407 (2002)

Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March

Communications South Africa

Telephones - main lines in use:
4.729 million (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
33.96 million (2005)

Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is the best developed and most
modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:
17 million (2001)

Television broadcast stations:
556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)

Televisions:
6 million (2000)

Internet country code:
.za

Internet hosts:
645,179 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
150 (2001)

Internet users:
5.1 million (2005)

Transportation South Africa

Airports:
731 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 146
over 3,047 m: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 51
914 to 1,523 m: 67
under 914 m: 13 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 585
1,524 to 2,437 m: 34
914 to 1,523 m: 302
under 914 m: 249 (2006)

Pipelines:
condensate 100 km; gas 1,062 km; oil 966 km; refined products 1,354
km (2006)

Railways:
total: 20,872 km
narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,868 km electrified); 436 km
0.610-m gauge (2005)

Roadways:
total: 362,099 km
paved: 73,506 km (including 239 km of expressways)
unpaved: 288,593 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
total: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 32,815 GRT/39,295 DWT
by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)
registered in other countries: 8 (Panama 3, UK 5) (2006)

Ports and terminals:
Cape Town, Durban, East London, Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay,
Saldanha Bay

Military South Africa

Military branches:
South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army,
South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint
Operations Command, Joint Support Command, Military Intelligence,
Military Health Service (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary