

Meat and dairy farming is typical of the Transvaal and the Orange province, and suburban dairy farming has also developed here. The number of cattle - 12 million, pigs - about 1.5 million.

Industrial forest plantations produce 16.5 million m³ of forest, which fully meets the country's needs for wood and sawn timber.

Fishing is especially active along the west coast (more than 90% of the catch), 80% of the products are exported in canned or frozen form. The total catch is about 0.5 tons per year. In addition to fish, shrimp, lobsters, lobsters, oysters, and octopuses are also caught.

Industry . The manufacturing industry in South Africa has a diversified structure. The leading industries are ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, the textile industry, brewing and winemaking, as well as a diverse food industry, but only a small part of the products of South African enterprises is sold outside of South Africa. South Africa also occupies a prominent place among the exporters of various types of weapons.

The branch of ferrous metallurgy uses its own resources and fuel and is represented by plants in Pretoria, Newcastle, etc. Various modern technologies have been introduced into production. It manufactures metal rods and reinforcement, reinforced plates and corrugated steel, shaped steel and chain ropes, high-quality special alloys, high-carbon steel and precision casting. The largest company in the industry is the Iron and Steel Corporation. It supplies its products to all continents. Its production capacity is over 5 million tons of steel per year.

Mechanical engineering specializes in the production of mining equipment, transport (locomotives, wagons), agricultural machines, machine tools, electronics. The automotive industry is rapidly developing, which has established the production of numerous parts and assemblies, generators, brake pads, exhaust pipes, etc. The pioneer in the automotive industry was the Volkswagen company. She produces her Golf car in South Africa. The Italian company Fiat has set up production of Siena and Palio cars here, counting on export deliveries. Ford produces RYUKIM engines and is also export oriented.

The South African textile industry is an advanced sector of the country's economy, fully meeting the needs of South Africa in textile products and allowing to increase exports. The textile industry of the Republic of South Africa is developing dynamically, being a fairly capital-intensive and high-tech industry. Following the requirements of the modern market, the local textile industry is constantly expanding its range and today offers a full range of products, both from natural and synthetic fibers: non-woven and weaving products, yarn and quilted products, knitwear, dyed and processed fibers and fabrics.

The economy of South Africa requires a large amount of energy for its development. The country has such important energy resources as coal and uranium. This allows more than half of Africa's total electricity generation to be generated, primarily from coal-fired thermal power plants. The development of the water resources of the Orange River, designed for several decades, is being carried out. It provides for the solution of energy, irrigation and water supply problems. Electricity in South Africa is used mainly in industry, while its consumption in the domestic sector is small across the country. Suffice it to say that significantly more than half of the dwellings are not electrified, and this is one of the socio-economic paradoxes of South Africa. Electricity production is highly monopolized - more than 90% of it is in the hands of Eskom.

Non-manufacturing sphere The service sector is the fastest growing industry in South Africa. The tourism industry remains the most promising. Since 1994, the number of tourists in the country has doubled, and in total tourism provides about 7% of jobs in the country. Ecotourism, the entertainment complex in Sun City, are gaining popularity, and the visit of the English Queen Elizabeth II to Cape Town in 1999 was able to further revive interest in South Africa as a country - a tourist center. More than 6.5 million tourists visit South Africa every year (not including foreigners who come to work).

Education. According to UNESCO, 18.2% of the adult population is illiterate. School education is compulsory for children between the ages of 7 and 16. In 2003, 94% of all children (93% of boys and 95% of girls) attended primary schools, while 51% (46 and 57%) attended secondary schools.

The science. Scientific work is carried out at universities and research institutes in a fairly wide range of areas: in astronomy, physics, biology, medicine, social sciences. South Africa is the first country to have had a heart transplant. Bio- and nanotechnologies are developing rather intensively. Since the sources of fresh water in the country are limited, these technologies in the field of water treatment are of great importance. Membrane bioreactors, sensor identifiers, energy-efficient nanotechnologies for separation of industrial and household water enrichment are being developed. The exceptional richness of South African nature contributes to the development of scientific research and technologies in the field of biomedicine. According to the ambitious plans to build a knowledge economy, South Africa can become one of the world's largest producers of medicines and other knowledge-intensive products by the end of the next decade. Nanotechnologies are being developed and implemented in the mining, metallurgical and chemical industries, where microorganisms are used to create nanofilters and nanomembranes for the most complete extraction of valuable metals from waste rocks, as well as for water and air purification.

