Pass The Passport

Places / Africa

South Africa

Visited

At a glance

Region
Southern Africa
Capital
Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town
Population
64.7 million (2025)
Area
1,221,037 km²
Languages
Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Currency
South African rand (ZAR)
Drives on the
left
Calling code
+27
Visited: South Africa

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Before you go

Overview

South Africa is the southernmost country in Africa. It has been ranked by the World Bank as a newly industrialized country and its nominal GDP is the second-largest in Africa.

It has three identified capital cities, Pretoria is executive, Bloemfontein is judicial and Cape Town is legislative. The largest city is Johannesburg.

Johannesburg is informally called “the city of gold” because it is the centre of large-scale gold and diamond trade. It is situated at Witwatersrand range of hills, at Gauteng province, the wealthiest in the country. The Soweto Township at Johannesburg was the residence to Nelson Mandela, today it is Mandela House Museum. Other museums at the town are Somber Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill that relates the struggle to end isolation. Port of Durban on the Indian Ocean is the most vigorous general cargo port. East London and Port Elizabeth are also used as commercial and cultural centres.

The country was a self-governing entity like Australia. It has been independent since the formation of the Union of South Africa on 31st May 1910 by the British. A new constitution was formed and the first non-racial elections were conducted when Nelson Mandela won. Jacob Zuma was elected by Parliament as president on May 2009 but resigns on 2018 over corruption charges. Cyril Ramaphosa won the 8th May 2019 general elections.

Cape Town

It has a population of about 58.78 million with an area of 1.22 million km2.

The official languages are Afrikaans, English, Zulu, Xhosa and Venda.

The education system comprises of three levels, elementary, secondary and tertiary level. The predominant religion is Christianity.

The most popular sports in the country are cricket, rugby and soccer. The country hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Durban

The climate differs with regions; the interior plateau is temperate and subtropical in the northeast. The best months to visit the country from May to September when it is a dry season, less cold and viewing of wildlife is magnificent.

The main crops grown in the country are grains and cereals.

Hout Bay

South Africa is bordered by Namibia on the northwest, Botswana and Zimbabwe on the north, Mozambique and Eswatini on the northeast and east, the Indian Ocean on the southeast and the Atlantic Ocean on the southwest. To the eastern side is an enclave called Lesotho. The country also has two sub-Antarctic islands in the Indian Ocean called Prince Edward and Marion.

History

Khoisan and Bantu-speaking peoples lived here long before Dutch and British colonisation. Apartheid ended in the early 1990s, and Nelson Mandela became president in 1994.

Food & culture

Braai (barbecue), bobotie, bunny chow, biltong and boerewors are favourites. The country has 12 official languages.

Wildlife

Kruger National Park has the Big Five, and the coast has great white sharks, whales and African penguins.

Festivals & events

The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival, the National Arts Festival in Makhanda and Freedom Day on 27 April are highlights.

Things to see

Table Mountain, the Cape Peninsula, Kruger, the Garden Route, the Drakensberg and Robben Island.

Interesting facts

South Africa has three capital cities: Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein.

City guides

Cities & towns I’ve visited

Famous hikes in South Africa

Table Mountain via Platteklip Gorge

Distance
About 3 km up
Time
2 to 3 hours up
Best time
All year, on a clear day

How to do it: The most direct path up Cape Town's mountain. Take the cable car down. Start early in summer, and don't go up if the 'tablecloth' cloud is rolling in.

See it on my bucket list

Otter Trail

Distance
About 45 km
Time
5 days
Best time
All year

How to do it: A coastal trail in the Garden Route with huts at each stop. Only a small number of hikers are allowed each day, so book with SANParks up to a year ahead.

Run a marathon in South Africa

Cape Town Marathon

Cape Town · usually October

Africa's leading city marathon, with Table Mountain watching over. The Comrades ultramarathon (about 89 km, June) is the country's most famous race.

Comrades is on my bucket list

Dates move from year to year, so check the race website before you book.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South Africa

3 of 12 visited. See every site I've been to.

My videos from South Africa

  • Lion roaring up close (sound on)
    South Africa

  • Great white shark at the cage, South Africa
    Gansbaai, South Africa

  • Elephant at golden hour, Addo
    Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa

  • Lions on a night safari drive
    South Africa

  • Table Mountain from a helicopter
    Cape Town, South Africa

  • Lion cubs on a night drive
    South Africa

  • Southern right whale up close
    Gansbaai, South Africa

  • Big cats of Africa: lions and cheetahs
    South Africa and the Serengeti, Tanzania

My photos from South Africa

From 3 trips, newest first, so you can see which places each set of photos came from.

August 2026 Bushbuckridge and Nkomazi

Bushbuckridge, Nkomazi, Mbombela

Whole trip gallery
  • A man and a woman in sunglasses taking a selfie above a round waterhole on flat grassland.
  • A man smiling from the driver's seat with an elephant just outside the window.
  • A man in a beanie grilling meat on a smoking braai at night.
  • A man and a woman in sunglasses taking a selfie above a river valley.
  • A man standing next to a large elephant in the bush.
  • A man standing beside an elephant with tusks in dry bushland.
  • A man and a woman standing either side of an elephant in the bush.
  • Herd of eland and gemsbok oryx grazing on dry, open grassland under a pale sky.
  • South Africa
  • Rocky hillside with a small stream running through dry bushes and shrubs under a blue sky.
  • Panoramic view of forested valleys and layered blue mountains under a clear sky.
  • Cattle crossing a rural road lined with pine trees, seen through a car windscreen.

April 2019 Overlanding West Africa - Oasis Overland

West Coast, Cape Town

Whole trip gallery
  • A long flat-topped mountain above patchwork farmland and vineyards.
  • A view over Cape Town's houses and city centre towards the harbour and sea.

August 2017 South Africa Road Trip

Boulders Beach Penguin Colony, Lions Head Mountain Capetown, Buffelsdrift Game Lodge, Elephant Sanctuary The Crags, Bloukrans Bridge, Cape Town Helicopters, Cape Point, Knysna Elephant Park and 3 more

Whole trip gallery
  • An African elephant feeding on bushes in the morning sun
  • A man sitting on a rock at the summit of Lion's Head with Table Mountain behind.
  • A man crouching beside bushes where African penguins are nesting.
  • A man taking a selfie and pointing at penguins on the sand by large granite boulders.
  • A man taking a selfie above a beach crowded with African penguins.
  • A smiling man taking a selfie with a white sand beach, boulders and penguins behind.
  • A man standing behind the Cape Point sign with its coordinates.
  • A man standing between three elephants with their trunks reaching around him.
  • A man posing with his arm raised next to an elephant raising its trunk.
  • A man resting his hand on a large elephant at Knysna Elephant Park.
  • A man holding an elephant's trunk at an elephant sanctuary.
  • A man smiling next to an elephant's head and curled trunk.

Plan your trip to South Africa

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Neighbours

Bucket List goals in South Africa