Nigeria vs South Africa The current perception around the continent
these days maybe that Nigeria is still not at South Africa’s standard.
However, if you’ve been following the current economic trend you are going to realize that
Nigeria has managed to build a strong economy in less than record time while South Africa
has only struggled to stay relevant over the course of recent years.
So, in truth the New Tourist fashion we’re going to be doing another edition of our VERSUS
segment.
Nigeria takes on South Africa.
Which Country is better.
Well, that’s all left for you to decide in the comments.
So let’s get right into it.
We’re going to touch on a lot of issues today as usual a load of interesting facts
concerning the Economy, demographics, transportation, quality of life as well as aspects such as
the environment and even the Nature of the Broadband Network infrastructure.
So things should get interesting soon enough.
Geography.
Kicking things off we’re going to be talking about geography.
The geography of a country is super important in determining its suitability, especially
to foreigners.
There’s a reason no one builds an island resort in Greenland.
That said, let’s talk about surface areas.
It can be nice to live in big cities or countries, as a larger space may offer more options for
residents and visitors.
Nigeria has a surface area of around 923,768 square kilometers while south Africa has a
surface area of 1,219,090 square kilometers.
The percentage of land covered by forests is also key.
Forests have a key role in removing pollutants and cleansing the air.
Nigeria’s surface area is 9.5% forest while South Africa’s surface area is 7.6%.
This means Nigeria's air is slightly fresher than South Africa's.
The percentage of land dedicated to agricultural use, including arable land, permanent crops,
and permanent pasture is vital to every economy especially an economy in need of raw materials
for its industrial sector.
Nigeria has about 78% of its surface area dedicated to agricultural use while south
Africa has about 79.4% of its surface area dedicated to agricultural use.
Let us take a look at coastlines, which is the total length of the border between the
land area and the sea, including the country’s islands.
Is incredibly important for touristic purposes as well as vacations and retreats, proper
examples of these include Miami in the US, Rio in Brazil, and basically every other Caribbean
island.
It is equally important to the economy of a country which is where shipping ports are
built.
It is the biggest gateway when it comes to exporting and importing goods into the country.
Nigeria has 853 kilometers of coastal land and South Africa has a total of 2798 kilometers
of coastal land.
This means that South Africa would have a lot more activities going on on its coastlines
than Nigeria.
The country’s total water area, summing up all inland waters including lakes, rivers,
reservoirs, wetlands, etc is very important in determining the availability of potable
water sources and the environmental state of the country's various ecosystems.
Nigeria has a water area of about 13000 square kilometers compared to South Africa’s 4000
square kilometers.
This means Nigeria on a scale should have better provisions when it comes to potable
water.
Demographics Another very important aspect of a country
is its demographics and this is important in determining several factors such as the
country’s population, population density, and growth rate.
So let us talk about population.
Populous cities or countries usually offer better employment opportunities because of
their large economies.
Big cities attract companies and business investments and are usually important cultural
centers and research hubs.
Nigeria has a population of over 200 million inhabitants while South Africa has a population
of over 57 million people.
This means you would have a bigger market and audience if you introduce a business in
Nigeria rather than in South Africa.
We can’t talk about population without talking about population density which 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.
Nigeria has a population density of 215 people per square kilometer while South Africa has
a population density of 47 people per square kilometer.
That is why many Nigerians seem to struggle when it comes to getting basic amenities.
Waste management becomes harder.
Road traffic increases.
Housing becomes a problem and at the end of the day, they could be high crime waves just
as a means to survive.
Let’s talk about the population growth rate of both countries.
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.
Nigeria has an annual population growth rate of 2.45% while South Africa has an annual
population growth rate of 0.79%.
What is the life expectancy in these 2 countries?
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.
Nigeria has an overall life expectancy of 59 years while South Africa has an overall
life expectancy of 64 years.
This means that as a Nigerian, you have a high chance of dying at the age of 59 while
a South African can live up to the age of 64.
The overall life expectancy for women is higher than for men in both Nigeria and South Africa.
Women are expected to live up to 63 in Nigeria and only 57 for men born in the same year.
While women are expected to live up to 65 in South Africa to men’s 63.
Let’s compare the birth rate in both countries.
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 of Nigeria is 35.2 per thousand and that of South Africa is 19.9 per thousand.
The death rate, also called the crude death rate, represents the number of annual deaths
per 1,000 people at midyear.
Nigeria has a death rate of 9.6 per thousand while south Africa has a death rate of 9.3
per thousand.
The average number of children born to each woman is known as the total fertility rate.
