Fiscal year: 1 April—31 March
Communications
Telephones: 4.2 million (1997)
Telephone system: the system is the best developed, most modern, and has the highest capacity in Africa domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, and radiotelephone communication stations; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria international: 1 submarine cable; satellite earth stations—3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 15, FM 164, shortwave 1
Radios: 7.5 million (1999 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 556 (includes 156 network stations and 400 privately-owned low-power stations; in addition, there are 144 network repeaters) (1997)
Televisions: 7.5 million
Transportation
Railways:
total: 21,431 km
narrow gauge: 20,995 km 1.067-m gauge (9,087 km electrified); 436 km
0.610-m gauge (1995)