Metric	South Africa	Egypt
Capital	Pretoria	Cairo
Region	Southern Africa	North Africa
Population	60,400,000	110,000,000
Area (km²)	1,221,037	1,001,449
GDP (USD billion)	$380.9	$396.0
Currency	South African Rand (ZAR)	Egyptian Pound (EGP)
Official language(s)	English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa	Arabic
Landlocked	No	No
Island nation	No	No

Population

Egypt has the larger population, with approximately 110,000,000 people compared to South Africa's 60,400,000 — a difference of roughly 45%. Population size affects everything from labor markets and consumer demand to political influence within Africa.

Area and Geography

South Africa covers 1,221,037 km², while Egypt covers 1,001,449 km². The two countries sit in different parts of the continent: South Africa is in Southern Africa and Egypt is in North Africa.

Economy

Egypt has the larger nominal GDP at approximately $396.0 billion, compared to $380.9 billion for South Africa. Both economies have distinct strengths and structural challenges that shape their development trajectories.

Language and Culture

South Africa uses English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa as official language(s), while Egypt uses Arabic. These linguistic differences reflect distinct colonial histories and cultural traditions that continue to shape each country's identity, education system and international relationships.

Currency

South Africa uses the South African Rand (ZAR) while Egypt uses the Egyptian Pound (EGP). Exchange rates between the two should be checked before any commercial transaction.

Quick Facts

• South Africa is 1.2× the size of Egypt by area.
• Both countries are members of the African Union and African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Read More

• South Africa country guide
• Egypt country guide
• Southern Africa region
• North Africa region
• All country comparisons