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Country Program Materials
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USAID/South Africa Links
USAID/South
Africa Mission
www.sn.apc.org/usaidsa Mission Director:
Local Address:
- P.O. Box 43
Pretoria 0027
South Africa
Tel: 27-12-452-2000
Fax: 27-12-452-2399
From the US:
- DOS/USAID
9300 Pretoria Place
Washington, D.C.
20521-9300
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USAID's Strategy in South Africa Eight years after the fall of apartheid and the installation
of a democratic government, South Africa has made remarkable
progress closing the gap between historically privileged and
disadvantaged groups. Major transformations of the judicial,
education, health, housing and governance sectors have accompanied
and facilitated this progress. Yet much work remains. South
Africa's principal development challenges include a sluggish
economy, a high HIV/AIDS infection rate, and spiraling crime.
Income inequality is among the highest in the world. Nearly
60 percent of black South Africans live in poverty, compared
to three percent of whites. Similarly, large disparities are
found in job skills, education, health care, and housing among
South Africans, over half of whom live in urban centers. In
addition, South Africa has more people living with HIV/AIDS
than any other country in the world.
Despite South Africa's adherence to prudent monetary and
fiscal policies, economic growth has been sluggish. Although
South Africa itself has been spared the direct ravages of
drought and the misguided food security policies afflicting
other countries in the region, prices of foodstuffs have risen
20 percent over the past year, while overall inflation was
a bit under 15 percent. It is unlikely that South Africa's
pursuit of prudent monetary and fiscal policies, public-private
partnerships to deliver services, privatization, and greater
international and regional trade will soon translate into
more jobs and improved living conditions for South Africans. With nearly half of the total population living below the
poverty line, violent crime has become endemic in South Africa.
While crime rates are among the highest in the world, the
conviction rate, estimated at eight percent, is among the
lowest. The high level of crime is a disincentive for much-needed
foreign investment. It also contributes to disillusionment
with democracy among South Africans. As most South Africans
have not reaped tangible benefits from the country's sharp
turn to democracy and aggressive effort to integrate into
the world economy, a growing number of observers now mark
the next five years as critical for South Africa's future. U.S. national interests in South Africa derive from South
Africa's growing role as a political and economic leader in
the region and on the continent as a whole and its relative
stability as an anchor of democracy in the region. South Africa
is a strong U.S. ally in the war on terrorism. South Africa
remains one of the most important U.S. trading partners in
sub-Saharan Africa and is an exporter of numerous products
to the United States, including vehicles and parts, apparel,
and fresh and canned fruits and vegetables, to name a few.
South Africa is a major regional supplier of food to relief
efforts in Africa's food-insecure countries, and South African
ports, railways and trucking companies are utilized extensively
in the distribution of food throughout Southern Africa.
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