Provinces of South Africa

South Africa

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of South Africa

Constitution Bill of Rights Government Executive President Jacob Zuma Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe Cabinet Shadow Cabinet Legislative Parliament National Council of Provinces Chairperson M. J. Mahlangu National Assembly Speaker Max Sisulu Leader of the Opposition Helen Zille (national) Athol Trollip (parliament) Judiciary Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo Pres. of Supreme Court of Appeal Lex Mpati Courts Constitutional Court Supreme Court of Appeal High Court Magistrates' Courts Elections General: 1910 1915 1920 1921 1924 1929 1933 1938 1943 1948 1953 1958 1961 1966 1970 1974 1977 1981 1984 1987 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 Municipal: 2000 2006 2011 Referendums: 1960 1983 1992 Administrative divisions Provinces Districts (MMs, DMs) Municipalities (list) Other Political parties Foreign relations

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South Africa is currently divided into nine provinces. On the eve of the 1994 general election, South Africa's former homelands, also known as Bantustans, were reintegrated and the four existing provinces were divided into nine. The twelfth, thirteenth and sixteenth amendments to the constitution changed the borders of seven of the provinces. The provinces are as follows:

¹: The Prince Edward Islands, South African territories in the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean that are part of the Western Cape for legal purposes, are not included in these statistics.

²: Pietermaritzburg and Ulundi were joint capitals of KwaZulu-Natal from 1994 to 2004.

History

Since the establishing of the Union of South Africa in 1910, South Africa had four provinces consisting of the divisions which existed prior to the Second Boer War: two British colonies (the Cape Colony and Natal Colony) and two Boer republics (the Orange Free State and Transvaal Republic). Segregation of the black population started as early as 1913, with ownership of land by the black majority being restricted to certain areas totaling about 13% of the country. From the late 1950s, these areas were gradually consolidated into "homelands" or "bantustans," which served as the de jure national states of the black population during the apartheid era. In 1976, the homeland of Transkei was the first to accept independence from South Africa, and although this independence was never acknowledged by any other country, three other homelands followed suit.

Provinces from 1910 to 1994

• Cape Province (Cape Town)
• Natal (Pietermaritzburg)
• Orange Free State (Bloemfontein)
• Transvaal (Pretoria)

Independent Homelands

These Independent Homelands were known as the TBVC States.

• Transkei (Mthatha). Declared independent in 1976.
• Bophuthatswana (Mmabatho). Declared independent in 1977.
• Venda (Thohoyandou). Declared independent in 1979
• Ciskei (Bhisho). Declared independent in 1981.

Non-Independent Homelands

• Gazankulu (Giyani)
• KaNgwane (Louieville)
• KwaNdebele (Siyabuswa)
• KwaZulu (Ulundi)
• Lebowa (Lebowakgomo)
• Qwaqwa (Phuthaditjhaba)

See also

• Elections in South Africa
• Prince Edward Islands
• Ranked list of South African provinces
• Walvis Bay

References

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