Where the church stands in South Africa
Around four in five South Africans identify as Christian, across historic denominations, Pentecostal churches and African Independent Churches such as the Zion Christian Church, one of the largest churches on the continent. South African believers send workers across Africa and beyond.
The unfinished work includes the legacy of apartheid, extreme inequality and violent crime, and a faith that is often mixed with ancestral practice or prosperity teaching. Durban's large Indian-origin Hindu and Muslim population and the Cape Malay community of the Western Cape remain among the least reached people in the country.
Signs of hope
A large, diverse church with the maturity and resources to send across the continent.
The honest difficulty
Inequality and violence, syncretism and prosperity teaching, and unreached Hindu and Muslim communities close to home.
What "Reached" means
There is an established church large enough to reach the rest of the nation without outside help. That does not mean the work is finished — it means the work now belongs mainly to believers who live there.
In South Africa the majority religious context is Christianity (~80%). The largest population still considered without meaningful Gospel access is the Indian-origin Hindu and Muslim communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Cape Malay Muslims in the Western Cape.
How to pray for South Africa
Prayer is not a substitute for going; it is how going begins. Take one of these for a week rather than all of them for a day.
- Thank God for South African churches sending workers across Africa.
- Pray for reconciliation and justice where apartheid's wounds remain.
- Ask God to reach Indian-origin Hindu and Muslim neighbours in Durban and beyond.
- Pray for a church that disciples deeply rather than simply gathers crowds.
Questions people ask about South Africa
Is South Africa an unreached nation?
South Africa is classified as reached. There is an established church large enough to reach the rest of the nation without outside help. That does not mean the work is finished — it means the work now belongs mainly to believers who live there. Roughly 80% of the population identifies as Christian and about 20% as evangelical, with an estimated 20 of its 70 people groups still considered unreached. Figures are rounded estimates and vary by source and year.
How many Christians are there in South Africa?
About 80% of South Africa's roughly 63 million people identify as Christian — approximately 50 million people. Around 20% are evangelical. Identification is high, though active faith is usually lower than the figure suggests.
How can I pray for South Africa?
Thank God for South African churches sending workers across Africa. Pray for reconciliation and justice where apartheid's wounds remain. Pick one of these, pray it for two minutes a day for a week, and ask one other person to pray it with you.