South Africa at its true size
South Africa covers 1,221,037 km², number 26 of 235 by area. Home to 64,747,319 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 1,221,037 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 64,747,319 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 53 per km² |
| Capital | Pretoria |
| Region | Southern Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Codes | ZA · ZAF · 710 |
Countries of a similar size
- Mali0.98×South Africa and Mali are almost exactly the same size.
- Angola0.98×South Africa and Angola are almost exactly the same size.
- Niger0.96×South Africa is 4% smaller than Niger.
- Chad0.95×South Africa is 5% smaller than Chad.
- Peru0.95×South Africa is 5% smaller than Peru.
- Colombia1.07×South Africa is 7% larger than Colombia.
How many times does South Africa fit into…
- Russia: about 14 times
- Canada: about 8.2 times
- United States: about 8.0 times
Neighbours
Questions about South Africa
- How big is South Africa?
- South Africa covers 1,221,037 km², which makes it number 26 of 235 countries and territories by area. About 64,747,319 people live there (2025), 53 per km².
- Is South Africa bigger than Mali?
- South Africa and Mali are almost exactly the same size. South Africa: 1,221,037 km²; Mali: 1,240,192 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort South Africa?
- South Africa lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border South Africa?
- South Africa shares a land border with Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini.