80% of the world’s evangelical Christians live in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Over the last 50 years, God’s church has grown exponentially in these areas.

These regions have tremendous mission sending potential to help bring the gospel to unreached peoples, but they currently send only 20% of the world’s cross-cultural missionaries!

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This infographic provides a visual score for seven data points ranked on a 0 to 100 scale. Faded icons show scores for other countries on the mobilization index. See below for actual scores and country-specific insights.

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A Nation's History of Division Turned Into Beauty Through Redemption

10 Million Evangelicals Healing from Years of Racial Tension

South Africa is currently home to 10,000,000 evangelicals, making up 21% of the country's population. Around 75% of the population identifies with Christianity, with Catholics, Methodists, Anglicans, and other mainline denominations comprising nearly 54% of the population. [[1]] &nbsp;&nbsp;
Contrary to many of its African neighbor countries, South Africa is predominantly protestant, as it has been since its colonization by English and Dutch settlers in the 17th century. Settlers arrived to form a post to resupply passing ships traveling from the Netherlands and Southeast Asia. Soon after, Dutch missionaries arrived and established the first Protestant Dutch Reformed church. Tensions between religion, politics, and race began to emerge in the 20th century with the Apartheid system that supported racial segregation and was backed by many religious leaders in South Africa. With 3 million members, the Dutch Reformed Church was the official religion of the Apartheid-supporting national party.
Apartheid officially ended in 1994, during a series of governmental steps that eventually resulted in universal suffrage for all South Africans; however, there are still many deep wounds among South African evangelicals after decades of church-supported segregation.
Praise God for the end of this divisive institution. Today, evangelical Christians in South Africa are free to promote their faith as they see fit and may worship without fear of persecution or governmental forced segregation. Pray for continued healing and unity among all believers in the Rainbow Nation.[[2]]

Culturally Bridged with Muslim Dominated Nations

South Africa has a median score of 23.1 on the Geert Hofstede Cultural Values Index, giving it moderate similarities with the 30 UPG nations on our list. [[3]] Its closest cultural neighbors are Syria, Malaysia, and Ethiopia, none of which are less than 10 median points of distance away in their score. South Africa also has cultural similarities with Israel, Thailand, and Burkina Faso, which have more than 16 degrees of cultural separation.&nbsp;
The South African church does not share as many cultural similarities with UPG nations as other nations on the Mobilization Index. Despite the lack of close bridges, it is exciting to notice that South Africa's cultural neighbors are predominantly Muslim. Even though only 1% of the nation is Muslim, the Lord is preparing the church to connect with and serve the Arab world more efficiently and effectively than other nations. Praise God for this cultural similarity!&nbsp;
Additionally, South Africa is called the ""Rainbow Nation"" because its internal cultural diversity of tribes, tongues, and ethnic groups. May the Lord use the South African church to be part of the next great missions movement to the Arab world!

South Africa has access to 996,000 unreached in-country and 76,200,000 regionally. [[1]] Not only is less than 2% of the country unreached, but South African evangelicals are geographically distant from Muslim-dominated North and West Africa, as well as the 10/40 window which spans across the northern region of the continent. This low strategic access could be a barrier to mission mobilization in the country. While we can praise God that so many South Africans know or have access to the gospel, this also means that evangelicals will likely have to leave their country and travel significant distances to have meaningful relationships with UPGs. Pray that the South African church would not see this lack of access as a hindrance but rather as an opportunity to rely entirely on the power and providence of God, whose plan is not burdened by geographic barriers as ours can be.&nbsp;
Geographically as well as culturally, South Africa is positioned with moderate to low access to UPGs. Ask that the Lord would put the unreached on the hearts of the South African church, giving them the desire to spread the hope of the gospel no matter the distance or hardships it might require. Pray for laborers to be sent to the 10/40 window, Muslim-dominated West Africa, and to every tribe, tongue, and nation beyond the country.

Social Hostilities as Lasting Effects of Apartheid

According to Pew Research, South Africa has low levels of religious restrictions and hostilities with a score of 2.3. [[4]] The constitution prohibits religious discrimination. Their laws provide for freedom of religious choice, public worship, and prohibit any persecution. The government does not require religious groups to register, but registered groups receive tax-exempt status.[[5]]
Praise God that mission mobilization and other Christian ministries are free to promote and carry out their work as they see fit; there are no governmental restrictions on Christianity in South Africa. Please pray for wisdom for South African church leaders and ministries, specifically, pray that they would cast a clear and compelling vision of loving those who are lost and reaching their Muslim neighbors.&nbsp;
Though there is typically peace between religious groups and the government, social hostilities and racial division still have a foothold in South African society.[[6]] Though the Apartheid system ended nearly 30 years ago, the nation still feels the mass effects of the decades of racial segregation that bled over into politics, religious services, and housing. Though there are strides of reconciliation and healing today, South Africans can still see and feel the effects in their everyday lives.&nbsp;
Pray for our South African brothers and sisters that they would have peace and wisdom in tearing down any remains of racism and discrimination in the church. Ask the Lord for unity and reconciliation between the church and the nation.

