My passport is getting full, and I've got a renewal appointment in January (Swedish citizen living in the UK). I just entered NZ yesterday with five blank pages at the end of my passport, and was told off by the immigration officer as she put the first stamp on page 28 out of 32 that I was cutting it really thin. Apparently, according to her, the requirement by some countries (such as her own and Australia, I seem to remember) is not two blank single pages as you would count them in a book, but two double-sided pages. This made me a tad nervous as I'm traveling back via the US tonight. Can't find any minimum requirement in terms of pages on the US government web pages. So my question is, if anybody happens to know:

1. Do some countries really require two double sided blank pages (e g four numbered pages)?
2. Does the US have a minimum requirement?
3. I might also need to travel to South Africa before my new passport arrives - will that be a no-no if I don't get my new passport in time?