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| Group | Where | Number of Adherents |
% of total pop. |
Number of congreg./ churches/ units |
Number of countries |
Year | Source | Quote/ Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khoisan | South Africa | 5,000 | - | - | - | 1999 | Canesso, Claudia. South Africa (series: Major World Nations). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 78-79. | "South Africa has a fifth population group, although it is very small and takes no part in the country's political or social life. It consists of the few thousand [5,000 perhaps?] remaining Khoisan people, who live in the Kalahari Desert and in remote areas of Namaqualan and the Sandveld. They practice a way of life similar to that of their distant ancestors, living in small family bands and roaming in search of game, water, and edible plants. Some scientists have lived with the Khoisan to study their language, cultures, and survival skills, but the world in general has no contact with this isolated and dwindling population. " |
| Lungu | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Lutheran | South Africa | 964,000 | - | - | - | 1978 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD by P. J. Johnstone; STL Publications, P. O. Box 48, Bromley, Kent, England. Published in 1978.); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Lutherans (5% White) 964,000 |
| Lutheran | South Africa | 829,483 | - | - | - | 1995 | *LINK* Evangelical Lutheran Church in America web site; web page: "January 25, 1996 News Releases " (viewed 9 July 1999). Story: "More than 60 Million Lutherans Worldwide " [96-01-003-FI] | List: "Countries with more than 1/2 million Lutherans " |
| Lutheran | South Africa | 850,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Mennonite World Conference | South Africa | 283 | - | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site; page: "Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership Totals " (viewed 8 Aug. 1999). | Table: "Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership Totals "; "based on the most recent data available... from 1996 or 1997... statistics indicate baptized members "; Dif. religious bodies: 2. |
| Methodist | South Africa | 303,148 | - | - | - | 1945 | Ferm, Vergilius (ed.). An Encyclopedia of Religion; Westport, CT: Greenwood Press (1976), pg. 489. [1st pub. in 1945 by Philosophical Library. 1976 reprint is unrevised.] | Table: "The following statistical table gives the present approx. membership of the main divisions of world-wide Methodism... " |
| Methodist | South Africa | 1,980,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Methodist Church of South Africa | South Africa | - | - | - | - | 1981 | Crim, Keith (ed.). The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions. San Francisco: Harper Collins (1989). Reprint; originally pub. as Abingdon Dictionary of Living Religions, 1981; pg. 478. | "The largest [Methodist] churches, all having 500,000 members or more are: the Methodist Church of Great Britain; the Methodist Church of South Africa; and, in the U.S... " |
| Mholo | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Mpondo | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Nazareth Baptist Church | South Africa | - | - | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 13). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 1828. | Caption: "Ceremonies in which traditional dancing plays an important part link the Nazareth Baptist Church with the tribal past. The founder of the movement was in his lifetime deified by his Zulu followers and his son, John Galilee Shembe, has inherited his claim to messiahship. " |
| Nazareth Baptist Church | South Africa | - | - | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 13). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 1832. | "...movement... of John Galilee Shembe, whose organization is known as the Nazareth Baptist Church... In many respects the... Church resuscitates the richness of Zulu tribal and ceremonial life... A tract of land is maintained at which principal festivities are enacted and this serves, at leat symbolically, as a type of tribal homeland for the Shembe-ites. " |
| Ndebele | South Africa | 403,700 | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 325. | "Ndebele: Location: The Mpumalanga and the Northern provinces of South Africa; Population: 403,700; Religion: Christianity; African Christianity "; Pg. 326: "Nineteenth century missionary activities by the Berlin Mission did little to change traditional Ndebele religion, especially among the Ndzundza. Although the Manala lived on the Wallmannsthal mission station from 1873 on, they were in frequent conflict with local missionaries. Recent Christian and African Christian church influences spread rapidly, and most Ndebel are now members of these churches: ZCC (Zion Christian Church), a variety of (African) Apostolic churches, Roman Catholic, etc. " |
