Ghana vs South Africa Ghana, one of Africa’s rising
superpowers is more of a present-day success story than the real OG success story. We have to
take a little trip down south, way south… to South Africa, Africa’s original superpower. You see for
decades South Africa held the title of Africa’s most successful and developed nation south of the
Sahara. However, in recent years, we have had some new kids on the block. And one of these
new kids on the block is Ghana. Ghana’s success story has only been a few years in the making.
It is crucial that we mention the impact that its success has had on South Africa’s own position on
the continent. And as such you guessed it, we’re going to have ourselves another epic showdown.
it's Ghana vs South Africa. So let’s get into it. Let’s kick it off with the economy.
The standard value-added tax rate in Ghana is 12.5% and in South Africa at 15%.
The Gross Domestic Product or GDP reflects the value and productivity of an economy. It
measures the market value of all the final goods and services produced annually. To reflect the
differences in the cost of living and inflation rates, we show the GDP at purchasing power parity.
The GDP of Ghana is 211.13 billion dollars and that of South Africa is 814.15 billion dollars.
Also known as government debt or national debt, public debt refers to the sum of all government
borrowings owed to lenders within the country. The public debt of Ghana is 71.8% of Ghana’s GDP and
the public debt of South Africa is 53% of South Africa's GDP. The GDP per capita is calculated by
dividing the total GDP by the number of people living in the country. A higher GDP per capita
indicates a superior standard of living. Ghana has a per capita GDP of 6998 dollars and South
Africa has a per capita GDP of 13865 dollars. The real GDP growth rate represents the
year-over-year GDP growth, calculated by taking into account the price fluctuations caused by
inflation. The real growth GDP of Ghana is 8.4% and the real growth GDP of South Africa is 1.3%.
This means if Ghana and South Africa's GDP keeps on growing at the same rate, Ghana will definitely
surpass south Africa just as Nigeria Did One Other factor affecting the economy is
inflation. The inflation rate represents the annual price increase for goods and services,
indicating a decrease in the purchasing power of a country’s currency.
Ghana has an inflation rate of 12.4% and South Africa has an inflation rate of 5.3%.
A low unemployment rate indicates better career opportunities and economic growth.
Ghana has an unemployment rate of 11.9% and South Africa has an unemployment rate of 27.5%.
The total amount of public expenditure on education also affects the economy. Public
spending on education includes direct expenditure on schools, universities,
and other types of educational institutions, as well as educational-related public subsidies.
Ghana has dedicated 4.5% of its GDP
towards public spending and South Africa has dedicated 6.1% of its GDP to public spending.
The number of young people between the ages between 15 and 24 who are unemployed during
a specific year also determines how fast or how slow the economy of a country grows.
The youth unemployment rate is calculated as a percent of the total youth labor force. Ghana
has a youth unemployment rate of 15.2% and South Africa has a youth unemployment rate of 53.4%.
The total amount of public and private health expenditure on medical
and paramedical services in ghana is around 4.45% of GDP and the total amount of public and private
health expenditure on medical and paramedical services in South Africa is around 8.11% of GDP.
The total labor force of a country represents the number of people working or willing to work.
Ghana has a total labor force of 12.49 million people and South Africa has
a total labor force of 22.19 million people. The percent of the total labor force comprised
of young males from ages 15 to 24 who are unemployed during a specific year in Ghana
is about 15% and the percent of the total labor force comprised of unemployed young males from
ages 15 to 24 in South Africa is a whopping 49.2%. The percent of the total labor force
comprised of unemployed young females from ages 15 to 24 in ghana is 14.6% meaning unemployment
is higher for young men in Ghana than young women and the percent of the total labor
force comprised of unemployed young females from ages 15 to 24 in South Africa is 58.9%.
The total amount of public expenditure on military and security services,
such as military forces, police, and public security in ghana is around 0.4% of GDP
and the total amount of public expenditure on military services in South Africa is 1.07% of GDP.
Now let’s talk about infrastructure beginning with the internet infrastructure.
37% of Ghanaians have access to broadband internet and 54% of South Africans have
access to broadband infrastructure. The share of the population with access to electricity,
in both rural and urban environments in Ghana is 79.3% and the percentage of the population
with access to electricity in both rural and urban environments in South Africa is 84.2%.
Railway infrastructure is equally key in
any country's economic development. The total length of Ghana’s railway network
is 947 kilometers and the total length of South Africa’s railway network is 20986 kilometers.
We can’t talk about railways without talking about airports. The presence and number of
airports show how good the connection of a country is with different international destinations and
its international accessibility. Ghana has 10 airports and South Africa has 566 airports.
Let’s talk about road infrastructure. The total length of Ghana’s paved and
unpaved roads is 109515 kilometers and the total length of south africa’s paved and
unpaved roads is 750000 kilometers. Let's talk about Geography.
The surface area of a particular country is a very important metric as It can be nice to live
in big cities or countries, as a larger space may offer more options for residents and visitors.
Ghana has a surface area of 238 533 square kilometers and South Africa has a surface
area of 1219090 Square kilometers. All this area constitutes areas covered by forests, areas used
for agricultural purposes, and the rest of the areas inhabited by citizens of the respective
countries. Let’s look at how these are spread out. Forest are a big part of a country’s landscape and
overall ecosystem. The percentage of land covered by forests has a key role in removing pollutants
and cleansing the air. The percentage of Ghana’s surface area covered by forest is 21.2% while
the percentage of South Africa’s surface area covered by forest is 7.6%. This means you will
breathe fresher air in Ghana Than in South Africa. Agricultural land is important to a nation's GDP
and overall development. The percentage of land dedicated to agricultural use, including arable
land, permanent crops, and permanent pasture is 69.8% in Ghana and 79.4% in South Africa.