Healthcare.In 2004, total spending on health care amounted to 8.4% of GDP, including government spending - 3.2% of GDP. Per capita health spending was $295 in 2003, the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. There are 0.8 doctors per 1000 people in the country. 67% of the population lives in adequate sanitary conditions, which greatly affects life expectancy.

Monetary sphere.Monetary policy is administered by the South African Reserve Bank, which performs the functions of the country's Central Bank and, in essence, regulates the entire range of monetary and financial transactions. The total credit provided by commercial banks is 141.3% in relation to GDP (2004). The inflation rate is 9.9% (2002).

2.2 Geography of communications and transport.

South Africa is the only country in Africa that is well provided with transport routes. The length of roads is 362,099 km, of which 73,506 km are paved roads. The total length of railways is 20,047 km, of which half are electrified. The country's railway network is wholly owned by the state.

Taking into account the significant geographical remoteness of South Africa from the countries that are its main trading partners, the main role in the implementation of foreign economic relations of South Africa is played by sea and air transport.

Durban and Cape Town are not only the most important ports in South Africa, but also the largest shipping bases in the entire Southern Hemisphere. Through Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and East London there is a transit of goods from Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Republic of the Congo. The importance of new specialized ports for the export of coal (Richards Bay) and iron ore (Saldanha) is rapidly growing. The republic has a fairly large merchant fleet of its own.

The state-owned airline South African Airways carries out cargo and passenger transportation both on domestic and international routes. In addition to state-owned, there are 20 private airlines. The country's main international airport is Jan Smuts Airport in Johonnesburg.

Pipelines for crude oil are 931 km long, for oil products 1,748 km, and for natural gas 322 km.

2.3 Foreign economic relations of the country

International trade

South Africa's economic ties are primarily through trade with foreign countries. It is the largest exporter of diamonds, gold, platinum, vanadium, manganese, chromium, antimony, copper, chemical products, metal products, machinery, industrial equipment and vehicles.

The geography of South African foreign trade covers the whole world, but preference is given to Europe. On average, about 40% of South African goods are exported to this continent annually, to Asia, respectively - 22%, to America - 14%, and Africa - 11%, to Oceania and some other countries - 9%.

The structure of South Africa's exports remains oriented toward raw materials. The main markets for such products are Switzerland, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, USA and Japan. In the opposite direction, these same countries export to South Africa their products of engineering, chemical and , electronics, etc.

International financial and monetary relations

The investment policy of South Africa gives rise to another sphere of foreign economic relations. Foreign investors willingly invest in the republic, which has a huge resource base. In the first place in this regard are Anglo-American Coporation - Opanheimer's empire De Bris, which controls 80% of the world diamond market, Sasol Chemical Industries, which produces liquid fuel from low-grade coal (under license from the German company Hoechst) and 120 types of chemical products for both local and foreign markets.

The main investors in the country are the EU countries (35%), North and South America - 19%, Asia - 3%. For foreign investors, the new democratic government has expanded preferential treatment and provided a more favorable investment climate. As a result, the prospects for investment activity in South Africa are assessed as favorable. In 1999, foreign direct investment in the South African economy exceeded 25 billion rends. In 2000, direct investments from the USA into the economy of South Africa amounted to 1,759 million rends, Germany - 1,229 million, Great Britain - 300 million. The largest investment in South Africa was an investment (1.4 billion rends) by the German corporation -Chrysler" in the construction of a plant for the production of a new model of "Mercedes-Benz", intended for export.

