Currency code:
ZAR
Exchange rates:
rand per US dollar - 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003), 10.5407 (2002),
8.6092 (2001), 6.9398 (2000)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Communications South Africa
Telephones - main lines in use:
4.844 million (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
16.86 million (2003)
Telephone system:
general assessment: the system is the best developed and most
modern in Africa
domestic: consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial
cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable,
radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key
centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port
Elizabeth, and Pretoria
international: country code - 27; 2 submarine cables; satellite
earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios:
17 million (2001)
Television broadcast stations:
556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997)