South Africa

South Africa has the most industrialized and diversified economy on the continent, with a sophisticated financial and mining sector and modern infrastructure, yet it suffers from the world's highest inequality, a legacy of apartheid.

Decades after the end of white-minority rule in 1994, the country grapples with very high unemployment, crippling electricity shortages ('load-shedding'), and slow growth, even as it remains Africa's economic heavyweight.

Key Sectors

Key sectors include mining (gold, platinum — the world's largest reserves — coal, and diamonds), a developed financial and services sector, manufacturing and automobiles, agriculture and wine, and tourism.