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South Africa: Government

Key Figures

Chief of State:
President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa
Head of Government:
President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa

Overview

Government Name:
Republic of South Africa
Constitution:
Adopted: 1996; Establishes the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the government. The current constitution was drawn up by the Parliament first elected in non-racial elections in 1994.
Government Type:
Parliamentary Republic
Republic of South Africa Flag
Coat of Arms of Republic of South Africa

Index of Economic Freedom

Grades each country on a scale of 0 to 100, based on ten freedoms, with 100 representing the greatest amount of economic autonomy from government intervention. Source: Heritage Foundation (2023)

Country Risk Rating

C
A very uncertain political and economic outlook and a business environment with many troublesome weaknesses can have a significant impact on corporate payment behavior. Corporate default probability is high. Source: Coface (2022)

Government Branches

Main Powers Election Process Election Cycle 1
Executive

Responsible for executing laws made by parliament.

President is elected by the National Assembly.

5 years
Judicial

Interprets the laws, using as a basis the laws as enacted and explanatory statements made in the legislature during the enactment.

Appointed by president.

12 years; Retire age of 70
Legislative

Creates laws and supervises the actions of the other two branches of government with permission to chang the laws when appropriate.

National Council of Provinces members are nominated by regional legislatures, and National Assembly members are elected through a closed-list proportional representation system.

National Council of Provinces: 5 years; National Assembly: 4 years

Regional Trade Blocs
SADC

International Organization Participation [2]

Environmental Agreements [3]

Tax Information [2]

Tax Authority:
Commissioner for the South African Revenue Service
Tax Name:
VAT

Sources:

  1. ElectionGuide http://www.electionguide.org/
  2. EY, http://www.ey.com
  3. CIA World Factbook, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/
  4. U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/