9 Ministry challenges for the Church in South Africa:

a) AIDS victims

b) Urbanites

c) Young people and children – over 45% of the population is under 20

d) Muslims are only 1.4% of the population (600,000), but exercise an influence far greater than their numbers

e) Hindus are 50% of the Asian population

f) The Chinese

g) The Portuguese and Greek communities are largely Catholic or Orthodox

h) The Jews

i) Mine workers are drawn from all over rural South Africa and surrounding nations

j) Illegal immigrants have streamed over South Africa's borders

10 Missions vision has flourished since 1991 and the ending of South Africa's 30-year diplomatic isolation

a) The continued growth and health of the missions movement

b) Good cooperation between churches, Bible colleges and mission agencies

c) Strategic development of vision

d) South African missionaries around the world

e) The emergence of missionary outreach from the Black churches

11 Expatriate missions

12 Christian help ministries

a) Bible production and distribution

b) Christian literature is available in abundance

c) Christian broadcasting has a large following

d) The JESUS film is widely used in 18 languages and a high proportion of the population has seen it

e) MAF has a base in South Africa; its main ministry is flying teams for ministry to surrounding countries

Religion

Religions	Population %	Adherents	Ann.Gr.
Christian	73.52	29,684,861	+1.2%
Traditional ethnic	15.00	6,056,487	+0.8%
non-Religious/other	8.08	3,262,428	+6.5%
Muslim	1.45	585,460	+2.8%
Hindu	1.25	504,707	+0.4%
Baha'i	0.50	201,883	+1.5%
Jewish	0.17	68,640	+1.5%
Buddhist/Chinese	0.03	12,113	+10.1%

Christians	Denom.	Affil.%	,000	Ann.Gr.
Protestant	185	21.06	8,502	-0.3%
Independent	4,589	37.99	15,339	+2.6%
Anglican	2	3.96	1,600	-4.8%
Catholic	1	8.35	3,372	+2.4%
Orthodox	4	0.12	48	+6.3%
Marginal	12	0.54	218	+1.0%
Unaffiliated		1.50	605	n.a.

Churches in South Africa

Missionaries from South Africa

2,622 in 126 agencies

Missionaries to South Africa

1,258 in 140 agencies from 40 countries

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Geography

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Area 1,218,363 sq.km. A republic with nine provinces at the southernmost point of Africa.

Population (2000) 40,376,579 +1.51%AGR

Capital Cape Town (legislative) 2.6 million. Pretoria (administrative) 1.7m; Bloemfontein (judicial) 325,000.

Peoples

African 76.7%.

Caucasian 10.9%;

Coloured (mixed race) 8.9%.

Asian 2.6%.

Other 0.9%.

Literacy 82%. Functional literacy is much lower at around 62%. National languages 11 – all the major ethnic languages. English and Afrikaans are the main languages in higher education. All languages 32. Languages with Scriptures 19Bi 1NT 1w.i.p.

Economy

The richest and most industrialized country in Africa (25% of Africa's GNP, 40% of its industrial output). Unemployment 25% (38% for youth and may be much higher). HDI 0.695; 101^st/174. Public debt 9% of GNP. Income/person $3,210 (10% of USA) – but big disparities between wealthy and poor.

Politics

The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910.

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