Country Profile

South Africa has long served as the “gateway to Africa”, and while recent years have seen other economies in the regional make up ground, it remains one of the most accessible, dynamic and well-regulated entry points to the continent’s roughly 1bn consumers. The country boasts a wide range of climates and landscapes, from arid semi-desert in Karoo to jagged Alpine landscapes in Ukhahlamba Drakensberg and rich farmland in the Western Cape. South Africa is ringed by water, with more than 2500 km of coastline, and covers 1.22m sq km of land on the southern tip of the African continent, making it the 25th-largest country in the world. According to Statistics South Africa, the country’s official statistical bureau, the country’s population as of July 2015 was 54.96m.

This chapter contains interviews with President Jacob Zuma; and Alexey Ulyukaev, Minister of Economic Development, Russian Federation.