Further to these discussions, this is interesting reading -
SA's global rankings in 2012
Article By: Steuart Pennington
Wed, 13 Jun 2012 11:21 AM
The World Competitiveness Report has just pronounced that SA’s ranking has improved by two places from 52nd to 50th.
More surveys on just about everything
According to the Open Budget Index 2010, South Africa has the most transparent budget in the world. (International Budget Partnership)
WorldAudit.org ranks South Africa as the 47th least corrupt nation out of 150 nations surveyed in 2011, ahead of Italy, Greece and all the other BRICS nations. Transparency International ranks South Africa 64th out of 150 countries in its corruption perception index 2011.
South African Tax Revenue has increased from R100-billion in 1994 to R742.7-billion in 2011-12 and the individual taxpayer net from 2.5-million taxpayers in 1994 to 10.7-million in 2011
South Africa’s debt to GDP ratio is 40 percent (USA 100 percent, Japan 200 percent, UK 90 percent). The World Bank recommends a ratio of below 60 percent.
South Africa is ranked 1st out of 142 countries in respect of regulation of security exchanges according to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2011/12
South Africa is ranked 1st in respect of auditing and reporting, according to the Global Competitiveness Report 2011/12.
South Africa's banks rank 2nd in the world for soundness, according to the Global Competitiveness Report 2011/12.
South Africa is ranked 12th out of a total of 134 economies in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2010, ahead of many developed nations, including, the UK (15th), United States (19), Canada (20), Australia (23) and France (46).
The number of tourists visiting South Africa has grown from 3.9-million in 1994 to 11.8-million in 2010. South Africa is ranked among the top five countries in the world in respect of tourism growth (growing at three times the global average).
This next point about paper, I think, is a highlight in this day and age!
All paper in South Africa is produced from plantation grown trees, recycled paper or bagasse (sugar cane fibre). Fibre is not sourced from the wood of rainforests, indigenous or boreal trees. This is a myth, often wrongfully perpetuated by e-mail footnotes. (Paper Manufacturers Association of South Africa)
The percentage of the South African population with access to clean drinking water has increased from 62 percent in 1994, to 93 percent in 2011.
Access to electricity has increased from 34 percent in 1994, to 84 percent in 2011.
In terms of total crimes recorded SA ranked 10th, USA 8th and the UK 6th.
Since 1994, 435 houses have been built each day for the poor.
South Africa ranks 28th out of 167 countries surveyed in the 2011 Democracy Index, compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, ahead of France, Italy, Greece and all of the other BRICS countries. WorldAudit.org ranks South Africa as the 43rd most democratic country in 2011.
The University of South Africa (UNISA) is a pioneer of tertiary distance education and is the largest correspondence university in the world with approximately 300 000 students.
SA has 45-million active cell phones (population 49-million) — ranking in the top five globally in terms of cell phone coverage.
The South African rand was the second best performing currency against the US Dollar between 2007 and 2011, according to Bloomberg’s Currency Scorecard.
According to the Global Competitiveness Report 2011/12, South Africa is ranked 13th out of 142 countries for "quality of management schools".
These are the highlights, there are areas where we do not perform well...but this is a pretty impressive report card for an African nation!