As of 2023, South Africa's population increased and counted approximately 62.3 million inhabitants in total, of which the majority inhabited Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western-Eastern Cape. Gauteng (includes Johannesburg) is the smallest province in South Africa, though highly urbanized with a population of over 16 million people according to the estimates. Cape Town, on the other hand, is the largest city in South Africa with nearly 3.43 million inhabitants in the same year, whereas Durban counted 3.12 million citizens. However, looking at cities including municipalities, Johannesburg ranks first. High rate of young population South Africa has a substantial population of young people. In 2024, approximately 34.3 percent of the people were aged 19 years or younger. Those aged 60 or older, on the other hand, made-up over 10 percent of the total population. Distributing South African citizens by marital status, approximately half of the males and females were classified as single in 2021. Furthermore, 29.1 percent of the men were registered as married, whereas nearly 27 percent of the women walked down the aisle. Youth unemployment Youth unemployment fluctuated heavily between 2003 and 2022. In 2003, the unemployment rate stood at 36 percent, followed by a significant increase to 45.5 percent in 2010. However, it fluctuated again and as of 2022, over 51 percent of the youth were registered as unemployed. Furthermore, based on a survey conducted on the worries of South Africans, some 64 percent reported being worried about employment and the job market situation.

South Africa is the sixth African country with the largest population, counting approximately 60.5 million individuals as of 2021. In 2023, the largest city in South Africa was Cape Town. The capital of Western Cape counted 3.4 million inhabitants, whereas South Africa's second largest city was Durban (eThekwini Municipality), with 3.1 million inhabitants. Note that when observing the number of inhabitants by municipality, Johannesburg is counted as largest city/municipality of South Africa.

From four provinces to nine provinces

Before Nelson Mandela became president in 1994, the country had four provinces, Cape of Good Hope, Natal, Orange Free State, and Transvaal and 10 “homelands” (also called Bantustans). The four larger regions were for the white population while the homelands for its black population. This system was dismantled following the new constitution of South Africa in 1996 and reorganized into nine provinces. Currently, Gauteng is the most populated province with around 15.9 million people residing there, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 11.68 million inhabiting the province. As of 2022, Black African individuals were almost 81 percent of the total population in the country, while colored citizens followed amounting to around 5.34 million.

A diverse population

Although the majority of South Africans are identified as Black, the country’s population is far from homogenous, with different ethnic groups usually residing in the different “homelands”. This can be recognizable through the various languages used to communicate between the household members and externally. IsiZulu was the most common language of the nation with around a quarter of the population using it in- and outside of households. IsiXhosa and Afrikaans ranked second and third with roughly 15 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Ethekwini, South Africa metro area from 1950 to 2025.

ObjectiveGlycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) is recommended as an additional tool to glucose-based measures (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] and 2-hour plasma glucose [2PG] during oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]) for the diagnosis of diabetes; however, its use in sub-Saharan African populations is not established. We assessed prevalence estimates and the diagnosis and detection of diabetes based on OGTT, FPG, and HbA1c in an urban black South African population.Research Design and MethodsWe conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey using multistage cluster sampling of adults aged ≥18 years in Durban (eThekwini municipality), KwaZulu-Natal. All participants had a 75-g OGTT and HbA1c measurements. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the overall diagnostic accuracy of HbA1c, using OGTT as the reference, and to determine optimal HbA1c cut-offs.ResultsAmong 1190 participants (851 women, 92.6% response rate), the age-standardised prevalence of diabetes was 12.9% based on OGTT, 11.9% based on FPG, and 13.1% based on HbA1c. In participants without a previous history of diabetes (n = 1077), using OGTT as the reference, an HbA1c ≥48 mmol/mol (6.5%) detected diabetes with 70.3% sensitivity (95%CI 52.7–87.8) and 98.7% specificity (95%CI 97.9–99.4) (AUC 0.94 [95%CI 0.89–1.00]). Additional analyses suggested the optimal HbA1c cut-off for detection of diabetes in this population was 42 mmol/mol (6.0%) (sensitivity 89.2% [95%CI 78.6–99.8], specificity 92.0% [95%CI: 90.3–93.7]).ConclusionsIn an urban black South African population, we found a high prevalence of diabetes and provide the first evidence for the utility of HbA1c for the diagnosis and detection of diabetes in black Africans in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Population Council is the research partner to DREAMS—a global partnership to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in over 10 sub-Saharan African countries and Haiti. DREAMS aims to reduce HIV infections among AGYW. This dataset contains data from two independent cross-sectional surveys with men (aged 20–40 years) interviewed in 2017 and 2018 at community hot spots or HIV service sites in Ethekwini (Durban), South Africa. These data are from a Population Council-led implementation science study to assess HIV risk and service use among male partners of AGYW.

