Republic since 1961. The official languages at national level are Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Most inhabitants profess Christianity of some form and belong to either Catholic, Anglican and other protestant denominations, Afrikaner Calvinist churches or African independent churches. There are also significant Hindu, Muslim and Jewish communities, and traditional beliefs are still practiced widely, sometimes in conjunction with Christianity. Most main hotels have this service.
Services are available in all towns.
Airmail to Europe takes up to seven days. Some transactions may not be carried out after 1530 Monday to Friday or after 1100 Saturday. The smaller post offices close for lunch 1300-1400. Poste Restante services are available throughout the country. The main newspapers are in English and Afrikaans, and include Business Day, Cape Times, The Argus, Mail and Guardian, The Star, Sowetan, Sunday Times, and Natal Mercury.