History of the Jews in South Africa
South African Jews, whether by culture, ethnicity, or religion, form the twelfth largest Jewish community in the world, and the largest on the African continent. As of 2020, the Kaplan Centre at the University of Cape Town estimates 52,300 Jews in the country. The South African Jewish Board of Deputies estimates that the figure is closer to 75,000.
Suid-Afrikaanse Jode | |
|---|---|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| South Africa | estimated 52,300 - 75,000 |
| City Of Johannesburg | 30,000 (57.5%) |
| City of Cape Town | 12,500 (23.9%) |
| Durban/Umhlangla - eThekwini | 3,400 (6.5%) |
| East Rand – Ekurhuleni | 3,400 (6.5%) |
| Western Cape Province (other than Cape Town) | 1,000 (2.0%) |
| Pretoria – City of Tshwane | 900 (1.7%) |
| Gauteng Province (other than Johannesburg, Pretoria and East Rand) | 700 (1.3%) |
| Eastern Cape Province (other than Port Elizabeth) | 700 (1.4%) |
| Free State Province | 500 (1.0%) |
| KwaZulu-Natal Province (other than Durban) | 400 (0.8%) |
| Other (In South Africa) | 300 (0.9%) |
| Israel | 20,000 |
| Australia | 15,000 |
| Languages | |
| First language South African English (vast majority) and Afrikaans, of religious: Yiddish, Hebrew Minority | |
| Religion | |
| Orthodox Judaism (80%) Reform Judaism (20%) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Afrikaner-Jews Lithuanian Jews Dutch Jews British Jews Portuguese Jews Israelis | |
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The history of the Jews in South Africa began during the period of Portuguese exploration in the early modern era, though a permanent presence was not established until the beginning of Dutch colonisation in the region. During the period of British colonial rule in the 19th century, the Jewish South African community expanded greatly, in part thanks to encouragement from Britain. From 1880 to 1914, the Jewish population in South Africa grew from 4,000 to over 40,000. South African Jews have played an important role in promoting diplomatic and military relations between Israel and South Africa. South Africa's Jewish community peaked in the 1970s with an estimated 120,000 Jews living in the country. The Soweto uprising in 1976 and racial tensions led to an increase in Jewish emigration. Since the end of apartheid, Jews have continued to emigrate mostly to developed countries in the English-speaking world, such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as a significant number emigrating to Israel.