The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to South Africa:

South Africa – A sovereign country located at the southern tip of Africa.^[1] South Africa's coast stretches 2,798 kilometres^[2] and borders both the Atlantic and Indian oceans.^[3] To the north of South Africa lie Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), while the Kingdom of Lesotho is an independent enclave surrounded by South African territory.^[4]

General reference

• Pronunciation: /ˈæfrɪkə/
• Common English country name: South Africa
• Official English country name: The Republic of South Africa
• Common endonym(s): Aforika Borwa, Afrika Borwa, Afrika-Dzonga, Afurika Tshipembe, iNingizimu Afrika, iSewula Afrika, South Africa, Suid-Afrika, uMzantsi Afrika
• Official endonym(s): iRiphabhulikhi yeNingizimu Afrika, iRiphabhuliki yaseNingizimu Afrika, iRiphabliki yeSewula Afrika, iRiphabliki yomZantsi Afrika, Repabliki ya Afrika-Borwa, Rephaboliki ya Aforika Borwa, Rephaboliki ya Afrika Borwa, Republic of South Africa, Republiek van Suid-Afrika, Riphabliki ra Afrika Dzonga, Riphabuḽiki ya Afurika Tshipembe
• Adjectival(s): South African
• Demonym(s): South Africans
• ISO country codes: ZA, ZAF, 710
• ISO region codes: See ISO 3166-2:ZA
• Internet country code top-level domain: .za

Geography of South Africa

Geography of South Africa

• South Africa is: a megadiverse country
• Location:
  • Eastern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere
  • Africa
    • Southern Africa
  • Time zone: South African Standard Time (UTC+02)
  • Extreme points of South Africa
    • High: Mafadi 3,450 m (11,319 ft)
    • Low: South Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean 0 m
  • Land boundaries: 4,862 km

 Botswana 1,840 km

 Namibia 967 km

 Lesotho 909 km

 Mozambique 491 km

 Eswatini 430 km

 Zimbabwe 225 km

• Coastline: 2,798 km

• Population of South Africa: 57,725,600 (July 2018 estimate)^[5] - 26th most populous country
• Area of South Africa: 1 221 037 km²
• Atlas of South Africa

Environment of South Africa

• Climate of South Africa
• Geology of South Africa
  • Marine geology of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay
• Green building in South Africa
• Ecoregions in South Africa
• Renewable energy in South Africa
• Protected areas of South Africa
  • Biosphere reserves in South Africa
  • National parks of South Africa
• Wildlife of South Africa
  • Flora of South Africa
    • List of Southern African indigenous trees
    • Fynbos
      • King protea
    • Veld
    • Clanwilliam cedar
    • Real yellowwood, the national tree
    • Rooibos
  • Fauna of South Africa
    • Birds of South Africa
    • Mammals of South Africa

Natural geographic features of South Africa

• Glaciers in South Africa: none ^[6]
• Cape of Good Hope
• Deserts of South Africa
  • Kalahari Desert
• Estuaries of South Africa
• Islands of South Africa
• Forests of South Africa
• Lakes of South Africa
• Mountains of South Africa
  • Mountain ranges of South Africa
  • Mountain passes of South Africa
  • Specific mountains
    • Table Mountain
  • Volcanoes in South Africa
• Rivers of South Africa
  • Fish River
  • Orange River
  • Tugela River
  • Waterfalls of South Africa
    • Tugela Falls
• World Heritage Sites in South Africa

Regions of South Africa

Administrative divisions of South Africa

Administrative divisions of South Africa

• Provinces of South Africa
  • Districts of South Africa
    • Municipalities of South Africa

Provinces of South Africa

Provinces of South Africa

• Western Cape
• Northern Cape
• Eastern Cape
• KwaZulu-Natal
• Free State
• North West
• Gauteng
• Mpumalanga
• Limpopo

