The 2021 mid-year population estimates assert that the South African total population is at 60.1 million people (StatsSA, 2021). The South-African population is usually classified using the population groups that people use to describe themselves in the country’s census, and that have a historical basis in the ‘racial’ classification system of the Apartheid regime: Black African, Coloured, White, Indian/Asian, and Unspecified. The table below provides the breakdown of the population structure, as per these estimates:

Table 1: Mid-year estimates for South Africa by population group and sex for 2021[1]

Population group	Male		Female		Total
	Number	% of total male population	Number	% of total female population	Number	% of total population
Black African	23 761 051	80,9	24 879 278	80,9	48 640 329	80,9
Coloured	2 578 930	8,8	2 716 038	8,8	5 294 968	8,8
Indian/Asian	790 412	2,7	754 810	2,5	1 545 222	2,6
White	2 257 654	7,7	2 404 805	7,8	4 662 459	7,8
Total	29 338 047	100,0	30 754 931	100,0	60 142 978	100,0

Source: (StatsSA, 2021). Mid-year population estimates (table 5), p.9. 

The majority of the population falls within the 25-59 year old age range (44%), followed by 0-14 year olds (29%), 15-24 year olds (18%) and 60 years and over (8%) (United Nations, 2017).

[1] The total population estimates have been updated for 2021 but the data presented in the remaining tables remain for 2018 as the overall proportions and trends have not changed.

References:

StatsSA. (2021). Mid-year population estimates 2021. In Statistics South Africa: Release date 19 July 2021 (Issue Statistical release P0302). Available from: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022021.pdf

United Nations. (2017). World Population Prospects The 2017 Revision Key Findings and Advance Tables. World Population Prospects The 2017, 1–46. Available from: https://population.un.org/wpp/publications/files/wpp2017_keyfindings.pdf