This means that South Africa’s GDP from the agricultural sector is higher than that of Ghana.
Demographics.
The population of a country is the beating heart of the nation and its citizens. Populous
cities or countries usually offer better employment opportunities because of their
large economies. Big cities attract companies and business investment and are usually important
cultural centers and research hubs. Ghana has a population of 30.28 million people and South
Africa has a population of 57.73 million. This population is unevenly distributed. Some parts
of the country will have more people and some parts less. This is known as population density.
Population density shows how cramped or spread out inhabitants are.
Cities or countries with high population densities can be considered overpopulated, which can be a
problem if the infrastructure is underdeveloped. Ghana has a population density of 127 people per
square kilometer and South Africa has a population density of 47 people per square kilometer.
Usually, this population grows over time, which coins the word average population growth rate.
The average population growth rate reflects the annual increase or decrease in population.
Currently, the world’s population is growing at a rate of approximately 1.07% per year.
The higher the growth, the more dynamic society feels. Ghana has an average population growth
rate of 2.16% per year and South Africa has an average population growth rate of 0.97%
per year. Ghana’s Population is definitely growing at a faster rate than South Africa’s.
Every country has a life expectancy age, Ghana and South Africa inclusive. The average life
expectancy at birth is the number of years that the population of a country is expected to live.
This metric reflects the overall quality of life. Ghana has an average life expectancy
at birth of 67.4 years and South Africa has an average life expectancy at birth of 64.1 years.
This means a Ghanian would likely live longer than a South African.
Could it Be As A Result Of the Fresher air Ghanians Breathe? Who knows?. Let’s Move on!
The average life expectancy at birth for Ghana’s female population is 70 years
and the average life expectancy at birth for South Africa's female population
is 65.5 years. The average life expectancy at birth for Ghana’s male population is 64.9 years
and the average life expectancy at birth for south africa’s male population is 62.7years.
Now, the population of a country is affected by 2 key factors;
The Birth rate and the death rate of that country. The death rate, also called the crude death rate,
represents the number of annual deaths per 1,000 people at midyear. The death rate in
Ghana is 6.8 per thousand and the death rate in South Africa is 9.3 per thousand.
This makes sense since Ghanaians live longer than South Africans
The birth rate, also known as crude birth rate, refers to the annual number of births per 1,000
people. Calculated midyear, it is one of the main factors used to determine the population growth
rate. The birth rate in Ghana is 30.2 per 1000 and the birth rate in South Africa is 19.9 per 1000.
The fertility rate which is The average number of children born to each woman also accounts for
birth rates. For calculating the total fertility rate, it is assumed that all women leave to the
end of their childbearing years and give birth in alignment with the prevailing age-specific
fertility rates in the country. Ghana has a total fertility rate of 3.96 children per woman
and South Africa has a total fertility rate of 2.26 children per woman.
Meaning Ghanaian women are highly likely to be put to birth that South African Women.
The Age of the population also matters to the development of a city or nation. Cities
or countries with younger populations have usually better development perspectives.
Young societies are more dynamic and creative.
Ghana has a median age of 21.2 years and South Africa has a median age of 27.4 years.
Generally, a lower median age is considered better because a younger population is healthier.
However, countries with an extremely low median age are often facing socio-economic problems,
especially poverty. Ghana has an average female median age of 21.3 years and South Africa
has an average female median age of 27.6 years. In contrast, the average
male median age in Ghana is 20.7 years, and the average female median age of 27.2years.
Quality Of Life.
Now onto health and quality of life, beginning with obesity.
An obese adult has a Body Mass Index of equal to or greater than 30.
Obesity is a public health problem and increases the risk of chronic diseases.
The percentage of adults considered obese in Ghana is 10.9% and the percentage of adults
considered obese in South Africa is 28.3%. The percentage of Ghana’s population living
below the poverty line, as reported by official statistics is 24%
and the percentage of South Africa's population living below the poverty line is 16.6%.
The percentage of Ghana’s population with access to improved drinking water sources,
such as piped water or protected wells is 88% while the percentage of South Africa's
population with access to improved drinking water sources, such as piped water is 93.2%.
The number of physicians generalists and specialist medical doctors
per 1,000 people. According to the World Health Organization, there should be more
than 2.3 health workers per 1,000 people in order to cover the primary healthcare needs.
Ghana has about 0.18 physicians per thousand and South Africa has 0.91 physicians per thousand.
School life expectancy represents the number of years of schooling that children are expected to
complete. School Life Expectancy includes primary to tertiary education. Ghana has
a School Life Expectancy of 12 years and South Africa has a School Life Expectancy of 14 years.
Let’s Conclude.
Overall, both Ghana and South Africa are nonetheless top-notch countries with strong
economies. however, Ghana is only the new kid on the block, and it is giving all these other
superpowers a run for their money. But that’s not in any way discrediting South Africa of course,
because South Africa is still a formidable force on the continent. But what we really want to know
is what you all think? Is Ghana potentially better than south Africa? Let us know in the comments
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