| Nederduitsch Hervormde | South Africa | 290,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; a Dutch Reform Church |
| New Apostolic Church | South Africa | 160,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Ngqika | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Nguni | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Nonreligious | South Africa | 410,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Nonreligious | South Africa | - | 6.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| other | South Africa | 7,876,400 | 19.40% | - | - | 1994 | *LINK* Web site: "Council for World Mission "; web page: "Southern Africa (PCSA) " (viewed 31 May 1999). | "Country information: Population (1994 United Nations estimate): South Africa: 40.6 million... Main religions: South Africa: Christianity (76.7%)... Jewish (0.5%). Hindu (2.1%). Muslim (1.3%). Other, tribal, unknown or none (19.4%). It is difficult to estimate the number of adherents to traditional African religion... " |
| other | South Africa | 30,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; "other " listed in table as "other beliefs, " consisting of those NOT Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, nonreligious or "not stated " |
| Pentecostal | South Africa | 470,000 | - | - | - | 1976 | Quebedeaux, Richard. The New Charismatics: The Origins, Development, and Significance of Neo-Pentecostalism; Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. (1976), pg. 46-47. | "thanks to Prudencio Damboriena and Walter Hollenweger's work, we can offer a very approximate estimate of total [Classical] Pentecostal adherents in nations where the movement has had a measurable impact... " |
| Pentecostal | South Africa | 20,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Pentecostal | South Africa | 80,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table [listed in table as "Pentecostal Protestant "] |
| Presbyterian | South Africa | 506,000 | - | - | - | 1978 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD by P. J. Johnstone; STL Publications, P. O. Box 48, Bromley, Kent, England. Published in 1978.); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Presbyterians 506,000 (31% White) |
| Presbyterian | South Africa | 440,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| primal-indigenous | South Africa | 12,063,326 | 28.50% | - | - | 1997 | *LINK* CIA World Factbook web site (viewed Aug. 1998) | Total population: 42,327,458. Christian 68% (includes most whites and Coloreds, about 60% of blacks and about 40% of Indians), Muslim 2%, Hindu 1.5% (60% of Indians), traditional and animistic 28.5% |
| primal-indigenous | South Africa | - | 24.00% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions "; listed in table as "animism " |
| primal-indigenous | South Africa | - | 17.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions "; listed in table as "animism " |
| Protestant | South Africa | 7,800,000 | 43.00% | - | - | 1978 | *LINK* Nance Profiles web site (orig. source: OPERATION WORLD by P. J. Johnstone; STL Publications, P. O. Box 48, Bromley, Kent, England. Published in 1978.); (viewed Aug. 1998; now restricted.) | Total population: 26,100,000. Protestants 43% - 80% of the Coloureds, 73% of the Whites, 32% of the Blacks. Community approx. 7,800,000. Denominations 70+. Conservative Evangelicals 14%. |
| Protestant | South Africa | - | 68.00% | - | - | 1992 | Goring, Rosemary (ed). Larousse Dictionary of Beliefs & Religions (Larousse: 1994) pg. 581-584. | Table: "Population Distribution of Major Beliefs "; "Figures have been compiled from the most accurate recent available information and are in most cases correct to the nearest 1% "; Protestant "includes all non-Roman Catholic denominations " |
| Protestant | South Africa | 11,080,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Protestant | South Africa | - | 38.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Protestant | South Africa | - | 21.50% | - | - | 1998 | *LINK* Nazarene web site: Nazarene World Mission Society; (major source: Johnstone's Operation World) | Table "Religions " |
| Protestant - other | South Africa | 7,110,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; Protestants which are NOT part of Dutch Reformed Churches. Total Dutch Reformed membership in S. Africa: 3,980,000. Total NON-Dutch Reformed Protestant membership in S. Africa: 7,110,000. |