At the same time, the South African government also encourages national entrepreneurs to invest in overseas manufacturing, commercial and insurance companies. They invest their capital in neighboring African countries, in the economies of member countries of the South African Free Trade Zone. The Sasol Group has invested in the development of the Mozambique gas field, in oil production in the Congo, and in the economies of Gabon, Algeria and Equatorial Guinea.

Significant foreign economic relations of South Africa are also generated by banking capital, which is characterized by a high concentration. The country is dominated by the so-called. Big Four: Amalgmated Banks South Africa, Standard Bank, First National Bank and Nedcor (all banks are diversified).

South African banks connect the country globally with the whole world. They have a powerful electronic settlement system, provide round-the-clock banking services via the Internet and maintain constant connections with all continents of the planet.

Rice. 1. The share of investments of the largest countries-investors, 2004/2005

1 BELARUSIAN STATE UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISM Controlled independent work on the discipline: "International market of services" Development of the service sector in African countries in the late 20th early 21st centuries 2nd year students Basharova M., Belskaya N., Blakhova E., Borisyuk O ., Burbitskaya O., Misevich S., Rusakovich E., Telitsina T., Khramova A. Head of Art. teacher Mozgovaya O.S. Minsk, 2011

2 Outline of the presentation 1. General characteristics of the development of the service sector in Africa 2. Development of the service sector by region: 2.1 Development of the service sector in North Africa 2.2 Development of the service sector in Central Africa 2.3 Development of the service sector in South Africa 3. Republic of South Africa 3.1. Transport services of South Africa 3.2. Financial services of South Africa 3.3. Development of communications and telecommunications services in South Africa 3.4. Tourist services in South Africa 4. Features of the development of the service sector in African countries

3 2 1. General characteristics of the development of the service sector in Africa, second half. 90s, the beginning of the formation of the service market in Africa, the gradual development of the service market in the 90s and 00s (growth in the share of services in GDP from 35% in 2001 to 58% in 2010 on average for the region) second half. 90s - slow entry into the world market of services, activation of foreign trade in services in the most developed countries, persistence of crisis phenomena due to undeveloped economic infrastructure, political instability, difficult demographic situation Note: Source

4 Africa's place in international trade in services in 1997 and 2008 3 Regions 1997 export import export import World trade North America 11.9 9.8 19.7 14.3 Latin America 4.6 6.9 3.8 5.1 Asia 13.0 17.3 22.7 27.5 Western Europe 56.0 49.6 45.6 43.0 Central and Eastern Europe 2.5 2.5 3.1 3.6 Africa 3.1 6.7 2.1 3.0 Other 8.9 7.2 3.0 3.5 Note: Source Ekonomika_i_pravo/SFERA_USLUG.html?page=0

5 2.1. Development of the service sector in North Africa: Geographically, the North African region includes the following states of the northern part of the African continent: Algeria Egypt Libya Mauritania Morocco Sudan Tunisia Western Sahara

6 Share of services in the structure of GDP (2008/2010) 5 Algeria 30.2% (2010) Egypt 48.6% (2010) Libya 33.6% (2010) Mauritania 40.7% (2008) Morocco 51.4% (2010) Sudan 38.9% (2010) Tunisia 54.8% (2010) Western Sahara 40% (2007) Regional average 42, 3% Note: Source

7 Share of employment in the service sector (early 00s) 6 Algeria - 40% (2003) Egypt 51% (2001) Libya 59% (2004) Mauritania 40% (2001) Morocco 35.5% (2006) Sudan 13% (1998) Tunisia 49.8% (2009) Western Sahara 15% (2005) Regional average 37.9% Note: Source

8 Algeria, $ Year Total 976,049 30, Note: Source Ekonomika_i_pravo/SFERA_USLUG.html?page=0

9 Egypt, $ Year Total,3 9320.8 Transport,3 2797.1 3298.9 4016.3 4745.6 5489.1 6949.4 Other services,2 3190.4 4055.2 3046.4 3054.1 Communications, 1,220.7 309.1 404.7 841.9 Insurance Financial services Information and computer 30 9.4 21.9 36.7 37.9 58.2 36.3 81.8 216.3 75, 2 84.8 79.6 73.9 85.2 27.2 22.7 33.3 24.9 51.5 87.9 218.8 170.7 Royalties 59 46.3 37.6 120, Other business services Personal , cultural and entertainment services,7 1948.3 2091.9 2779.7 1548.7 1337.7 1786.8 53.1 82.9 74.1 102.7 Trade services,2 Note: Source Ekonomika_i_pravo/SFERA_USLUG.html ?page=0

