South Africa is the richest country in Africa. Although it has only 4 % of Africa’s area it produces about 25% of the continents goods and services. However, it is mostly the White population that has achieved most of the country’s wealth. They owned the major companies for a long time. Today, years after the end of apartheid, Whites still control most of the economy but Blacks are getting better jobs and earning more than some years ago. 

South Africa’s economy is based on mining and industry. About 40% of all the gold that has ever been mined on earth has come from this region. Once the world's number one gold producer, production has gone down since its heyday in the 1970s . Centre of gold mining is the Witwatersrand in the north of the country. South Africa still has a many important natural resources including iron ore, platinum and chromium. Ever since the first diamond was found over 150 years ago, South Africa has been a major producer in the world. Factories in South Africa produce cars, chemicals, iron, steel and machines. 

Although South Africa does not have so much good farming land the country can export many products, including corn, wheat, sugar cane, citrus fruits.  Great wines are produced in the southern regions which have a Mediterranean climate. Farmers raise sheep, cattle and pigs for meat and other products. 


Gold mining near Johannesburg

Gold mining area near Johannesburg
Image:Hansueli Krapf  This file was uploaded with Commonist., CC BY-SA 3.0,
via Wikimedia Commons 



Vinyard in Stellenbosch

Vinyard in Stellenbosch
Image:Iryna Kuchma, kiryna, CC BY 2.0,
via Wikimedia Commons



 

Words
 

  • achieve = get
  • although  = while
  • Apartheid = the political and social system in South Africa, in which only white people had rights: other races had to live separately
  • cattle = cows on a farm
  • chromium = a hard blue-white metal that is used to cover metal objects with a shiny silver surface
  • citrus fruits = a fruit with a thick skin, like oranges or lemons
  • economy = financial system of a country; how goods are bought and sold 
  • factory = building where products are made with machines
  • goods = products
  • heyday = here : the time when with the highest production
  • however = but
  • iron ore = rock that has iron in it
  • major = most important; main
  • Mediterranean = area between Europe and Africa
  • mining = the work or industry of getting gold, coal etc out of the earth
  • natural resources = minerals and other valuable things that exist in nature 
  • platinum = a silver-grey metal that does not change colour and is used in making expensive jewellery and in industry
  • raise = feed
  • services = work that you do for someone else and get paid for it 
  • sugar cane = a tall tropical plant from which you can make sugar
  • wealth = being rich
  • wheat =  a plant that you make white bread from