South africa
Location
- Geographical region: Sub-Saharan Africa, Africa
- SDG region: SDG Sub-Saharan Africa
Land
- Total area: --- km2
- Land area: 1,213,090 km2 (2023)
- Land use by sector: 79% agriculture, 14% forest and 7% other (2023)
People
- Total population: 64,007,187 people (2024)
- Population density: 51 people per km2 (2022)
- Urbanisation: 64% lives in urban areas and 36% lives in rural areas (2024)
Economy
- Total GDP: 870,347,572,713 USD per year (2024)
- GDP per capita: 13,598 USD per year (2024)
- Value added by sector: 3% from agriculture, 63% from services and 24% from industry (2024)
SDG 6 snapshot in South Africa
Drinking water
6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa, progress over time
6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking water services in South Africa, by service level and location (2024)
Sanitation and hygiene
6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa, progress over time
6.2.1a Proportion of population using safely managed sanitation services in South Africa, by service level and location (2024)
6.2.1b Proportion of population with a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home in South Africa, by service level and location (2024)
Water quality and wastewater
6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated in south africa, by source (2022)
Change in 6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater flow (safely) treated > Domestic in south africa, between 2022 and 2024, compared to other countries (and areas) in Southern Africa
Domestic wastewater flow generated, delivered to treatment, and safely treated in south africa, by sanitation facility (2024)
Of the total domestic wastewater flow generated in South Africa, 74% comes from sewers, 4.03% from septic tanks and 22% from other sanitation facilities. The below chart shows how much of the generated flow from each sanitation facility type that is delivered to treatment and then safely treated.
6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality in south africa (2020-2023), compared to other countries (and areas) in the region
Water use and scarcity
Water resources and withdrawal in south africa, total and per capita
Long-term average annual precipitation in depth: 495 (mm/year) (2020)
Renewable water resources: 905 m3 per capita (2017)
Water withdrawal: 273 m3 per capita (2013)
Environmental flow requirements: % of the renewable water resources ()
6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a proportion of available freshwater resources in south africa, change over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region
6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in south africa, by sector (2020)
Water-use efficiency for ‘Agriculture, forestry and fishing’ only takes into account the proportion of gross value added that comes from irrigated agriculture, since that activity is associated with water withdrawal (other activities are rain-fed).
6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time in south africa, progress over time, compared to other countries (and areas) in the region
Water resources management
6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management implementation (0-100) in Slovakia, progress over time, by dimension
Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)
6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an operational arrangement for water cooperation in Slovakia, progress over time, by component
Very low (0-10) – Low (11-30) – Medium-low (31-50) – Medium-high (51-70) – High (71-90) – Very high (91-100)