Abstract

The survey was undertaken in 2005 and conducted face-to-face interviews with a sample of 1 000 adults from Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg, where ninety percent of the country's Jewish population reside.

Geographic coverage

The survey covered selected Jewish households in Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and Johannesburg

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The target population of the survey consists of Jewish South Africans.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

A single questionnaire was used for the study

These data sets are the results of simulations exploring dolphins’ potential response to disturbance caused by whale watching vessels and record individual group membership, behaviour (Traveling [1], Resting [2], Feeding [3] and Socialising [4]) and motivations (Hunger [1], Fear [2], Social needs [3] and body condition [4]). The first part of the file name refers to the population being simulated: “DS” refers to a population of 61 dolphins in Doubtful Sound, New Zealand that is closed and food limited, “DSA” refers to a population of 350 individuals from Durban Bay, South Africa that is open and not food limited, “JB” refers to a population of 108 individuals from Jervis Bay, Australia that is open and food limited, and “SB” refers to a population of 160 dolphins from Sarasota Bay, USA that is closed and not food limited. The second part of the file name refers to the type of data recorded: “GB” means the file contains the records for group membership and behaviour, and “Mot” means the file contains the records for the individual motivations. The number at the end of the file name references the level of disturbance used in the simulation: “0” for no change of disturbance, “1” for a 10% chance of disturbance, “25” for a 25% chance of disturbance and “5” for a 50% chance of disturbance. For all populations, the simulations were run 100 times, and the length of each simulation was 365 days.

The South African commercial real estate market, valued at $9.62 billion in 2025, is projected to experience robust growth, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.84% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is driven by several key factors. Firstly, a burgeoning population and increasing urbanization in major cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban fuel demand for office, retail, and industrial spaces. Secondly, the growth of key sectors like technology and finance contributes significantly to the demand for high-quality office accommodations. Tourism's continued resurgence post-pandemic further boosts the hospitality sector's real estate needs. Finally, government initiatives promoting infrastructure development and foreign investment contribute positively to overall market expansion. However, challenges remain. Economic instability and fluctuating interest rates pose potential restraints on investment and development. Furthermore, the need for sustainable and environmentally friendly building practices, alongside effective property management, presents both a challenge and an opportunity for growth within the market. The market is segmented by property type (office, retail, industrial & logistics, hospitality) and key cities, with Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban dominating the market share. Key players such as Devmark Property Group, Rabie Property Group, Excellerate JHI, and Growthpoint Properties compete in this dynamic and evolving market. The forecast for the South African commercial real estate market is optimistic, predicting substantial growth over the next decade. Strategic investments in infrastructure, coupled with a focus on sustainable development and efficient property management, will be crucial for stakeholders to capitalize on the market's potential. While economic uncertainties need to be considered, the long-term outlook remains positive, particularly with sustained growth in key economic sectors. The diverse range of property types and geographical spread create numerous opportunities for investors and developers. Continuous monitoring of market trends and adapting to evolving demands will be essential for maintaining a competitive edge in this sector. South Africa Commercial Real Estate Market: A Comprehensive Report (2019-2033) This in-depth report provides a comprehensive analysis of the South Africa commercial real estate market, covering market dynamics, growth trends, key players, and future outlook. With a focus on the period 2019-2033 (base year 2025), this report is essential for investors, developers, and industry professionals seeking to navigate this dynamic market. The analysis delves into key segments, including office, retail, industrial & logistics, and hospitality, across major cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, and other key areas. Recent developments include: November 2023: WeWork South Africa is accelerating its expansion plans as the rise in popularity of hybrid work sees a boost in demand for flexible office spaces., September 2023: Instant Group, a flexible workspace marketplace, has acquired property advisor PSA to broaden its reach and grow its business across Africa.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Urbanization and Population growth4.; Foreign direct investments. Potential restraints include: 4., Economic uncertainity4.; Regulatory environment. Notable trends are: Increasing office space demand in South Africa.

