| South Africa Population Information: The original | | | | Northern and Western Sotho (Tswana); the |
| inhabitants was the Khoi and San but now they | | | | Tsonga; and the Venda. |
| are a tiny community in the Kalahari Desert, the | | | | South Africa's white population descends largely |
| San once had southern Africa to themselves. | | | | from the colonial immigrants of the late 17th, 18th |
| Khoisan is a term used to describe two separate | | | | and 19th centuries - Dutch, German, French |
| groups, physically similar in being light-skinned and | | | | Huguenot and British. Linguistically it is divided into |
| small in stature. The Khoi, who were called | | | | Afrikaans- and English-speaking groups, although |
| Hottentots by the Europeans, were pastoralists | | | | many small communities that have immigrated |
| and were effectively annihilated; the San, called | | | | over the last century retain the use of other |
| Bushmen by the Europeans, were | | | | languages. |
| hunter-gatherers. A small San population still lives | | | | The label "coloured" is a contentious one, but still |
| in South Africa. | | | | used for people of mixed race descended from |
| South Africa is a nation of over 47-million people | | | | slaves brought in from East and central Africa, |
| of diverse origins, cultures, languages and beliefs. | | | | the indigenous Khoisan who lived in the Cape at |
| 2006 Statistics South Africa, the country's | | | | the time, indigenous Africans and whites. The |
| population stands at some 47.4-million, up from | | | | majority speak Afrikaans. |
| the census 2001 - 44.8-million. | | | | The majority of South Africa's Asian population is |
| Africans are in the majority at 37.7-million, making | | | | Indian in origin, many of them descended from |
| up 79.5% of the total population. The white | | | | indentured workers brought to work on the sugar |
| population is estimated at 4.4-million (9.2%), the | | | | plantations of the eastern coastal area then |
| coloured population at 4.2-million (8.9%) and the | | | | known as Natal in the 19th century. They are |
| Indian/Asian population at 1.2-million (2.5%). | | | | largely English-speaking, although many also retain |
| While more than three-quarters of South Africa's | | | | the languages of their origins. There is also a |
| population is black African, this category is neither | | | | significant group of Chinese South Africans. |
| culturally nor linguistically homogenous. Nine of the | | | | In terms of religious affiliation, about two-thirds of |
| country's 11 official languages are African, | | | | South Africans are Christian, mainly Protestant. |
| reflecting a variety of ethnic groupings which | | | | They belong to a variety of churches, including |
| nonetheless have a great deal in common in | | | | many that combine Christian and traditional |
| terms of background, culture and descent. | | | | African beliefs. Many non-Christians espouse these |
| Africans include the Nguni people, comprising the | | | | traditional beliefs. Other significant religions are |
| Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele and Swazi; the | | | | Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. |
| Sotho-Tswana people, comprising the Southern, | | | | |