Is South Africa the Next Global Super Power?

[Edited on 28-12-2003 by Jo]

Originally posted by Jo

Originally posted by Russian
I think SA will NOT be the next superpower...

Why is there such a big Russian immigrant settlement here in SA?
Funny that they do not want to go back home.

so what do you say...

Russians on live in superpower countries?

there are Russian in Argintina too...

[Edited on 28-12-2003 by Jo]

Originally posted by Jo


Yes.... that's very nice!

(Need I say more?)

so whats your point?

[Edited on 28-12-2003 by Jo]

South Africa a superpower? No, not quite...

Population

According to 1998 estimates, the population of South Africa numbered approximately 41.4 million.1
The average population growth rate for the years 1995-2000 was approximately 1.5%.2
In 1998, women accounted for almost 52% of the total population.3
Estimates for 1998 indicated that approximately 53% of the population resided in urban areas.4
Estimates in 2000 indicated that approximately 75.2% of South Africa's population is Black, 13.6% is White, 8.6% is classified as Coloured, and 2.6% is Indian/Asian.5

Economy

In 1998, South Africa's Gross National Product (GNP) per capita was U.S.$3,310.6
Between 1997 and 1998, South Africa's GNP grew at an average annual rate of 0.5%.7
The distribution of income in South Africa remains one of the most unequal in the world. A 1999 survey found that while only 1% of Whites lived below the poverty line, 61% of Africans, 38% of Coloured persons, and 5% of Indians were classified as poor.8
The health budget for 1998-1999 increased to approximately U.S.$9.1 billion (R25.1 billion) and comprised about 12% of total estimated government expenditures.9
Statistics for 1998 indicated that approximately 62% of South Africa's population had access to basic health care within 5 kilometers of their home.10

Employment

In 1998, women represented approximately 37.6% of the total work force.11
An estimated 15% of economically active women and 35% of men were unemployed in 1998.12

lets compare that to a REAL superpower...

DEMOGRAPHY
POPULATION: 266557000 (1996)
DENSITY: 28 persons/sq. km GROWTH RATE: 0%/year
URBAN POP: 76% (1994), versus 70% (1960), Annual Growth: 1.2%
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 76.2 years, ADULT LITERACY: 99.0%
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX: 0.942
ECONOMY
GNP: US$6737.0 billion, Annual GNP Growth Rate 1980-1993: 2.4%, Annual Growth Rate GNP/Capita: 1.7%
GDP/Capita: $20500 GDP/Capita PPP: $26397
GDP/Capita: 1960 $10707, 1970 $13794, 1980 $16389, 1990 $19461

China, about the closest thing to another superpower, would completely dwarf SA's figures as well.....

[Edited on 28-12-2003 by Jo]

True, I don't profess to know first hand of conditions in South Africa...so, all I have to go on is statistics. But, it is statistics that determine whether or not a nation is a superpower. A superpower could be defined as a nation that not only has prosperous citizens, but prosperous internationally as well. A nation that can exert so much pressure, as to bend international events to their favor. A nation whose opinion can be the difference between doing, and no doing. A nation that if attacked, would squash the one doing so. THIS is a superpower, and this is why South Africa doesn't fit the bill.

If you were to go on average quality of life, and economic improvement, I'd wager that Qatar or Kuwait would leave South Africa in the dust, on per capita GNP, and general quality of life.

Even our bums, can read (just look at their signs, hehe...), I doubt the same could be said for South Africa.

How can a country with population of 45 million be super power?
That's just nonsense. Besides, most of the people there are poor, crime levels are terrible.. Certainly not best place to live.
Superpower huh...

[Edited on 28-12-2003 by Jo]

[Edited on 28-12-2003 by Jo]

This just announced on Sky News.

South African medical company Netcare set to start the medical service take over with two NHS clinics.

Netcare will eventually be integrated into the entire British medical service.

This is only the tip of the iceberg boys and girls...hehehehehe!!!

Netcare
Netcare EMS

I hope at least some of you guys have ever been to South Africa?!!

in any case, I am South African...

and quite frankly, yes it has a dual economy.... but nowhere in the developing world is there infrastructure, banking, etc like there is in South Africa, and definitely nowhere else in South Africa.

I'm Black, in case you're wonderin.... and apartheid is history.
The future is bright.

The Department of Health (i'm a doctor too) has achieved major successes in their anti-retroviral rollout, and in their education and awareness campaigns.

South Africa is easily the African superpower.

