For the purposes of trade statistics, Basutoland, the Bechuana land Protectorate, and Swaziland are treated as integral parts of the Union of South Africa. In 1926 imports of various classes, including Government stores, but excluding specie, were valued at .172,598,157: of this amount, manufactured articles, the principal items being textiles, were valued at over L56,000,000 and food and drink at L7,268,442. The exports from the Union in 1926, of South African products, excluding specie, were valued at L72,324,241. The products of mines were estimated to be worth £47,668,153, and the agricultural and pastoral products L21,314,301.
The principal metal in point of value produced in South Africa is gold, of which in 1926 the output was 9,954,762 fine ozs., valued at 42,285,539. All of this came from the Transvaal. Next in value were diamonds, L10,683,597, almost entirely from the Cape Province and the Transvaal. Coal was mined to the extent of 13,734,463 tons, chiefly in the Transvaal (7,593,468 tons) and in Natal tons). 981,333 fine oz. of silver were pro duced in the Transvaal. Among the other mineral products, men tion may be made of 14,097 tons of asbestos (L216,466), 5,996 tons of corundum (L44,871), ozs. of platinum (L93,307), and 1,785 tons of tin (i310,899), all almost entirely from the Transvaal; and 9,235 tons of copper (L494,852) from the last named province and the Cape.
Various industries, mostly on a comparatively small scale, are growing up in the country to supply the local market. These are largely concerned with the preparation of foods and drinks and the manufacture of vehicles (wagons, etc.), furniture, boots and saddlery, bricks, tiles and cement, chemicals, etc. The total num ber of factories in South Africa in 1925-26 was 7,085. They pro vided employment for 75,987 Europeans and 117,435 non-Euro peans, and produced materials valued at i91,536,926. The average wage paid to European workers in 1924-25 was 1239, and to non European employees The following figures will give some indication of the direction and nature of South Africa's overseas trade in 1926.
The Weights and Measures Act, No. 32 of 1922, embodied the principle of the optional use of Imperial or metric standards. In practice the use of English measures is nearly universal, with the addition in some areas of the morgen (2.1/654 ac.), the muid (about 3 bushels), the leaguer (1261 gal.), etc. The official time
is the standard time of the 3oth meridian east of Greenwich.
South Africa has four universities. The University of South Africa has its headquarters in Pretoria, and includes internal and external students. It has six constituent colleges, situated at Pre toria, Potchefstroom, Bloemfontein, Pietermaritzburg, Grahams town, and Wellington.
Also, there are the University of Cape Town, of the Wit watersrand, at Johannesburg, and the Stellenbosch university. The latter is said to specialize in agriculture and theology.
Language.—South Africa has two official languages, English and Afrikaans. The latter is derived from the Dutch of the 17th century, which was brought out by the early settlers, who were largely discharged soldiers and sailors. The vocabulary is some what limited, and the structure considerably simplified to meet the ordinary requirements of a rural population, and to be intel ligible to the Bantu and Hottentots in its service. It is now being taught in practically all the schools in the country. An Afrikaans translation of the Bible is being undertaken. In 1921, of the total European population of the Union, over 7 years of age, 50.71% spoke both languages, 25.16% spoke only English, and 23.79% only Afrikaans.
The Dutch Reformed Church is divided into four provincial synods. Also, there are the Reformed Church of South Africa and Die Nederduits Hervormide Kerk. The Anglican Church has its own constitution, important decisions requiring the concurrent assent of all orders of the Church—bishops, clergy and laity. The seat of the archbishop is at Cape Town. The province is divided into twelve dioceses. The Roman Catholic Church is organized into nine vicariates. (R. U. S.)