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South Africa: provinces, towns and neighbours

South Africa’s nine provinces, their capitals and towns, and our six neighbours. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Nine provinces

South Africa is divided into nine provinces. Each province has a capital where the provincial government works.

ProvinceCapitalOther towns and cities
Western CapeCape TownGeorge, Mossel Bay
Eastern CapeBhishoGqeberha, East London
Northern CapeKimberleyUpington, Springbok
Free StateBloemfonteinWelkom
KwaZulu-NatalPietermaritzburgDurban
North WestMahikengRustenburg
GautengJohannesburgPretoria (Tshwane)
MpumalangaMbombelaeMalahleni
LimpopoPolokwaneThohoyandou
  • The Northern Cape is the largest province, but few people live there.
  • Gauteng is the smallest province, but most people live there.
  • Johannesburg is the capital of Gauteng province. Pretoria (also in Gauteng) is South Africa’s administrative capital, where the national government works.
  • The Free State (and Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo) has no coastline.
Northern CapeKwaZulu-NatalFree StateEastern CapeLimpopoNorth WestMpumalangaWestern CapeGautengN
South Africa’s nine provinces.
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Our neighbours

South Africa shares its borders with six countries:

  • Namibia in the north-west.
  • Botswana and Zimbabwe in the north.
  • Mozambique and Eswatini in the north-east.
  • Lesotho, which lies completely inside South Africa.
Meerkat tip

Limpopo borders three countries: Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Two oceans

South Africa has a long coastline. On the west coast is the cold Atlantic Ocean, and on the east coast the warm Indian Ocean. They meet near Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa.

Rule

Anyone swimming at Durban or East London is swimming in the Indian Ocean.

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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • South Africa has nine provinces. Each has a capital.
  • The Northern Cape is the largest province and Gauteng the smallest.
  • We have six neighbours: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Eswatini and Lesotho.
  • Lesotho lies completely inside South Africa.
  • The Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet near Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Big land, few people: Northern Cape. Small land, many people: Gauteng. Lesotho sits inside South Africa like the yolk inside an egg.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

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