10 Tunisia, $ Year Total 2766.5 2911.4 4294, Transport Other services 594.07 611.6 545.61 Communications 12.2539 9.754 - Insurance Financial services Information and computer 14.547 20. 202 55,852 18,403 18,467 19, Royalties 14, ,058 - Other business services Note: Source Ekonomika_i_pravo/SFERA_USLUG.html?page=0

11 General features of the development of the service sector in North Africa (gg.) In Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, the tourism sector of the economy is developing at an active pace. The second most important market for engineering services in the developing countries of the state of North Africa. The leading position in the engineering market of North Africa is occupied by French and British companies. Transport retains the colonial type: railroads run from the areas of extraction of raw materials to the port of its export. Relatively developed rail and sea modes of transport. In recent years, other types of transport have also been developed - automobile (a road has been laid across the Sahara), air, pipelines. Internet retail trade is actively developing in the region. Companies of various sizes are represented: from universally recognized world brands in electronics and the entertainment industry to small family confectioneries. The communications and information technology sector is booming, providing employment opportunities.

12 2.2. Development of the service sector in Central Africa 11 Geographically, the Central African region includes the following states of the African continent: Gabon Cameroon Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Sao Tome and Principe Central African Republic Chad Equatorial Guinea Angola

13 Share of services in GDP (2008/2010) Sao Tome and Principe 62.4% (2010) Cameroon 49.1% (2010) Chad 42.5% (2010) Democratic Republic Congo 36.6% (2008) Gabon 32.8% (2010) Republic of the Congo 32% (2010) Central African Republic 25% (2010) Angola 24.6% (2008) Equatorial Guinea 3.8% (2010) Regional average 34.3% Note: Source

14 Share of services in GDP (late 1990s) Sao Tome and Principe 58% (1997) Cameroon 36.5% (1999) Chad 46% (1998) Democratic Republic of the Congo 25% (1997) .) Gabon 30% (1999) Republic of the Congo 42% (1999) Central African Republic 27% (1999) Angola 33% (1999) Equatorial Guinea 20% (1998) Regional average 35.3% Note: Source

15 Share of employment in the service sector (late 1990s) Angola - 15% (1997) Cameroon 17% (1999) Central African Republic 8% (1999) Chad labor force 11% (1998) Democratic Republic Congo 19% (1997) Republic of the Congo 13% (1999) Equatorial Guinea 5% (1998) Gabon 25% (1999) Sao Tome and Principe 22% (1997) Regional average 15% Note: Source

16 Share of employment in the service sector (early 2000s) Angola - 5% (2003) Cameroon 17% (2001) Central African Republic 7% (2001) Chad labor force 10% (2003) Democratic Republic of the Congo 12% (2003) Republic of the Congo 11% (2010) Equatorial Guinea 5% (2001) Gabon 25% (2000) Sao Tome and Principe 24% (2001) Regional average 12.8 % Note: Source

17 General features of the development of the services sector in Central Africa (gg.) Expansion of mainly traditional, non-knowledge-intensive types of service activities Slow growth in the number of people employed in the service sector Severe shortage of personnel for work in the sector Low demand for tertiary sector products due to the low standard of living of the population Weak investment into the sphere due to the unstable political and economic situation in the region Gradual increase in the liberalization of trade in services Gradual increase in the privatization of traditionally state-owned industries in the sphere

18 2.3. Development of the service sector in the countries of South Africa Geographically, the South African region includes 16 states of the southern part of the African continent: Botswana Lesotho Namibia Swaziland South Africa Angola Zambia Zimbabwe Comoros Mauritius Madagascar Malawi Mayotte Mozambique Reunion Seychelles

