Facts for Kids

South Africa sits at the very bottom of the African continent. It is a big country with nine provinces, a long coastline of about 2,798 km touching two oceans, and neighbours like Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini, and the tiny country Lesotho inside it. The land covers about 1,221,037 square kilometres and more than 63 million people live there, so it is one of Africa’s most populated countries.

South Africa has three capitals—Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial)—and big cities like Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. People often call it the "rainbow nation" because many cultures, languages, and religions live there. It is also rich in nature, history, and industry, but still works on problems like poverty and unequal chances for people. What would you like to explore first?

Biodiversity means the many kinds of plants and animals that live in a place, and South Africa is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries. The country has many different landscapes: grasslands on the Highveld, dry rocky Karoo, succulent-rich Namaqualand, and the special fynbos plants around the Western Cape. The fynbos alone has thousands of plant species, including the colourful protea flowers.

Wildlife in places like Kruger National Park and the Bushveld includes elephants, lions, giraffes and many birds. People work to protect nature through parks, ecotourism, and a national biodiversity plan, because new roads, alien plants and poaching can hurt habitats. How would you help protect endangered animals?

South Africa is often called the "rainbow nation" for its many cultures and religions. The country has 12 official languages, and South African Sign Language became official in 2023. The most common home languages include Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans and English, and many people speak more than one language. English is used widely for business and schools.

People follow different religions and come from many backgrounds: indigenous groups like the San and Khoekhoen, people of African, European and Asian ancestry, and newer migrants from other countries. Some traditional languages are rare now, so communities and schools help keep them alive. Which language would you like to learn?

The area of South Africa has very old human history. The Cradle of Humankind is a place with fossils that show early humans and relatives living there millions of years ago. Scientists found fossils like the Taung Child and stone tools that tell us people lived and made things long ago.

Later groups include the Khoisan—people who lived by hunting, gathering and herding—and Bantu-speaking farmers who arrived from the north, bringing iron tools and new crops. Kingdoms such as Mapungubwe grew by trade around 1200 and later shifted to places like Great Zimbabwe. Old stone sites and stories connect people today to these early times. What ancient site would you want to visit?

European contact began when explorers like Bartolomeu Dias rounded southern Africa in the late 1400s and named the Cape of Good Hope. In 1652 the Dutch set up a station at the Cape, which became Cape Town. Over time, Dutch settlers, British colonists, and people brought from other places formed new communities and sometimes fought with local groups over land and water.

In the 1800s, movements of people, discoveries of diamonds and gold, and clashing governments led to wars between the British, the Boers (Dutch farmers), and African kingdoms such as the Zulu. Many people were forced to move or suffered in these conflicts. How do you think people find ways to make peace after fighting?

The word apartheid means separation. From 1948, a government put strict laws in place that separated people by race and gave the white minority most power. These rules affected where people could live, work, and go to school. Many people inside and outside South Africa said this was unfair and worked to change it.

Groups such as the African National Congress organised protests, and the world put pressure on the government with boycotts. After years of struggle, negotiations in the early 1990s led to democratic elections in 1994 and a new government. Since then, South Africa has made progress in rights and public life, but it still faces challenges like poverty and unequal chances. What would you change to make things fairer?