To calculate the total fertility rate, it is assumed that all women live to the end
of their childbearing years and give birth in alignment with the prevailing age-specific
fertility rates in the country.
Nigeria has a total fertility rate of 4.6 on this index and South Africa has a total
fertility rate of 2.26 on the same index.
Meaning Nigerian Women are twice as fertile more than South African women.
Cities or countries with younger populations have usually better development perspectives.
Young societies are more dynamic and creative.
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.
Nigeria has a median age of 18 years and South Africa has a median age of 27 years.
Economy.
Now let us talk about the economy.
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 or PPP.
First of all, Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa right now.
Nigeria has a GDP of 1.2 trillion dollars which makes It the richest country in Africa
while South Africa has a GDP of 813 billion dollars.
Nigeria also has a value-added tax rate of 5% and South Africa has a VAT of 15%.
The public debt also known as government debt or national debt, public debt refers to the
sum of all government borrowings owed to lenders within the country.
Nigeria has a public debt that is around 21% of its GDP while South Africa has a public
debt that is 53% of its GDP.
We can’t talk economy without mentioning 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.
Nigeria has an inflation rate of 16.5% while South Africa has an inflation rate of 5.3%.
A low unemployment rate indicates better career opportunities and economic growth.
Nigeria has an unemployment rate of 16.7% while South Africa has an unemployment rate
of 27.5%.
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.
Nigeria has a GDP per Capita of 6130 dollars while south Africa has a GDP per capita of
13,800 dollars.
The number of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 who are unemployed during a specific
year.
The youth unemployment rate is calculated as a percent of the total youth labor force.
Nigeria has a youth unemployment rate of 12.4% 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 Nigeria is about 3.7% of GDP and 8.1% of GDP in south Africa.
Nigeria has a labor force of 60 million people while south Africa has a youth population
of 22.18 million people.
The total amount of public expenditure on military and security services, such as military
forces, police, and public security in Nigeria is 0.5% of GDP and 1.07% of GDP in south Africa.
Infrastructure.
Let’s now dive into infrastructure beginning with the percentage of internet users.
Only 25% of Nigerians have access to the internet and about 54% of South Africans have access
to the internet.
This means more South Africans Have access to the internet Than Nigerians.
The share of the population with access to electricity, in both rural and urban environments
in Nigeria, is about 59%, and 84% in South Africa.
electricity has always been a major problem in Nigeria which is not the case in South
Africa.
South Africa enjoys Better Electricity than Nigeria.
The railway network is a crucial part of any country's economy.
The more developed a country’s railway, the more improved the economy as it eases
the movement of goods and people from one place to another.
South Africa has a better Railway network than Nigeria.
The total length of Nigeria’s railway network is 2798 kilometers and about 20,986 kilometers
in South Africa.
The presence and number of airports also show how good is the connection to the city with
different international destinations and its international accessibility.
Nigeria has 54 airports and South Africa has 566 airports.
Quality Of Life.
Now we can’t end this epic battle without talking about the quality of life of Nigerians
and South Africans so let's get right into it.
Starting off with obesity.
An obese adult has a Body Mass Index equal to or greater than 30.
Obesity is a public health problem and increases the risk of chronic diseases.
Nigeria has an obesity rate of 8.9% and South Africa has an obesity rate of 28.3%.
This means adult Nigerians are healthier than adult South Africans.
The percentage of the country’s population living below the poverty line, as reported
by official statistics is 70% of the population in Nigeria and 16% of the population in South
Africa.
This means out of every 10 Nigerians, 7 people live below the poverty line.
The percentage of Nigeria’s population with access to improved drinking water sources,
such as piped water or protected wells is about 68.5%, and 93.2% in South Africa.
Meaning South Africa has better quality drinking water than Nigeria despite the fact that Nigeria
has more water sources than Nigeria.
The number of physicians, generalist,s and specialist medical doctors per 1,000 people.
According to the World Health Organization, there should be more than 2 health workers
per 1,000 people in order to cover the primary healthcare needs.
In Nigeria, this is about 0.38 per thousand and 0.91 per thousand in South Africa.
Despite the fact that both countries fall below the expected value, South Africa still
surpasses Nigeria in this category.
And finally, the School life expectancy represents the number of years of schooling that children
are expected to complete.
School life expectancy includes primary to tertiary education.
The School life expectancy in Nigeria is about 9 years old and in South Africa, it's 14 years
old.
To conclude there is a whole load of factors that have contributed to the success of both
Nigeria and South Africa but both come short on even some of the most basic necessities
that everyday citizens rely on.
The ball is in your court, who is better Nigeria or South Africa let us know your thoughts
in the comments below.
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