| Reformed Congregations of North America | South Africa | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1999 | Kerkelijk jaarboekje 1999. [Data from yearbook was sent to Adherents.com via email by P. Rouwendal, 23 May 1999, who wrote: "This is an official yearly booklet of this denomination--Gereformeerde Gemeenten in Nederland, containing all statistics. "] | Group: RCNA; Where: USA, Canada & South-Africa; Number of Adherents: 1452; Number of congreg.: Canada: 3; USA: 1; S-Africa: 1; Total: 5; Number of countries: 3 |
| Revival Fellowship | South Africa | - | - | 2 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* official organization web site | directory of assemblies (or contacts?). This is the number of listings in a particular country, but I'm not sure it can be taken as a count of congregations. |
| Salvation Army | South Africa | 40,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Scientology | South Africa | - | - | 8 units |
- | 1999 | *LINK* web page (OPPOSING VIEW): "Scientology Worldwide " (viewed 13 Feb. 1999); "Last Update on 10th Feb. 1999 " | Number here ( "# congregations ") represent total of all orgs: Dianetic Centers, Celebrity Centers, missions, etc.; "CoS web sites have lists of Missions (1998) & Orgs (1996) from which the Table below is derived. Original concept and research by 'Inducto'. " |
| Seventh-day Adventist | South Africa | 90,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| SIM International | South Africa | - | - | - | - | 1999 | *LINK* "Southern Africa " in SIM NOW, Feb. 1999 (vol. #85); (viewed online 6 July 1999); SIM International web site. | " More recently, church planting in new urban areas in the northwest has been started. One of the greatest challenges today is the growth of Islam. SIM has been involved in Muslim evangelism in several cities, including Durban and Cape Town, and has emphasized training local Christians to reach their Muslim neighbors. " |
| Soshanguve Brethren in Christ Church | South Africa | 123 | - | 2 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* Mennonite World Conference web site. Directory 1998. Web page: "Africa: Mennonite & Brethren in Christ Churches " | SOUTH AFRICA... Soshanguve Brethren in Christ Church... Members: 123; Congregations: 2 |
| Sotho | South Africa | 5,561,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 395, 397. | "Sotho: Location: Lesotho, South Africa; Population: 5,561,000 in South Africa, 1.9 million in Lesotho; Religion: Traditional beliefs (worship of Modimo), Christianity "; Pg. 397: "Today, Christianity in one form or another is accepted by most Sotho-speaking people. " [This is a measure of tribal/ethnic affiliation, not necessarily how many practice traditional Sotho religion.] |
| South Africa General Mission | South Africa | - | - | - | - | 1889 | *LINK* web site: "Christian Missions "; web page: "SIM History " (viewed 6 July 1999). | "The most recent addition occured in 1998 when AEF (Africa Evangelical Fellowship) merged with SIM. AEF officially began its work in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1889 as the South Africa General Mission under the leadership of Andrew Murray, Mrs. Osborne, Spencer Walton, and George Howe. Starting from urban South Africa, missionary efforts spread into many of the other countries and people groups of southern Africa. " |
| Swiss | South Africa | 50,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; table simply lists "Swiss ", as a subset of Protestant, which is a subset of Christian. I've never heard of "Swiss " as a denomination, but maybe there is a "Swiss Church " in South Africa, quite possibly Swiss Reformed. |
| Themba | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Unitarian/Unitarian Universalist | South Africa | 200 | - | - | - | 1998 | Chryssides, George D. The Elements of Unitarianism. Shaftesbury, Dorset, United Kingdom: Element Books Limited (1998), pg. 107. | "Smaller numbers [of Unitarians] can be found in Australia (300), South Africa (200), and New Zealand (80). " |
| Unitarian/Unitarian Universalist | South Africa | - | - | 5 units |
- | 1998 | *LINK* directory on offical church web site | MEMBERS: small in number but influential and expanding and serves a large community beyond its own members; CONGREGATIONS: In addition to the Capetown congregation, there are Congregations in Johannesburg, Durban, Pietermaritzburg. & Somerset West |
| United Congregational Church of Southern Africa | South Africa | 420,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop.; Listed in table as "United Congregational " |
| unknown | South Africa | 10,050,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table; "not stated " |
| Urantia Book Readers, Fellowship of | South Africa | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1997 | *LINK* official organization web site (1998) | directory: "1996-1997 International Study Group Directory for readers of The Urantia Book " |
| Venda | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Vineyard Churches | South Africa | - | - | 1 unit |
