What is the capital of South Africa?

The capital of South Africa is Pretoria.

What continent is South Africa in?

South Africa is in Africa, specifically the Southern Africa subregion.

What is the population of South Africa?

South Africa has a population of roughly 57,779,622 people, across a land area of 1,221,037 km².

What language is spoken in South Africa?

The main languages of South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.

Which countries border South Africa?

South Africa shares a land border with 6 countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.

South Africa

Republic of South Africa

South Africa is a country in Southern Africa, Africa. Its capital is Pretoria, home to roughly 57,779,622 people across 1,221,037 km² of land.

Where is South Africa?

South Africa is in Southern Africa, Africa, bordering Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Zimbabwe. Drag or zoom the map, or open the full interactive world map.

Key facts

Capital: Pretoria
Continent: Africa
Subregion: Southern Africa
Population: 57,779,622
Land area: 1,221,037 km²
ISO codes: ZA / ZAF
Languages: Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu
Coastline: Has a coastline
Currency: South African rand (ZAR)
Calling code: +27
Internet domain: .za

How South Africa compares

South Africa ranks 24th of 194 countries on this site by population and 24th by land area — roughly 0.8% of their combined population. In Africa it ranks 5th of 54 by population and 9th by area. It has a coastline. It shares land borders with 6 other countries.

Countries by population · Countries by area

Flag of South Africa: colours

A pixel-accurate scan of the South Africa flag breaks down as 33.3% green, 19.7% red, 19.6% blue, 11.8% white, 9.8% black and 5.8% yellow.

Can you name a country from its colours alone? That is the whole idea behind the flag pie chart game.

Did you know?

South Africa has three capital cities, each hosting a different branch of government.
The country recognizes 12 official languages, reflecting its extraordinary cultural diversity.
Table Mountain overlooking Cape Town is among the world's most recognizable natural landmarks.
Nelson Mandela's journey from prisoner to president symbolized the end of apartheid.
The Cradle of Humankind has yielded some of the oldest hominin fossils ever discovered.

Bordering countries

South Africa: frequently asked questions

What is the capital of South Africa?: The capital of South Africa is Pretoria.
What continent is South Africa in?: South Africa is in Africa, specifically the Southern Africa subregion.
What is the population of South Africa?: South Africa has a population of roughly 57,779,622 people, across a land area of 1,221,037 km².
What language is spoken in South Africa?: The main languages of South Africa are Afrikaans, English, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
Which countries border South Africa?: South Africa shares a land border with 6 countries: Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini and Zimbabwe.

Practice with geography games

Studying South Africa is easier when you put facts into practice. Try these free games to reinforce flags, capitals, and comparative geography.

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