19 The share of the service sector in the structure of 18 GDP () Botswana - 51.9% (2009) Lesotho 58.2% (2010) Namibia 61.3% (2008) Swaziland - 49.4% (2010) South Africa 65, 8% (2010) Angola 24.6% (2008) Zambia 46.6% (2010) Zimbabwe 56.5% (2010) Comoros 56% (2008) Mauritius 70.5% (2010) Madagascar 56.8% (2010) ) Malawi 44.9% (2010) Mozambique 45.2% (2010) Seychelles 66.2% (2009) Regional average 53.8% Note: Source

20 Tourism services in South Africa Tourism is a promising and dynamically developing service industry in South Africa. An important source of government revenue. The number of foreign tourists visiting Africa and the receipts are about 2-3% of the world's. The growth of international tourism was constrained by the high prices of the African product in the tourist markets. Therefore, now the region is switching to inexpensive mass, mainly beach tourism. The largest tourist market is the African countries themselves, giving up to 50% of all tourists. The most popular tourist destinations: South Africa Seychelles, Mauritania Zimbabwe.

21 3. Republic of South Africa South Africa is the only country in Africa that belongs to the group of developed countries. The service sector and non-material production is the most dynamically developing industry in South Africa. The tourism industry remains the most promising. Also highly developed: financial, transport, communication services.

22 3.1. Transport services of South Africa The transport network of South Africa is one of the most extensive and developed in the world. The length of roads is km, of which km are motorways. The total length of railways is km, of which half are electrified. Due to the geographical remoteness of South Africa from the countries that are its main trading partners, the main role in the implementation of foreign economic relations of South Africa is played by sea and air transport. South Africa has a large merchant fleet. The three South African ports of Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth are capable of receiving ocean-going vessels. The state airline "South African Airways" carries out cargo and passenger transportation both on domestic and international routes. There are 20 private airlines. The country's main international airport is Jan Smuts Airport in Johannesburg. Other major airports are in Cape Town and Durban. The presence of large commercial ports guaranteeing South Africa access to all maritime destinations: to Asia, Europe, America and other countries of the African continent. Note: Source

23 3.2. Financial services in South Africa A distinctive feature of the service sector in South Africa is the presence of a developed financial market with a clear and reliable banking and insurance services. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is one of the 15 largest stock exchanges in the world. The core of the South African stock market is the Securities Exchange (JSE). The banking system of South Africa is distinguished by professional management, profitability and developed market capitalization. The banking system of South Africa is characterized by the extensive development of the public sector (more than 2,000 branches). In addition to state-owned, 52 more foreign banks have their representative offices in the country. Widespread use of advanced technologies in the banking sector, such as Internet technologies. Note: Source

24 3.3. Development of communication services and telecommunications in South Africa Existence of an extensive network of well-organized telecommunications services. Provision of all types of telecommunication services and Internet services. South Africa's mobile services and IP market is one of the fastest growing in the world. Telcom, a South African telecommunications company with a backbone network, is constantly increasing its share of the fiber optic component, which allows increasing the speed and quality of telecommunications services. Note: Source

25 3.4 Tourism services in South Africa Tourism remains the most promising industry in South Africa. Rapid development of tourism in South Africa is facilitated by developed transport and hotel infrastructure. The number of tourists in the country has doubled since 2000, and the industry now provides more than 7% of the jobs in the country. South Africa is the first country in Africa in terms of arrivals and receipts. More tourists visited South Africa in 2005, most of the visitors (more than 1 million people) were tourists from Europe and the USA. Ecotourism is gaining popularity, as well as an entertainment complex in Sun City. Note: Source UNWTO Highlights 2010

26 4. Features of the development of the service sector in African countries by region 25 The most developed service sector in South Africa compared to Central and North Central Africa has a low level of development and is inferior to all other regions, due to the high share of the agricultural sector in the economy of most countries in the region B In North Africa, industry and the service sector play a decisive role in the economy. Here, a subgroup of oil-exporting countries stands out with a relatively high level of GNP per capita and a high share of the service sector in the structure of GDP.

