Lesson 5/55 min
South Africa and its neighbours
The 5 countries of Southern Africa (one source's list)
| Country | Capital | Currency | Ruled by | Independence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namibia | Windhoek | Namibian dollar | South Africa | 1990 |
| Botswana | Gaborone | Pula | Britain | 1966 |
| Eswatini | Mbabane | Lilangeni | Britain | 1968 |
| Lesotho | Maseru | Loti | Britain | 1966 |
| South Africa | Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein | Rand | Britain | 1910 (Union), 1961 (Republic) |
Watch out: One source's table gives Namibia's currency as “dollar”, Eswatini's capital as “Maben” and currency as “franc”, and South Africa's capital as “Cape Town” and year “1966” (hard to read). Corrected facts are given here. If an exam expects Cape Town, read the question carefully, because there are three capitals.
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia
- Botswana: landlocked; savanna; rich in diamonds and other minerals
- Lesotho: completely surrounded by South Africa; formerly Basutoland; its economy depends on South Africa
- Namibia: in south-west Africa; Germany took it in 1884; South Africa seized it in the First World War; the Marxist guerrilla group SWAPO fought for independence; independent on 21 March 1990
Watch out: One source says South West Africa was renamed Namibia in 1960. The United Nations adopted the name in 1968.
South Africa
- Kimberley is the famous diamond city
- Three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judiciary), Cape Town (legislature)
- The first political organisation of black South Africans, the African National Congress, was founded on 8 January 1912
- The largest seaport is Durban; East London is on the Buffalo River
- The last white president was F. W. de Klerk
Nelson Mandela and apartheid
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1948 | Apartheid is introduced |
| 11 February 1990 | Mandela is freed after about 27 years |
| 1991 | The apartheid laws are formally repealed |
| 1993 | Mandela (with de Klerk) wins the Nobel Peace Prize |
| 10 May 1994 | He takes office as the first black president, serving until 16 June 1999 |
- The 342 years of white rule ended with Mandela taking power (one source's count, asked in exams)
- Nelson Mandela International Day: 18 July
- The UN “Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace” runs 2019–2028
- South Africa brought a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over Gaza
Did you know?: In the 2024 election the ANC lost its parliamentary majority; Cyril Ramaphosa was re-elected president in June 2024 at the head of a Government of National Unity (the ANC, DA and others). Check the latest position before your exam.
Watch out: One source calls South Africa “Africa's only industrialised country” and says apartheid was introduced in 1971. Neither claim could be verified, so they are left out. One source question gives Qunu as Mandela's birthplace, and several answers are cut off at the page edge; none of them are in the quiz. One question says South Africa is the top diamond producer, but one source's own note says Russia is now first.
Check yourself
When was Nelson Mandela freed?
At a glance
- 1
South Africa's three capitals: Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town.
- 2
The ANC was founded on 8 January 1912; the last white president was F. W. de Klerk.
- 3
Mandela was freed on 11 February 1990, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and became president on 10 May 1994.
- 4
Namibia became independent on 21 March 1990; its capital is Windhoek.
- 5
Lesotho is entirely surrounded by South Africa; it was formerly Basutoland.
- 6
Mandela Day is 18 July; the UN Mandela Decade of Peace is 2019–2028.