Capital: Pretoria
Area: 1,219,912 km²
Population: 44.3 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: African descent, European descent, coloured, and Indian descent
Official language(s): English, Afrikaans, seSotho, isiXhosa, isiZulu, isiNdebele, saLebowa, siSwati, Xitsonga, Setswana, and Tshivenda.
Religion(s): Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and traditional religions
Currency: 1 rand = 100 cents
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
In 1979, after the SOS Children's Village idea had already spread to several African countries, SOS-Kinderdorf International decided to start operating in South Africa as well. Under the Apartheid regime the situation of the African children in the townships was mostly one of poverty and deprivation. In 1982 the national association "SOS Children's Village Association of South Africa" was founded and the first SOS Children's Village with an SOS Kindergarten was established in Ennerdale, 30 km south of Johannesburg. In many provinces of South Africa there was a great need for SOS Children's Village Facilities, and such support initiatives were appreciated by the changing political powers, which all promoted their realization.
Former President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu are among the most prominent advocates of SOS Children's Villages in South Africa. Although at first the SOS Children's Village Facilities were meant for non-white children in particular, also Indian and white children moved into the SOS Children's Village in Cape Town in 1994, and these children were equally cared for by multi-racial SOS Mothers, which prior to 1993 had been impossible under the Apartheid laws. Natural disasters such as the catastrophic floods in the province of Natal in 1987 or a disastrous storm over Cape Town in 1999 induced SOS Children's Villages South Africa to provide immediate help for homeless people with SOS Emergency Relief Programmes.
In 2002, SOS Children’s Villages started to operate Family Strengthening Programmes, which enable children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
Like many African countries, South Africa is also strongly affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. With community-based childcare & support programmes all SOS Children's Villages in the country are attempting to provide practical assistance for children and families most affected by HIV/AIDS.
At present there are eight SOS Children's Villages, six SOS Youth Facilities, seven SOS Kindergartens, one SOS Hermann Gmeiner School, one SOS Mother and Staff Training Centre and eleven SOS Social Centres in South Africa.
Website of SOS Children's Villages South Africa
(available in English)