South Africa, with its population of
59.31 million (2020), is the 25th largest country in the world and
is located in
southern Africa sharing a border with Namibia, Botswana and
Zimbabwe to its north, Swaziland and Mozambique to its east and
1738 miles of coastline bordering the Atlantic and Indian
oceans. It has one further border with Lesotho,
an enclave kingdom within South Africa. Today it is an established democracy
however its apartheid
history and years of oppression have left a legacy of cultural violence, lack
of education for a generation and widespread poverty, particularly outside the major
conurbations. South Africa is in 114th place out of 189 countries countries and
territories in 2019 when ranked in terms of life expectancy, literacy, access
to knowledge and the living standards of a country.
This is significantly
above the standing of other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, but still below
that for medium human development. Life expectancy for South African children
is 64.13 years (2019). 57% of South Africa's population
live in poverty with 50,000 children dying each year from curable diseases or
malnutrition. One in twenty children die before the age of five, nearly 20% of
the adult population suffer from AIDS/HIV (280,000 children are also infected);
1.4 million children have lost a parent to AIDS and overall there are around
thee million orphans in the country. Many children in South Africa also have
unmet needs in terms of education, decent housing (one in three children
live in inadequate housing), secure food and water sources (half of all South
Africa's children do not have access to safe water supplies).
These needs are compounded by high rates of unemployment, abuse
(three South African children are killed every day) and crime with
South Africa having the world's second highest crime rate). Child
sponsor programs in South Africa focuses on orphaned and abandoned
children, the provision of education (not least the health effects
of AIDS), family strengthening, clean water projects and
immunisation and health programs. You
can make a difference when you sponsor a child in South Africa.
Child Sponsor South Africa: SOS Children's Villages
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Child Sponsor South Africa: Life Child
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Child Sponsor South Africa: WorldVision
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Child Sponsor South Africa: Rehoboth
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Child Sponsor South Africa: Sponsor an Angel
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Child Sponsor South Africa: South Africa Children
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Child Sponsor South Africa: Volunteer in South Africa
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