Districts of South Africa

Districts of South Africa

• City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality
• West Coast
• Cape Winelands
• Overberg
• Garden Route
• Central Karoo
• Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality
• Cacadu
• Amathole
• Chris Hani
• Joe Gqabi
• OR Tambo
• Alfred Nzo
• Xhariep
• Motheo
• Lejweleputswa
• Thabo Mofutsanyane
• Northern Free State
• Namakwa
• Pixley ka Seme
• Siyanda
• Frances Baard
• Kgalagadi
• Bojanala Platinum
• Ngaka Modiri Molema
• Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati
• Dr Kenneth Kaunda
• West Rand
• City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality
• Sedibeng
• Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality
• Metsweding
• City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality
• Mopani
• Vhembe
• Capricorn
• Waterberg
• Sekhukhune
• Gert Sibande
• Nkangala
• Ehlanzeni
• Amajuba
• Zululand
• Umkhanyakude
• uThungulu
• Umzinyathi
• Uthukela
• Umgungundlovu
• iLembe
• eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality
• Ugu
• Sisonke

Municipalities of South Africa

Municipalities of South Africa

• Capital of South Africa: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative)
• Cities of South Africa
• Populated places in South Africa

Demography of South Africa

Demographics of South Africa

Government and politics of South Africa

Politics of South Africa

• Form of government: unitary parliamentary representative democratic republic
• Capital of South Africa: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial) and Cape Town (legislative)
• Elections in South Africa
• Political parties in South Africa
• Social movements in South Africa
• Taxation in South Africa

Branches of the government of South Africa

Government of South Africa

Executive branch of the government of South Africa

• Head of state and head of government: President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa
• Cabinet of South Africa

Legislative branch of the government of South Africa

• Parliament of South Africa (bicameral)
  • Upper house: National Council of Provinces
  • Lower house: National Assembly of South Africa

Judicial branch of the government of South Africa

• Constitutional Court of South Africa
  • Chief Justice of South Africa
• Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa
• High Court of South Africa
• Magistrates' Courts of South Africa

Foreign relations of South Africa

Foreign relations of South Africa

• Diplomatic missions in South Africa
• Diplomatic missions of South Africa
• Immigration to South Africa

International organization membership

The Republic of South Africa is a member of:^[1]

Law and order in South Africa

Law of South Africa

• Cannabis in South Africa
• Constitution of South Africa
• Crime in South Africa
  • Sexual violence in South Africa
• Human rights in South Africa
  • LGBT rights in South Africa
  • Freedom of religion in South Africa
• South African nationality law

Law enforcement in South Africa

Law enforcement in South Africa

• Department of Police
• South African Police Service
  • Crime Intelligence (SAPS)
  • South African Police Service Special Task Force
  • National Intervention Unit
  • Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation ( SAPS )
  • National Forensic DNA Database of South Africa
• Municipal Police
• Provincial Traffic Police
• National Prosecuting Authority
• Independent Complaints Directorate
• Department of Correctional Services
  • Capital punishment in South Africa
• Biometrics use by the South African government

Military of South Africa

Military of South Africa

• Command
  • Commander-in-chief: President of South Africa
    • Minister of Defence of South Africa
    • Department of Defence of South Africa
• South African National Defence Force
  • South African Air Force
  • South African Army
  • South African Navy
  • South African Military Health Service
  • South African Special Forces Brigade
  • South African Commando System
  • South African National Defence Force Intelligence Division
• Military history of South Africa
• Military ranks of South Africa

State security in South Africa

• State Security Agency
• Minister
• National Intelligence Co-ordinating Committee (NICC)
• National Intelligence Agency (NIA)
• National Communications Centre (NCC)
• Communications security (COMSEC)
• South African Secret Service (SASS)
• South African National Academy of Intelligence (SANAI)

Local government in South Africa

Local government in South Africa

History of South Africa

History of South Africa

• South African History Project

Books on the history of South Africa

• The Cambridge History of South Africa
• The Oxford History of South Africa

History of South Africa, by period

• List of years in South Africa
• Early history of South Africa
• Jan van Riebeeck
• Xhosa Wars
• Mfecane
• Great Trek
• Zulu War (see also Anglo-Zulu War)
• History of Cape Colony
  • History of Cape Colony before 1806
• Orange Free State
• South African Republic
• Boer Wars
  • First Boer War
  • Second Boer War
  • Pretoria Convention
• Great Depression in South Africa
• Military history of South Africa during World War II
• Apartheid
  • History of apartheid
    • Sharpeville massacre
    • Rivonia Trial
    • Crime of Apartheid Convention (1973)
    • Other events related to apartheid
• South African Border War
• History of South Africa since 1994

History of South Africa, by region

• History of Johannesburg

History of South Africa, by subject

• History of the Cabinet of South Africa
• Earthquakes in South Africa
• Economic history of South Africa
• South African hacker history
• History of the Jews in South Africa
• LGBT history in South Africa
  • Timeline of LGBT history in South Africa
• History of libraries in South Africa
• South African locomotive history
• Military history of South Africa
  • History of the South African Air Force
  • Military history of South Africa during World War II
• History of South African nationality
• Postage stamps and postal history of South Africa
• Social movements in South Africa
• History of South African wine
• History of women's rights in South Africa

Culture of South Africa

Culture of South Africa

• Architecture of South Africa
  • Cape Dutch architecture
• Cuisine of South Africa
  • South African wine
• Feminism in South Africa
• Gambling in South Africa
• South African heraldry
• Media in South Africa
• National symbols of South Africa
  • Coat of arms of South Africa
  • Flag of South Africa
  • National anthem of South Africa
  • National flower of South Africa
• Prostitution in South Africa
• Public holidays in South Africa
• Racism in South Africa
• Scouts South Africa
• World Heritage Sites in South Africa
• Xenophobia in South Africa
• Afrikaner Calvinism
• Kwaito
• Ladysmith Black Mambazo
• Nguni stick fighting
• Khoikhoi mythology

Art in South Africa

• Architecture of South Africa
• Art of South Africa
  • List of South African artists
• Cinema of South Africa
• Literature of South Africa
  • List of South African poets
  • List of Afrikaans language poets
• Media in South Africa
• Music of South Africa
• Television in South Africa

Language in South Africa

• Click consonant
• Languages of South Africa
  • Afrikaans language
  • English language (South African English)
  • Nguni languages
    • Southern Ndebele language (isiNdebele)
    • Swati language (siSwati)
    • Xhosa language (isiXhosa)
    • Zulu language (isiZulu)
  • Sotho languages
    • Sotho language (Sesotho)
    • Northern Sotho language (Sesotho sa Leboa)
    • Tswana language (Setswana)
  • Venda language (Tshivenda)
  • Tsonga language (Xitsonga)
  • !Xu language
  • Bantu languages
  • Khoisan languages
• List of South African slang words

People of South Africa

People of South Africa

• Ethnic groups in South Africa
  • Asian South African
    • Indian South African
    • Chinese South African
  • Bantu peoples
    • Basotho
      • Bakoena
      • Bataung
      • Batlokoa
    • South Ndebele people
    • Pedi people
    • Sotho people
    • Swazi people
    • Tsonga people
    • Tswana people
    • Venda people
      • Venda
    • Xhosa people
    • Zulu people
  • Coloureds
    • Cape Coloured
    • Cape Malay
    • Griqua people
  • Khoisan
  • White South African
    • Afrikaner
    • British diaspora in South Africa
    • Jewish South Africans
• Homeless in South Africa

Specific persons

• Neil Aggett
• Tatamkulu Afrika
• Autshumao
• Steve Biko
• Arthur Blaxall
• Pieter Willem Botha
• J. M. Coetzee
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Frederik Willem de Klerk
• Krotoa
• Paul Kruger
• Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
• Nelson Mandela
• Mark Mathabane
• Govan Mbeki
• Thabo Mbeki
• Lilian Ngoyi
• Raymond Mhlaba
• Patrice Motsepe
• Harry Oppenheimer
• Jan van Riebeeck
• Charles Robberts Swart
• Shaka Zulu
• Walter Sisulu
• J.G. Strijdom
• Charles Robberts Swart
• Oliver Tambo
• Desmond Tutu
• B.J. Vorster
• J.R.R. Tolkien
• Jacob Zuma

Religion in South Africa

Religion in South Africa

• Buddhism in South Africa
• Christianity in South Africa
  • Roman Catholicism in South Africa
  • Protestantism in South Africa
• Hinduism in South Africa
• Islam in South Africa
• Judaism in South Africa