Knowledge of population structure, connectivity and effective population size remains limited for many marine apex predators, including the bull shark Carcharhinus leucas. This large-bodied coastal shark is distributed worldwide in warm temperate and tropical waters, and uses estuaries and rivers as nurseries. As an apex predator, the bull shark likely plays a vital ecological role within marine food webs, but is at risk due to inshore habitat degradation and various fishing pressures. We investigated the bull shark’s global population structure and demographic history by analysing the genetic diversity of 370 individuals from 11 different locations using 25 microsatellite loci and three mitochondrial genes (CR, nd4, cytb). Both types of markers revealed clustering between sharks from the Western Atlantic and those from the Western Pacific and the Western Indian Ocean, with no contemporary gene flow. Microsatellite data suggested low differentiation between the Western Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, but substantial differentiation was found using mitochondrial DN A. Integrating information from both types of markers and using Bayesian computation with a random forest procedure (ABC-RF), this discordance was found to be due to a complete lack of contemporary gene flow. High genetic connectivity was found both within the Western Indian Ocean and within the Western Pacific. In conclusion, these results suggest important structuring of bull shark populations globally with important gene flow occurring along coastlines , highlighting the need for management and conservation plans on regional scales rather than oceanic basin scale.

Abstract

The Asenze Study is a longitudinal, population-based cohort study conducted in a peri-urban area outside Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Waves 1 (2008) and 2 (2012) began with a door-to-door survey to identify all children aged 4-6 years in the study area; to obtain demographic information and to invite the child and the primary caregiver with informed consent to participate in the Asenze study. 87% of those children identified attended an assessment focusing on child neurodevelopment, cognitive function, behavioral problems, and the physical and mental health (including HIV status) of both children and their caregivers. Caregivers had their own height and weight taken, answered questionnaire about the child and their own health, wellbeing and were offered HIV testing.

Geographic coverage

The study collected data in a peri-urban area outside Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Analysis unit

Individuals

Kind of data

Survey and assessment data

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face

Research instrument

The study used questionnaires and assessment sheets and assessment tools. In addition to questionnaires there was a physical exam, hearing and vision assessment and hematocrit and HIV test (if consent obtained) for the child

The South African commercial real estate market, valued at $9.28 billion in 2025, is projected to experience robust growth, exhibiting a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7.63% from 2025 to 2033. This expansion is fueled by several key drivers. Increased urbanization and population growth in major cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban are creating a surge in demand for office, retail, and industrial spaces. Furthermore, a burgeoning tourism sector and associated hospitality investments are contributing significantly to the market's positive trajectory. The ongoing development of logistics infrastructure to support growing e-commerce activity also plays a crucial role. While potential economic uncertainties and fluctuations in interest rates could pose challenges, the overall market outlook remains positive, underpinned by the continued strength of the South African economy and targeted investments in key sectors. Strong performance is expected across all segments, with the office and logistics sectors likely to see particularly substantial gains due to increasing corporate activity and supply chain optimization strategies respectively. The diverse portfolio of established and emerging property developers in South Africa, including major players like Growthpoint Properties and Amdec Group, further underscores the market's dynamic nature and competitive landscape. The segmentation of the market reveals strong growth potential within specific areas. The substantial investment in modernizing existing commercial infrastructure in Johannesburg and Cape Town will drive significant growth. Furthermore, the expansion of retail spaces in rapidly growing suburban areas will cater to evolving consumer preferences and boost market value in those regions. However, challenges remain, including the need for continued infrastructure development to support sustainable growth in key areas, particularly in logistics and transportation networks. While the overall market exhibits positive momentum, proactive strategies focused on addressing these factors will be crucial to ensure sustained, long-term growth. Careful risk management by investors and developers regarding economic volatility will be critical in navigating potential headwinds. Recent developments include: November 2023: WeWork South Africa announced that it was accelerating its expansion plans as the rise in popularity of hybrid work saw a boost in demand for flexible office spaces.September 2023: Instant Group, a flexible workspace marketplace, acquired property advisor PSA to broaden its reach and grow its business across Africa.. Key drivers for this market are: 4., Urbanization and Population Growth4.; Foreign Direct Investments. Potential restraints include: 4., Urbanization and Population Growth4.; Foreign Direct Investments. Notable trends are: Increasing Demand for Office Space in South Africa.