India has major potential - but is only starting to improve their infrastructure. Corruption across the board will slow things down though. Still, the mere strength of 1 billion educated people is staggering. India is already a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, as everyone knows, the Chinese are well on their way up already.

Yup, the US is still on top.... but with everything there made in China (with the exception of a few items made in Mexico).... time will eventually tip the scales.

Already, the Americans are feeling a tad violated in their cosy bubble.

Ultimately... the world will hopefully improve... and humanity will come together... not merely as Americans, Africans, Indians, Chinese... but as human beings.

From what I understand they'll all be dead in about 20 years due to AIDS so no. In fact most of Africa will be dead, excluding Egypt, in 20 years due to AIDS. So Africa I believe will become a battle field of other nations fighting for the diamond mines and such.

29 South African beaches were awarded Blue Flags, an international indicator of high environmental standards for recreational beaches in 2009.

"South Africa is probably the leading economy in the world." (CNBC Europe)

South Africa’s Rand is the second best-performing emerging market currency of the 26 monitored by Bloomberg in 2009

With two gold medals and one silver medal, South Africa ended the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in ninth position on the medals table, ahead of the likes of Australia, Cuba, China and France.

South Africa sold $1.8 billion worth of cars to the US last year, putting us ahead of Sweden and Italy as suppliers to the US market.

In 2009, the Springboks become the first international team to be World Champions in both 15-a-side and Sevens rugby.

In 2009, Time magazine named two South Africans in their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

The International Monetary Forum's World Economic Outlook ranks us in the top 10% of counties in respect of Real GDP Growth Projections for 2010.

In the Economist Intelligence Unit's Survey of Democratic Freedom we rank 31st of of 184 countries.

South Africa ranks second worldwide in terms of the transparency surrounding its budgets - just behind the United Kingdom, tie with France, and ahead of New Zealand and the United States - according to the Open Budget Index.

The number of 'dollar millionaires' in South Africa has increased from less than 25,000 in 2004 to over 55,000 in 2007, according to the World Wealth Report

According to the World Pay Report, South African managers are earning disposable incomes that are higher than those in many developed countries.

The first MBA programme outside of the United States was started by the University of Pretoria in 1949.

South Africa is home to the world's largest individually timed cycle race (the Cape Argus Cycle Race), the world's largest open water swim (the Midmar Mile) and the world's largest ultra-marathon (the Comrades Marathon).

Johannesburg ranks 2nd among countries from Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa in dealing with urbanisation and environmental challenges, in the MasterCard Insights Report on Urbanisation and Environmental Challenges.

South Africa ranked 44th out of 131 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2007/8.

South Africa ranks as 44th strongest state out of 177 countries in the Fund for Peace's Failed States Index. The index measures state vulnerability based on 12 social, economic, political, and military indicators.

South Africa was ranked as the 18th most attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment by global strategic management consulting firm AT Kearney.

Three South African cities were voted amongst the world's top 100 Most Liveable Cities in a study conducted by Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Cape Town was ranked in 85th place, Johannesburg 90th and Port Elizabeth 97th.

Since the 1940s, South African golfers have won more golf majors than any other nation, apart from the United States.

South Africa has been ranked 28th among 108 countries measured for responsible competitiveness, according to the global think tank AccountAbility.

Johannesburg has been ranked as the eighth cheapest city in the world for expatriates, according to the most recent Cost of Living Standards Survey from Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

More than 12,000 'Black Diamond' families (South Africa’s new black middle class) - or 50,000 people - are moving from the townships into the suburbs of South Africa's metro areas every month, according to the UCT Unilever Institute's Black Diamonds 2007 survey.

South Africa is ranked 20th out of a total of 128 economies in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2007, ahead of many developed nations, including, the United States (31), Switzerland (40), Austria (27) and France (51).

South Africa ranks 57th out of 157 countries in the world in terms of economic freedom, ahead of Italy (64), Brazil (101), the United Arab Emirates (63), Greece (94th), India (104th) and China (126), according to the Index of Economic Freedom 2007

Two young South Africans have been named Rookie of the Year in their respective sports in 2006. Golfer Trevor Immelman was named best new player by his peers on the prestigious PGA Tour and after a sensational 2006 season, 18 year old Jordy Smith took the coveted Vans Triple Crown of Surfing ‘Rookie of the Year’ award, considered by the surfing world to be second only to the world title in prestige.

