Where is South Africa?

Written and Fact-checked by | Updated On: June 10, 2026

The given South Africa location map shows that South Africa is located in the southern part of Africa Continent. South Africa map also shows that it shares its international boundaries with Swaziland, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe in the north-east, Botswana in the north, Namibia in the north-west, and Lesotho entirely lies in the South Africa as enclave.

Location Map of South Africa

Where is South Africa?

South Africa is located at the southernmost region of the African continent. It is bordered by Namibia to the northwest, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, Mozambique and Eswatini to the northeast, and surrounds the independent country of Lesotho. The Atlantic Ocean lies to the west, while the Indian Ocean borders the south and east coasts. South Africa covers an area of approximately 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 sq km) and has a population of about 62 million people according to the 2022 Census.

South Africa is more commonly known for the diversity of cultures, ethnicity, and languages. The capital city of South Africa is Pretoria (Administrative), Bloemfontein (judicial), and Cape Town (legislative). The government type of South Africa is a constitutional democracy in the form of a parliamentary republic. Under this system, the President of South Africa is both head of state and head of government; in the same fashion as the prime minister of other nations. The president is elected by the National Assembly. Besides, it is member of the African Union, the United Nations, NEPAD, the Commonwealth of Nations, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, G20 and G8+5, Antarctic Treaty System, Group of 77, South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone, and Southern African Customs Union.

Moreover, the economy of the country is of mixed type and hence depends upon the some of the significant sectors including agriculture, mining, industries, manufacturing, and services. The important minerals are diamond, chrome, manganese, platinum, vanadium, vermiculite, ilmenite, palladium, rutile and zirconium. Besides, tourism is also growing in the country.

Province Capital Population (2022 Census) Area sq mi (sq km)
Eastern CapeBhisho7,230,20465,238 sq mi (168,966 sq km)
Free StateBloemfontein2,964,41249,825 sq mi (129,825 sq km)
GautengJohannesburg15,099,4227,018 sq mi (18,178 sq km)
KwaZulu-NatalPietermaritzburg11,065,24036,433 sq mi (94,361 sq km)
LimpopoPolokwane6,572,72048,554 sq mi (125,755 sq km)
MpumalangaMbombela5,143,32429,535 sq mi (76,495 sq km)
North WestMahikeng4,122,85440,502 sq mi (104,882 sq km)
Northern CapeKimberley1,355,946143,830 sq mi (372,889 sq km)
Western CapeCape Town7,433,01949,986 sq mi (129,462 sq km)

Interesting Facts about South Africa

CountrySouth Africa
Continent Africa
Where is LocatedSouthernmost region of Africa
Coordinates 29.8191° S, 25.3499° E
Capital Pretoria (Administrative Capital), Cape Town (Legislative Capital),
Bloemfontein (Judicial Capital)
Largest City Johannesburg
Neighboring CountriesBotswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe
Administrative divisions9 provinces
Area 471,443 sq miles
Population (2021)60,142,978 (23rd)
Official Language IsiZulu, IsiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, English
Currency South African Rand (ZAR)
ISO Alpha-2 CodeZA
ISO Alpha-3 Code ZAF
ISO Numeric Code710
GDP (2021 estimate)$$748 billion(32nd)
Calling code +27
Time Zone SAST (UTC+2)
Airport O. R. Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg), Cape Town International Airport
King Shaka International Airport, Port Elizabeth International Airport
PortsSCape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth
Internet TLD .za

Top Tourist Attractions, Sightseeing in South Africa?

The famous places to see in South Africa are Cape Town, Kruger National Park, The Garden Route, Stellenbosch, Drakensberg, ISimangaliso Wetland Park, Pilanesberg National Park, Kgalagadi Transnational Park, Johannesburg, Hermanus, Mossel Bay, Durban, Paarl, Port Elizabeth and Franschhoek.

Rank City Province Population (2022 Census) Area sq mi (sq km)
1JohannesburgGauteng5,866,550635 sq mi (1,645 sq km)
2Cape TownWestern Cape4,772,846948 sq mi (2,455 sq km)
3eThekwini (Durban)KwaZulu-Natal4,042,311886 sq mi (2,297 sq km)
4Pretoria (Tshwane)Gauteng3,292,4362,445 sq mi (6,334 sq km)
5EkurhuleniGauteng3,099,944760 sq mi (1,970 sq km)
6Nelson Mandela Bay (Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth)Eastern Cape1,341,553758 sq mi (1,965 sq km)
7Mangaung (Bloemfontein)Free State787,7173,860 sq mi (9,998 sq km)
8Buffalo City (East London)Eastern Cape924,830979 sq mi (2,536 sq km)
9PolokwaneLimpopo795,000194 sq mi (503 sq km)
10MbombelaMpumalanga770,0001,825 sq mi (4,727 sq km)

Major Water Bodies in South Africa

Major water bodies in South Africa include the Orange River, Vaal River, Limpopo River, Tugela River, Breede River, Gariep Dam, Vanderkloof Dam, Theewaterskloof Dam, Lake St. Lucia, Langebaan Lagoon, the Indian Ocean, and the Atlantic Ocean.

International Airports in South Africa

  • O. R. Tambo International Airport (Johannesburg)
  • Cape Town International Airport (Cape Town)
  • King Shaka International Airport (Durban)
  • Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (Gqeberha/Port Elizabeth)
  • Bram Fischer International Airport (Bloemfontein)
  • Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport (Mbombela)
  • George Airport (George)
  • Upington International Airport (Upington)
  • Lanseria International Airport (Johannesburg)
  • Polokwane International Airport (Polokwane)