Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Religion in South Africa 15 Years After the End of Apartheid

April 23, 2009

On April 27, 1994, South Africa held its first democratic elections after the fall of the apartheid system of racial segregation. Religion played an important role in bringing about this change: Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his outspoken opposition to apartheid, and many of South Africa's churches were active in efforts to end the practice. Data from a 10-country survey of Pentecostals conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life in 2006 provide estimates of the religious affiliation of South Africa's urban population.

_{Data from the Pew Forum's Spirit and Power: A 10-Country Survey of Pentecostals. The survey was conducted in South Africa from May 11-27, 2006, among 800 respondents. Due to rounding, totals may not sum to 100 and nested figures may not add to the subtotal indicated. Results based on a national probability sample of urban areas.}