The black middle class grew by 30% in 2005, adding another 421,000 black adults to SA's middle-income layer and ramping up the black population's share of SA's total middle class to almost a third, according to the Financial Mail. Between 2001 and 2004, there were 300,000 new black entrants to the middle class.

South Africa is ranked 35th out of 178 countries for ease of doing business - ahead of Spain, Brazil and India - according to Doing Business 2008, a joint publication of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.

Cape Town has the fifth-best blue sky in the world according to the UK's National Physical Laboratory

La Colombe restaurant in Constantia, Cape Town, was voted the 28th best restaurant in the world by the UK's Restaurant Magazine

South African media ranks 26th out of 167 countries in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007, higher than any country in Asia, the Middle East or South America, and ahead of Japan, Spain, Italy and the United States.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange was the 7th best performing stock market in 2005, according to the World Federation of Exchanges

Home ownership in SA has increased from 64% (5,12m households) in 1994 to 78% (7,9m households) in 2006, according to a South African Advertising Research Foundation development index

Pretoria has the second largest number of embassies in the world after Washington, D.C.

In 2005, interest rates were at a 25-year low

Johannesburg is the 117th most expensive city out of the 144 measured by Irish business website finfacts.com

South Africa accounts for almost 45% of the GDP of the entire African continent, with an economy three times the size of the second biggest (Egypt)

Almost a quarter of South Africa’s non-interest budget is spent on education

The University of South Africa UNISA is a pioneer of tertiary distance education and is the largest correspondence university in the world with 250,000 students

In 1991, South Africa became the first country in the world to provide full protection status for the Great White shark within its jurisidictional waters. Countries including USA, Australia, Malta and Namibia follwed suit later.

Afrikaans is the youngest official language in the world

In 2005, Time Magazine hailed President Thabo Mbeki as the Most Powerful Man in Africa

According to the Economic Freedom of the World 2005 Annual Report, South Africa ranks 38th out of 127 countries in terms of ecomomic freedom, tied with France and ahead of Israel, India, Italy, China, Brazil and Russia.

The rand, the world's most actively traded emerging market currency, has joined an elite club of 16 currencies - the Continuous Linked Settlement (CLS) - where forex transactions are settled immediately, lowering the risks of transacting across time zones.

Standard Bank is the only African bank to be a shareholder partner of CLS.

The Singita Private Game Reserve in the Kruger National Park was voted the best hotel in the world by the readers of travel publication, Conde Nast Traveller

The South African Rand was the best performing currency against the US Dollar between 2002 and 2005, according to the Bloomberg's Currency Scorecard

South Africa's per capita GDP, corrected for purchasing power parity, positions the country as one of the 50 wealthiest in the world

Worldaudit.org ranks South Africa as the 40th most democratic country out of 150 nations

Stellenbosch University was the first university in the world to design and launch a microsatellite

South Africa is the 35th best place in the world to do e-business, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2007 E-Readiness Report.

South Africa is the best-ranked country in terms of price stability, our fiscal policy is ranked 11th, our international trade competitiveness 21st, and we are the 28th most-attractive destination for foreign direct investment, according to the World Competiveness Yearbook 2005

South African business owners of mid-size companies are the second most optimistic worldwide about their economic prospects of the year ahead, according to the annual Grant Thornton International Business Owners Survey for 2005.

South Africa houses one of the three largest telescopes in the world at Sutherland in the Karoo

South Africa is the first, and to date only, country to build nuclear weapons and then voluntarily dismantle its entire nuclear weapons programme

The value of South African real estate improved by 30% over the past 5 years
Since 1994, 500 houses have been built each day for the poor

Tax revenue in SA has increased by 220% over the past 10 years

In 2005, 10 million South Africans benefited from access to social grants

The number of tourists visiting South Africa has grown by 116% since 1994

Over the past 5 years, Consumer Confidence in SA has improved by 43%.

In the global measure of women in Parliament, South Africa ranks 8th in the world.

Of the 10 LSM levels ( LSM1=poorest; LSM10 wealthiest ), the average SA family located in LSM6

The current police to population ratio is 1:304.

You could have just linked this page instead of copy and pasting.

www.sagoodnews.co.za...

If South Africa will indeed be the next global superpower, there will need to be at least one major change...they must find a way to effectively and efficiently remove the Prawns from District 9 in Johannesburg. When I look at it in that light, it makes perfect sense. TPTB are trying to reverse engineer the 2 mile-wide spacecraft looming in their airspace so they can finally deal with America and China.

Agreed the chances of this happening with our current government structure is very low