Sports in South Africa

Sport in South Africa

• Cape Unicorns Polocrosse Club
• Football in South Africa
• Cricket in South Africa
  • History of cricket in South Africa
    • History of cricket in South Africa to 1918
    • History of cricket in South Africa from 1918–19 to 1945
    • History of cricket in South Africa from 1945–46 to 1970
    • History of cricket in South Africa from 1970–71 to 1990
    • History of cricket in South Africa from 1990–91 to 2000
    • History of cricket in South Africa from 2000–01
• South Africa at the Olympics

Rugby in South Africa

• South Africa at the Rugby World Cup
• South African Rugby Board
• South African Rugby Legends Association
• South African Rugby Football Federation
• Rugby league in South Africa
  • South African Rugby League
    • South Africa national rugby league team
  • History of rugby league in South Africa
    • History of the South Africa national rugby league team
• Rugby sevens in South Africa
  • South Africa national rugby sevens team
    • List of South Africa national rugby sevens players
  • South Africa women's national rugby sevens team
  • South Africa at the World Rugby Sevens Series
• Rugby union in South Africa
  • South African Rugby Union
  • South African rugby union captains
  • List of South Africa national rugby union players
  • South African rugby union teams
    • South Africa national rugby union team
      • South Africa national rugby union team players
      • List of South Africa national rugby union team records
    • South Africa national under-18 rugby union team
    • South Africa national under-20 rugby union team
      • List of South Africa national under-20 rugby union team players
    • South Africa 'A' national rugby union team
    • South Africa amateur national rugby union team
    • South African Universities rugby union team
    • South Africa women's national rugby union team
  • History of rugby union in South Africa
    • History of the South Africa national rugby union team
    • History of rugby union matches between Argentina and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between Australia and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between England and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between France and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between Ireland and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between Italy and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between New Zealand and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between Samoa and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between Scotland and South Africa
    • History of rugby union matches between South Africa and Wales
    • History of rugby union matches between South Africa and the Barbarians
    • History of rugby union matches between South Africa and the British & Irish Lions

Economy and infrastructure of South Africa

Economy of South Africa

• Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007): 30th (thirtieth)
• Agriculture in South Africa
• Banking in South Africa
  • South African Reserve Bank
• Communications in South Africa
  • Media in South Africa
  • Telecommunications in South Africa
    • Internet in South Africa
    • Television in South Africa
    • List of radio stations in South Africa
    • South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)
• Companies of South Africa
• Currency of South Africa: Rand
  • Financial rand (abolished)
  • ISO 4217: ZAR
• Economic history of South Africa
• Energy in South Africa
• Foreign trade of South Africa
• Gambling in South Africa
• Housing in South Africa
  • Homelessness in South Africa
• Mining in South Africa
  • Iron ore in South Africa
  • Platinum in South Africa
  • Titanium in South Africa
• Johannesburg Stock Exchange
• Taxation in South Africa
• Tourism in South Africa
• Trade unions in South Africa
• Transport in South Africa
  • Airports in South Africa
  • Rail transport in South Africa
• Water supply and sanitation in South Africa

Companies in South Africa

• Anglo American
• BHP
• Eskom
• Etruscan Resources
• Kumba Resources
• List of radio stations in South Africa
• Murray & Roberts
• Mvelaphanda Group
• Richards Bay Minerals RBM
• Sasol
• South African Airways (SAA)
• Standard Bank of South Africa
• Telkom (South Africa)
• Transnet
  • Blue Train (South Africa)
  • Freightdynamics
  • Petronet
  • Protekon
  • Shosholoza Meyl
  • South African Port Operations SAPO
  • Transnet Engineering
  • Transnet Freight Rail

Education in South Africa

Education in South Africa

• List of universities in South Africa
• University of the Witwatersrand
• University of the Western Cape
• University of KwaZulu-Natal
• University of Johannesburg
• University of Fort Hare
• University of Cape Town
• University of South Africa
• University of Zululand
• University of Pretoria
• University of Stellenbosch
• Rhodes University
• North-West University

National Qualifications Framework

• South African Qualifications Authority

Health in South Africa

• Health in South Africa
• Healthcare in South Africa
  • Midwives in South Africa
• HIV/AIDS in South Africa