Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, heavily populated and rich in culture, with more than 2,000 official languages. While Africa has been called ‘the hopeless continent’, filled with poverty and devastation, South Africa hasn’t suffered the same perception. (Huffington, 2016)
The abundance of South Africa’s natural resources makes it one of the world’s largest sources of raw materials. South Africa produces more than 10 percent of the world’s gold, from more than 30 functioning mines. South Africa’s natural resources also include mineral reserves of iron ore, copper, platinum, silver, manganese, titanium, chromium and uranium. (Huffington, 2016) South Africa is home to nearly two-thirds of the world’s platinum and about half of the chromium. Gold and diamonds revolutionized the country in the 1800s and helped strengthen the country’s economic structure. These discoveries ensured the country’s survival and sustainability for a time, allowing it to be less reliant on foreign support. (Port House, 2020)
The South African diamond trade is one of the biggest in the world, exports millions of diamonds each day around the world, including to New York, China, Dubai and Bangkok. The diamond industry has helped create millions of jobs for people within and outside the country. (Marcome, 2009)
South Africa’s natural resources are widely known to be gold and diamonds, the country is also blessed with large exportable quantities of sugar and timber. Also, many are unaware that South Africa is among the top 10 producers of wine globally. (Port House, 2020)
The country’s top export destinations are China, United States, India and the United Kingdom. South Africa is a great nation and it has evolved drastically over the centuries, helped along the way by abundant natural resources that have blessed the country with a strong economy. (Marcome, 2009)