- | 1986 | Melton, J. Gordon (ed.). The Encyclopedia of American Religions: Vol. 1. Tarrytown, NY: Triumph Books (1991), pg. 245. Chapter: Pentecostal Family; section: White Trinitarian Pentecostals. | Church reporting. |
| Xhosa | South Africa | 2,500,000 | 7.53% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 26. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000. "; Pg. 26: "The people known as the Xhosa are close neighbors to the Zulus. Numbering 2.5 million, the Xhosa are the nation's second-largest culture group. " |
| Xhosa | South Africa | - | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, J. From Afar to Zulu. New York: Walker Pub. (1995), pg. 191-7. | Table: Add'l African Cultures |
| Xhosa | South Africa | 6,000,000 | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 459-461. | "Xhosa: Location: South Africa (eastern, urban areas); Population: 6 million; Religion: traditional beliefs (supreme being uThixo or uQamata), Christianity) "; Pg. 460: "Christianity in one form or another is accepted by most Xhosa-speaking people today, although historically there was a division between traditionalists who rejected Western belief & those who embraced Western education & the message of the missionaries. Among Xhosa-speaking Christians, this division may still be observed--traditionalists are more likely to belong to independent denominations, rather than to one of the denominations that were brought... by missionaries. " [NOTE: This stat. is count of tribal/ethnic affiliation, not how many currently practice Xhosa traditional religion.] |
| Zion Christian Church | South Africa | 80,000 | - | - | - | 1970 | Cavendish, Richard (ed.). Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural (vol. 13). New York: Marshall Cavendish Corp. (1970), pg. 1831. | "Edward Lekganyane is a conteporary self-styled messiah who commands the devotion of between 40,000 and 80,000 followers from his headquarters at Zion City, Moria in the northern Transvaal. Lekganyane was one of two sons of the leader of a religious movement known as the Zion Christian Church. Although the brothers quarrelled after their father's death in 1949 or 1950, a large proportion of the movement followed Edward. His capital is a village of about 300 persons in which strangers are now welcomed; from here he rules the movement, which has churches as far away as Johannesburg and Pretoria... " |
| Zion Christian Church | South Africa | 1,660,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | 1997 Britannica Book of the Year. Pg. 781-783. | Table: "Religion ": Divided by nations, with 2 columns: "Religious affiliation " & "1996 pop. " [of that religion]. Based on best avail. figures, whether census data, membership figures or estimates by analysts, as % of est. 1996 midyear pop. |
| Zion Christian Church | South Africa | 5,250,000 | - | - | - | 1996 | Shillinger, Kurt (Globe Correspondent). "Africans embrace Christian faith, with native touch " in Boston Globe (page A01, 01/03/99). [Posted to Nurel-l newslist by Frank Kaufmann]; Dateline: Harare, Zimbabwe. | "Memberships [of African indigenous Christian Churches] are difficult to verify. A 1996 national census counted 5.25 million followers of the Zion Christian Church in South Africa. " |
| Zion Christian Church | South Africa | - | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 325. | "Ndebele: Location: The Mpumalanga and the Northern provinces of South Africa; Population: 403,700; Religion: Christianity; African Christianity "; Pg. 326: "Recent Christian and African Christian church influences spread rapidly, and most Ndebel are now members of these churches: ZCC (Zion Christian Church), a variety of (African) Apostolic churches, Roman Catholic, etc. " |
| Zulu | South Africa | 5,000,000 | 15.07% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 26. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000. "; Pg. 26: "There are more than five million Zulus... " |
| Zulu | South Africa | 2,500,000 | - | - | 1 country |
1995 | Haskins, Jim & Joann Biondi. From Afar to Zulu: A Dictionary of African Cultures. New York: Walker Publishing Co. (1995), pg. 168, 174. | "Zulu: Population: 2,500,000; Location: South Africa; Language: Zulu, Afrikaans, English; Pg. 181: "Under the influence of British missionaries, many Zulu converted to Christianity, but many still practice their native religion. In Zulu religious life, great emphasis is placed on ancestor spirits... " |
