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South Africa
Population 1
60,442,647
(2024 est.)
Language 2
Isizulu (Zulu)
24.4%
IsiZhosa (Xhosa)
16.3%
Afrikaans
10.6%
Sepedi (Pedi)
10.0%
English
8.7%
Setswana (Tswana)
8.3%
Sesotho (Sotho)
7.8%
Xitsonga (Tsonga)
4.7%
siSwati (Swati)
2.8%
Tshivenda (Venda)
2.5%
isiNdebele (Ndebele)
1.7%
Other
2.1%
Data represents languages spoken most often at home. (2022 est.)
Religion 2
Christianity
85.3%
Traditional African Beliefs
7.8%
No Religious Affiliation
2.9%
Islam
1.6%
Hinduism
1.1%
Other (Judaism, Buddhism, BaháʼÃ)
1.1%
Atheist / Agnostic
0.2%
(2022 est.)
Ethnicity 2
Black African
81.4%
Mixed Race *
8.2%
White
7.3%
Indian/Asian
2.7%
Other
0.4%
(2022 est.)
* South Africa's national census categorises persons of mixed-race ancestry as 'Coloured'. This is the standardised term used in official administrative settings to describe a distinct racial/cultural identity.
Cultural Dimensions
49
65
63
49
34
63
South Africans in Australia 3
These demographic statistics pertain to individuals in Australia who were born in South Africa, as reported in the 2021 Australian Housing and Population Census. The data specifically represents responses from first-generation migrants and does not encompass the total number of people in Australia who may identify as South African.
Population
189,207
Citizenship
Australian citizen
75.8%
Not an Australian citizen
23.8%
Median Age
45
Gender
Male
49.1%
Female
50.9%
Religion
Christianity
59.1%
No Religion
25.7%
Judaism
6.9%
Hinduism
2.5%
Islam
1.8%
Other Religion
1.6%
Not Stated
2.4%
Ancestry
South African
42.2%
English
33.2%
Dutch
9.9%
German
8.9%
Scottish
8.7%
Irish
5.8%
Indian
4.5%
These are the top ancestry responses of people born in South Africa. Respondents were able to provide up to two answers. Therefore, the sum of all ancestry responses exceeds the total number of people.
Language Spoken at Home
English
73.6%
Afrikaans
22.7%
German
0.3%
Portugese
0.3%
Other Languages
2.1%
Of those who speak a language other than English at home, 98.1% speak English fluently.
Diaspora
New South Wales
26.3%
Queensland
25.3%
Western Australia
23.7%
Victoria
16.5%
Other
7.2%
Year of Arrival
Prior to 1991
19.3%
1991 - 2000
15.1%
2001 - 2010
35.7%
2011 - 2015
13.7%
2016 - 2021
15.0%
Australians with South African Ancestry 4
South African – 144,666
Afrikaner – 6,153
Zulu – 501
These figures represent the total number of people in Australia who reported South African, Afrikaner or Zulu ancestry in the 2021 Census, including individuals born in Australia and other countries. It captures the responses of first-, second-, and third-generation migrants who may identify as South Africa, regardless of their place of birth.
