What kinds of resources are available in South Africa to provide goods and services?

South Africa has a very rich terrain, providing many of the most cherished natural resources known to man. Gold and gem diamonds are common and entice the interests of foreign and domestic geologists and tourists but possess little more than value, as opposed to the myriad of useful materials the land has to offer. These include chromium, platinum, copper, coal, phosphates, uranium, and various natural gasses, all used to enrich living conditions and the quest towards urbanization. Uranium, being a well sought-after element, gives the capability of nuclear power, and thus allowing South Africa to strive towards alternative power for a cleaner ozone (currently only providing about 6.87% of all power). 

Because of South Africa's rich and abundant supply of natural resources, many of its exports are in the form of metals (gold, gem diamonds, etc.) and machinery. Much of the machinery is developed with respect to the materials it has to offer (industrial grade agricultural equipment, farming tools, etc.). Nonetheless, much of the country's income is based upon services. Given the availability of such resources a large percentage of the working population is employed in mining, namely in the areas of purification, transformation of resources into products, and world-wide distribution. Apart from that, South Africa is a rapidly progressing nation in communications. With over 5 million telephone lines in use, 13.75 million radio broadcast stations, 700 television broadcast stations, and with a growing quantity of 2 million internet users, it is no wonder that millions of citizens are employed in this booming category of labor.

South Africa has a literacy rate of about 81.8% for both men and women combined and 63.11% of them are between 15 and 64 years of age. Schools all around the country have high standards for all of their students, however, due to the yet under-developed access to technological resources (as compared to the U.S.), the literacy rate is stable where it presently stands. There is a heavy emphasis on the basic subjects (mathematics, history, second language, geography, and science) and also a strong push towards extra skills such as needlework, woodwork, and art. Once a child is near the end, of what is considered high school in the States, he or she must take a comprehensive and analytical exam covering six main topics. Based on a tri-rank system the student's success will determine if he or she is eligible to proceed to higher educational studies. This system ensures the "weeding" out of less competent students, per se, and that only the best enter some of the finest universities (with over 129 technical schools, 21 accredited universities, and 15 technikons, or degree study programs). Because of this, South Africa stands as one of the top 10 largest stock exchange countries in the world. Also, students come here from all over the world to pursue studies in different fields of business and technology.