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→People: Religion
*Religions: Predominantly Christian; traditional African, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish.
*Religions: Predominantly Christian; traditional African, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish.
*Education: Years compulsory--7-15 years of age for all children. The South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996, passed by Parliament in 1996, aims to achieve greater educational opportunities for black children, mandating a single syllabus and more equitable funding for schools.
*Education: Years compulsory--7-15 years of age for all children. The South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996, passed by Parliament in 1996, aims to achieve greater educational opportunities for black children, mandating a single syllabus and more equitable funding for schools.
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2000)--59 per live births. Life expectancy--52 yrs. women; 50 yrs. men. Health data from 2000 U.S. Census Report: HIV/AIDS Country Profiles: [http://www.census.gov/ipc/hiv/safrica.pdf]].
*Health: Infant mortality rate (2000)--59 per live births. Life expectancy--52 yrs. women; 50 yrs. men. Health data from 2000 U.S. Census Report: HIV/AIDS Country Profiles: [http://www.census.gov/ipc/hiv/safrica.pdf]].
===Religion===
The 2001 religious demography census estimated that 80% of the population is Christian. Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and adherents of traditional African beliefs combines constitute about 4% of the population. Approximately 15% of the population indicated that it belongs to no particular religion or declined to indicate an affiliation.
African Independent Churches (AICs) are the largest group of Christian churches. Once regarded as Ethiopian churches, the majority are now referred to as Zionist or Apostolic churches. There are more than 4,000 AICs, with a membership of more than 10 million, constituting approximately 20% of the population. The Zionist Christian Church is the largest AIC, with an estimated membership of more than four million. AICs serve more than half the population in northern KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga areas. There are at least 900 AICs are in Soweto.
Other Christian groups include Protestants (Dutch Reformed family of Churches, Anglican, Baptist, Congregational, Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian) and the Roman Catholic Church. Greek Orthodox, the Church of Scientology, and Seventh-day Adventist churches are also active.
African traditionalists make up less than 1% of the population. Practitioners include traditional healers, often referred to as witches, although they do not see themselves as such. Many of the African traditionalists combine Christian and indigenous religious practices, and 15% of the population claims no affiliation with any formal religious organization. It is believed that many of these persons adhere to indigenous religions.
An estimated two-thirds of South Africa's Indian population, a majority of which resides in KwaZulu-Natal, practice Hinduism. The small Muslim community is mostly made up of Cape Malays of Indonesian descent, and the remainder is largely of Indian extraction.
==Government and Political Conditions==
==Government and Political Conditions==