27 Features of development of the sphere of services 26 in African countries African countries are characterized by a high share of imports of services. In Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, tourism services are rapidly developing. Africa is characterized by weak investment in the sphere due to the unstable political and economic situation in the region. Low demand for products of the tertiary sector, due to the low standard of living of the population Most African countries have an agrarian-raw material orientation of the economy, where the service sector is extremely poorly developed. However, the share of the service sector in the structure of the GDP of South African countries accounts for an average of 52%.

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Economy and national economy

South Africa is the most developed on the African continent and at the same time the only country that does not belong to the Third World. GDP for 2009 amounted to 505 billion dollars (26th in the world). GDP growth was at the level of 5%, in 2008 - 3%. The country is still not among the developed countries of the world, despite the fact that its market is actively expanding. In terms of purchasing power parity, it ranks 78th in the world according to the IMF, 65th according to the World Bank, and 85th according to the CIA. It has a huge stock of natural resources. Telecommunications, electric power industry, financial sphere are widely developed.

Currency: South African rand, equal to 100 cents. There are coins in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents, 1, 2, 5 rand, banknotes - 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 rand.

Main import items: oil, foodstuffs, chemical products; exports: diamonds, gold, platinum, machinery, vehicles, equipment. Imports ($91 billion in 2008) exceed exports ($86 billion in 2008).

It is a member of the international organization of ACT countries.

Work force

Of the 49 million people in South Africa, only 18 million are able to work. Unemployed - 23% (in 2008).

65% of the working population is employed in the service sector, 26% in industry, 9% in agriculture (in 2008).

Branches of the national economy

Extractive industry

South Africa owes its rapid development to a large extent to the wealth of natural resources. About 52% of exports come from the mining industry. Manganese, platinum group metals, gold, chromites, aluminoglucates, vanadium and zirconium are widely mined. Coal mining is very developed - in terms of the use of coal for the production of electricity, South Africa ranks 3rd in the world (due to the lack of oil, about 80% of South Africa's energy resources are based on the use of coal). In addition, the country has concentrated reserves of diamonds, asbestos, nickel, lead, uranium and other important minerals.

Agriculture

Since most of the country has an arid climate, only 15% of its area is suitable for agriculture. However, it can be said that, unlike most other countries in Africa, where soil erosion occurs, this 15% is used wisely - advanced agrotechnical achievements of South Africa and the leading countries of the world are used to protect soils and efficient agriculture. This led to surprising results: South Africa fully meets domestic food needs, and is also one of the leading (and in some respects, the leading) suppliers of agricultural products - the country exports about 140 types of fruits.

Winemaking

In South Africa, there are three zones for winemaking. The Northwest (Northern Cape - Cape) and East Coast (KwaZulu-Natal) are not considered sources of the best wines, as they have a very hot and arid climate. But the South-West of South Africa (Western Cape) has a wonderful climate for winemaking.

animal husbandry

Meat and dairy production is concentrated in the north and east of the Free State province, in the hinterland of Hoteng province and in the southern part of Mpumalanga province. Meat breeds are common in the Northern and Eastern Cape. The arid areas of the Northern and Eastern Capes, the Free State and Mpumalanga have sheep farming areas. Skins of astrakhan sheep are supplied to the world market.

Goats are bred in large numbers, mainly - 75% - Angora, whose wool is highly valued in the West (up to 50% of the world's mohair production is in South Africa). The other most common breed is the Boer goat, which is bred for meat. In terms of goat wool shearing (92 thousand tons per year), South Africa ranks 4th in the world.

Compared to predominantly extensive sub-sectors such as cattle and sheep raising, poultry and hog raising are more intensive and prevalent on farms near the major cities of Pretoria, Johannesburg, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.

In recent years - mainly in the province of the Free State - ostrich breeding has been actively developing. The export from South Africa of meat, skin and feathers of this bird is gradually increasing.