| Zulu | South Africa | 9,228,800 | - | - | - | 1998 | Gall, Timothy L. (ed). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Culture & Daily Life: Vol. 1 - Africa. Cleveland, OH: Eastword Publications Development (1998), pg. 486. | "Zulu: Location: KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa Population: 9,228,800 Zulu-speakers; Language: IsiZulu; Zulu; English; Religion: Mixture of traditional beliefs and Christianity "; "Under colonialism, many Zulu converted to Christianity. Although there are a large number of Christian converts, ancestral beliefs have far from disappeared. Instead, there has been a mixture of traditional beliefs and Christianity. This kind of religion is very common, especially among urbanites. Besides these two types of religion, there is a third type: fervent Christians who view ancestral belief as outdated and sinful. " |
| miscellaneous regional info | South Africa | - | - | - | - | 1999 | Canesso, Claudia. South Africa (series: Major World Nations). Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishers (1999), pg. 9-10. | "Population: 42,500,000... Religions: Christian, 77%; African traditionalist or no professed religion, 20%; Hindu, Muslim, or Jewish, 3% " |
| Moravian Church | South Africa & Tanzania | 306,000 | - | - | - | 1990 | Mead, Frank S. (revised by Samuel S. Hill), Handbook of Denominations in the United States (9th Ed.), Abingdon Press: Nashville, Tenn. (1990), pg. 169. | "The worldwide Moravian Church has 19 provinces--in Europe; in North, Central, and South America; and in Africa and the Caribbean. Of the world's 510,000 Moravians, 60% are in Tanzania and South Africa. " |
| Buddhism | South Africa - Asians | - | - | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 32, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%, and Asians 3% "; Pg. 34: "Some 800,000 people classified as Asians live in South Africa. Most of them reside in the state of Natal. "; Pg. 37: "The Asians are either Hindu (70%), Muslim (20%)... " |
| Christianity | South Africa - Asians | - | - | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 32, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%, and Asians 3% "; Pg. 34: "Some 800,000 people classified as Asians live in South Africa. Most of them reside in the state of Natal. "; Pg. 37: "The Asians are either Hindu (70%), Muslim (20%)... " |
| Hinduism | South Africa - Asians | 560,000 | 70.00% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 32, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%, and Asians 3% "; Pg. 34: "Some 800,000 people classified as Asians live in South Africa. Most of them reside in the state of Natal. "; Pg. 37: "Some of the country's Asians are Christians, but many practice the religion of their origins. The Asians are either Hindu (70%), Muslim (20%), or Buddhist or Christian (10%). " |
| Islam | South Africa - Asians | 160,000 | 20.00% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 32, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%, and Asians 3% "; Pg. 34: "Some 800,000 people classified as Asians live in South Africa. Most of them reside in the state of Natal. "; Pg. 37: "The Asians are either Hindu (70%), Muslim (20%)... " |
| African indigenous churches | South Africa - blacks | - | 33.00% | - | - | 1994 | Cox, Harvey. Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century; New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. (1994), pg. 245. | "There are now over 5,000 independent Christian denominations, all born in the twentieth century... In South Africa they embrace about 40% of the black population. "; [U.S. gov. World Factbook 1997: South Africa: "Ethnic groups: black 75.2%, white 13.6%, Colored 8.6%, Indian 2.6% " |
| Anglican | South Africa - blacks | 800,000 | 3.40% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%...; Pg. 37: "Other black Christians, include 700,000 Lutherans, 800,000 Anglicans, 360,000 Presbyterians, and 1.6 million Roman Catholics. " |
| Catholic | South Africa - blacks | 1,600,000 | 6.79% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%...; Pg. 37: "Other black Christians, include 700,000 Lutherans, 800,000 Anglicans, 360,000 Presbyterians, and 1.6 million Roman Catholics. " |
| Lutheran | South Africa - blacks | 700,000 | 2.97% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%...; Pg. 37: "Other black Christians, include 700,000 Lutherans, 800,000 Anglicans, 360,000 Presbyterians, and 1.6 million Roman Catholics. " |
| Methodist | South Africa - blacks | 11,000,000 | 46.69% | - | - | 1986 | Stein, R. Conrad. South Africa (series: Enchantment of the World). Chicago: Childrens Press (1986), pg. 24, 37. | Pg. 24: "estimated 1986 population of South Africa stood at 33,185,000... Using the government-created categories, 71% of the people were black, 17% were white, colored made up 9%, and Asians 3% "; Pg. 37: "By far the majority of black South Africans practice Christianity. With 11 million members, the Methodist church has the largest black following. " [DB editor's note: This 11 million figure is not thought to be accurate.] |
South Africa - blacks, continued 