Where access to clean cooking changed in Southern Africa
Access to clean cooking reached an estimated 90% in South Africa in 2024, up from 57% in 2000. Lesotho rose from 16% to 58%, while Zambia’s estimate fell from 15% to 10%.
Southern Africa
How five Southern African power mixes compare
In 2021, renewable sources supplied 93.4% of electricity output in Namibia, 92.0% in Zambia and 6.4% in South Africa in the World Bank series.
Sources checked
- Namibia93.37%
- Zambia92.02%
- Zimbabwe87.54%
- Mozambique82.71%
- South Africa6.45%
The five-country comparison uses 2021 generation data. It does not measure household access.
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Where adult account ownership expanded in Southern Africa
Zambia’s adult account ownership estimate rose from 45.86% in 2017 to 72.70% in 2024. South Africa had the highest 2024 estimate of the six countries in this comparison, at 81.13%.
How much agriculture, forestry and fishing add to Southern African economies
Agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 25.57% of Mozambique’s GDP in 2025 and 6.99% of Namibia’s. The share was below 3% in Botswana and South Africa.
What three decades of fine-particle exposure estimates show in Southern Africa
South Africa and Lesotho had the highest estimated average exposure to fine outdoor particles among six Southern African countries in 2023. Botswana and Mozambique had the lowest. The series weights pollution concentrations by where people live.
The changing density of branches and ATMs in Southern Africa
Namibia recorded 67.24 ATMs per 100,000 adults in 2024, while South Africa recorded 45.96 and Botswana 37.93. Their branch densities were nearly identical at around eight per 100,000 adults. The IMF survey gives two ways to compare physical access.
How basic sanitation coverage changed in Southern Africa
Lesotho’s estimated basic sanitation coverage rose from 13.91% in 2000 to 47.89% in 2024. Mozambique moved from 10.74% to 38.59%. Coverage increased in all six countries in the comparison.
How export and import prices moved relative to each other in Southern Africa
Zambia’s merchandise terms of trade index reached 126.4 in 2024 on a 2015 base of 100. Botswana and Lesotho were below 100. The 20-year record shows how the ratio of export to import unit values moved against each country’s own base.
How much basic internet price baskets cost across Southern Africa
Mozambique’s 2025 ITU fixed broadband basket cost 44.21% of monthly income per person, compared with 6.40% for mobile data. In Lesotho the fixed basket cost less than mobile. The four standardized baskets reveal different price and affordability rankings.
How freshwater withdrawal pressure changed in Southern Africa
South Africa’s recorded water stress indicator rose from 40.77% in 2000 to 67.60% in 2022. In the other five countries in this comparison, the 2022 indicator was below 3%.
Government consumption as a share of Southern African economies
Government final consumption equalled 35.75% of GDP in Lesotho in 2024, compared with 31.75% in Botswana and 12.68% in Zambia. The measure covers government purchases and services recorded in national accounts.
How gross saving changed as a share of Southern African GDP
Zambia’s gross savings were equivalent to 32.16% of GDP in 2024, near Botswana’s 32.00%. South Africa was at 13.58% and Mozambique at 1.71%.
How livestock production moved against its baseline in Southern Africa
Mozambique’s 2024 livestock production index was 160.20, placing its measured output about 60% above its 2014 to 2016 average. Zambia was about 25% above its own baseline. South Africa was about 4% above its baseline.
What manufactures contributed to Southern African merchandise exports
In 2023, manufactures accounted for 86.27% of Botswana’s recorded merchandise exports and 79.23% of Lesotho’s. The corresponding shares were 40.49% in South Africa and 7.33% in Mozambique.
How own-account and contributing family work changed in Southern Africa
The ILO estimates that own-account and contributing family workers made up 83.69% of employment in Mozambique and 70.17% in Zambia in 2025. Zambia was at 82.30% in 2000.
How the share of older residents changed in Southern Africa
South Africa’s estimated share of residents aged 65 or older rose from 3.95% in 1990 to 6.89% in 2025. Botswana also increased, while Zambia’s share fell from 2.88% to 2.00%.
How national population density changed in Southern Africa
Lesotho had about 77.0 residents per square kilometre in 2024, South Africa 52.8 and Mozambique 44.0. Namibia and Botswana were below five.
What the enrolment and staffing counts say about primary schools in Southern Africa
Mozambique reported about 57 primary pupils per teacher in its paired 2022 counts. Zambia recorded about 38 in 2024 and Lesotho about 30 in the same year. The searchable data show the pupil and teacher counts behind each ratio.
The rand, the pula and Southern Africa’s linked currencies
Botswana replaced the South African rand with the pula in 1976 and later managed it against a currency basket. Eswatini, Lesotho and Namibia introduced their own currencies at parity with the rand. The central bank records show how the arrangements developed.
How real consumption per person moved across Southern Africa
South Africa’s household and nonprofit consumption per person rose 2.38% in 2025. Mozambique’s fell 6.28%, while Lesotho’s increased 0.40%. National accounts show the changes after adjusting for inflation and population.
Where solar reshaped renewable power capacity in Southern Africa
South Africa added 3,081 megawatts of renewable power capacity between the ends of 2024 and 2025, including 2,197 MW of solar. Namibia recorded 389 MW of solar by the end of 2025, more than half its renewable total.
Reported and estimated road deaths in six Southern African countries
For 2021, WHO estimated 6,451 road traffic deaths in Mozambique, compared with 944 reported in its country profile. In Namibia, the reported count and WHO estimate were much closer, at 540 and 557 respectively.
Research spending and researcher density in Southern Africa
Namibia spent an estimated 0.65% of GDP on research and development in 2022, slightly above South Africa’s 0.61%. South Africa recorded nearly twice as many full-time-equivalent researchers per million people in the same year.
How tax revenue changed relative to GDP in Southern Africa
In 2023, the reported tax-revenue ratio was 40.00% of GDP in Lesotho, 32.66% in Namibia and 25.40% in South Africa. Zambia reported 17.27%.
What trade relative to GDP shows across six Southern African economies
In 2024, trade in goods and services amounted to 152.47% of GDP in Lesotho and 108.00% in Namibia. The same measure was 61.65% in South Africa.
How child survival changed in six Southern African countries
Under-five mortality fell between 2000 and 2024 in all six countries in this comparison. Mozambique and Zambia recorded declines of more than 100 deaths per 1,000 live births, while the latest estimates ranged from 33.3 in Botswana to 60.0 in Lesotho.
Women in senior and middle management across Southern Africa
Women accounted for 48.21% of Botswana’s senior and middle managers in the 2024 observation, compared with 39.27% in South Africa, 32.92% in Lesotho and 29.59% in Zambia. The series counts managers in employment across covered sectors.
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