Fishing

In terms of fish catch (about 1 million tons per year), South Africa occupies a leading position in Africa. The main fishery objects are sardines, herring, hake, anchovies, sea bass, mackerel, cod, Cape salmon, mackerel, monkfish. countries of Southeast Asia, as well as the Cape seal. Fishing is carried out mainly off the western coast of South Africa, washed by the Benguela Ocean Current, in a fishing zone 200 nautical miles wide. About 40% of the catch falls on freshwater fish caught in the rivers Elands, Limpopo and others, as well as by breeding in artificial reservoirs.

Forestry

The main zone is the southern part of the province of KwaZulu-Natal. Natural forests occupy 180,000 hectares, that is, only 0.14% of the country's territory. Most of the commercial wood comes from forest plantations, which cover only 1% of the territory of South Africa. Approximately half of the forest "plantations" are planted with pine, 40% with eucalyptus and 10% with mimosa. Yellow and ebony, Cape laurel, assegai and camassi are also grown. Trees reach marketable condition in an average of 20 years - in contrast to trees growing in the Northern Hemisphere, where this process lasts from 80 to 100 years. The annual volume of wood entering the market is 17 million cubic meters. m. More than 240 woodworking and timber enterprises operate in South Africa.

Agriculture accounts for 35-40% of all exports and accounts for 5% of South Africa's GDP.

Economic policy of the state

The economic policy of the state is aimed at stabilizing the economy.

According to TheHeritageFoundation statistics, the republic is in 57th position in the world in terms of economic freedom. South Africa has a relatively high income tax (up to 40% depending on income level).

The average per capita income of South Africa is 7016 euros.

There is no doubt that South Africa is the most economically developed country in Africa today. But its successes are impressive only in comparison with how things are going with its neighbors on the continent. In comparison, for example, with Latin America, South Africa is clearly losing, both in terms of GDP per capita and in other indicators, such as the human development index or , for example, life expectancy (it is only 49 years in South Africa), or infant mortality.

The main wealth of South Africa is minerals. According to the US Geological Survey, South Africa ranks first in the list of the richest countries in the world with mineral resources, the value of ore reserves in this country is more than $2.5 trillion. The basis of the South African economy is mining and processing.

The main income comes from gold, 15% of the world's production of this precious metal is carried out here. 40% of the world's diamond production is controlled by De Beers. The level of platinum production in South Africa is estimated at about 85% of the world, palladium at 30%. Many other valuable metals are also mined, as well as coal, from which even gasoline is made. Since there is no oil in South Africa.

Ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, the production of manganese, chromium, and the refining of platinum and gold have also long been developed in South Africa. However, all high-tech industries in recent years have experienced a shortage of highly qualified personnel. According to various sources, in 1994-2004. Between one million and one and a half million skilled workers, mostly members of the white minority, left South Africa, and this trend continues. Moreover, many are willingly accepted by such countries as Canada, Australia, the USA and Great Britain.

The policy of supporting the indigenous population, pursued by the South African government, makes it preferable when hiring native Africans, gives them benefits for doing business, etc. This often leads to the fact that incompetent people get into management, because the level of education among Africans is extremely low.

It got to the point that the Chinese community demanded in 2008 that the Chinese be recognized as "black". The Chinese Association of South Africa has filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court that the Chinese are being discriminated against because they are perceived as "white" by Africans. And the Supreme Court decided to recognize the Chinese as "black."

If we take into account that there are many contradictions between different nationalities living in South Africa, it becomes clear that modern relative economic well-being is under threat. If white professionals still in South Africa continue to emigrate en masse, the industry may simply not be able to resist.

A special problem hindering the development of tourism in South Africa, which has excellent natural opportunities, is crime. Even during the World Cup, which was held in the summer of 2010 in South Africa, for the first time on the African continent, the country's government, despite the enormous costs of 100 million euros, failed to ensure the safety of the championship guests. economy african republic economy

Players, journalists, and fans suffered from robberies, theft and robbery. Considering that the prices for tourist services in South Africa are very high, then before security issues are resolved, it is unlikely that the South African tourism industry will experience a period of rapid growth. Of particular concern is the fact that almost 30% of the population in South Africa has AIDS, and this is already affecting the country's economy.

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