Moderate Prosperity on a Declining Trend

With a ranking of 87th out of 167, South Africa scores moderately on the Legatum Prosperity Index compared to other Mobilization Index countries. The country's economic prosperity has experienced a significant decline over the last decade, dropping 17 ranks overall. South Africa's most important challenges for its prosperity are its low scores in the Natural Environment and Safety and Security sub-indices. Their highest scores are in Governance and Personal Freedom. Regionally, Legatum ranks the nation high compared to other Sub-Saharan African countries, as it falls fourth from the highest score. [[7]]&nbsp;
Declining prosperity could have a significant negative impact on mobilization efforts. While the nation is ranked moderate currently, if this decline in prosperity continues, the church will have increasing struggles as the years' progress.
&nbsp;Pray that the Lord would be glorified through the efforts of the South African church, despite any prosperity barriers and economic decline. Prat that the Lord of the harvest would raise up not only more laborers for His harvest but more churches and believers with a vision to send well.

Potential to send 10,000 Missionaries to UPGs

South Africa has around 6,500 missionaries; 4,000 serving cross-culturally in-country and 2,500 serving outside of South Africa. What is unknown is how many of these workers are serving among unreached people groups.
It is a prayer goal of the Mobilization Index to see 0.1%, or 1 in 1,000, of a nation's evangelicals mobilized for missions to the unreached. With 2,500 sent abroad, the nation currently sends .03% of their evangelical population. If this prayer goal were to be met, the world would see 10,000 new laborers sent out to the unreached!&nbsp;
 If 1 in 1,000 evangelicals were to be sent, it would be massive movement for South Africa! But it will take the many more who are committed to stay back to pray, send, and mobilize others! &nbsp;Pray that the Lord would raise up a wave of goers who are burdened for the gospel to reach every tribe tongue and nation. Pray also for churches and Christians committed to sending and supporting thousands more global workers.

Great Mobilization Potential for the South African Church

The South African church is home to more than 12.7 million evangelicals made in His image to do great things for His name. As a nation with religious freedoms, is culturally bridged to the Arab world, and has one of the highest economic prosperities in its region, God's hand has been in South Africa's design.&nbsp;
With cross-cultural sending that only utilizes .03% of the evangelical population, South Africa has excellent potential for increased mobilization and mission sending! Imagine what the world would see if 0.1%, or even double or triple that, said yes to going to the unreached! Pray that the South African church would continue as a supporter and sender of cross-cultural workers. &nbsp;
South Africa ranks low on the World Giving Index, with a score of 15%. [[8]] There is still a need to improve the sending and supporting of missionaries within the church infrastructure. Still, we can praise God for the generosity already present in the nation, supporting 2,500 missionaries! Pray to the Lord and ask for wisdom and biblical guidance on how the South African church can best send and support missionaries to go to the unreached.

Obstacles:
<ul>
<li>South Africa still experiences a significant amount of racism and division. This division could be an obstacle that the South African church will have to overcome if they are going to effectively, as one body, send their members to the unreached.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Moderate but declining economic prosperity is an obstacle that hinders a nation's ability to physically and practically send its members to the unreached.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
Opportunities:
<ul>
<li>All of South Africa's cultural neighbors are located in the Middle East or are home to significant Muslim populations. What an opportunity to join unreached cultures and spread the good news of the gospel!&nbsp;</li>
<li>South Africa has high regional sending but still only sends .03% of their evangelical population. What an opportunity for a country that is already on fire for sending to double or even triple that number, reaching the Mobilization Index prayer goal!</li>
</ul>

Pray:
<ul>
<li>For unity, forgiveness, and reconciliation between races within the South African church and country as a whole. &nbsp;</li>
<li>For believers to embrace their role as mobilizers and senders; that they would find the role God has prepared them for in the Great Commission.</li>
<li>For the Lord to raise up and send 10,000 new workers to preach Christ among the unreached.</li>
</ul>
Praise:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Praise God that though there are residual effects of the Apartheid, it has been brought to an end and the country can move forward in love and forgiveness of their brothers and sisters.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Praise the Lord for the current sending that is happening in the South African church! 2,500 missionaries are working cross culturally overseas and that is truly great news!</li>
</ul>

PEW religious restriction numbers Myanmar

South Africa Constitutional religious freedom

Official Country Name:Republic of South Africa

Population:58,558,000

Region:East and Southern Africa

Government:Parliamentary Republic

Official Languages:English

Religious Demographics:Christian ±75%, Evangelical ±21%, Muslim ±1%, Ethnoreligious ±12%

South Africa