Topographic maps

South Africa's topography is characterized by a high central plateau, known as the Highveld, which lies at elevations between 1,200 and 1,800 meters (3,937 to 5,906 feet) above sea level. This plateau is encircled by the Great Escarpment, a prominent mountainous feature that includes the Drakensberg Mountains,…

Average elevation: 221 m

Average elevation: 1,606 m

Pretoria is situated approximately 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Johannesburg in the northeast of South Africa, in a transitional belt between the plateau of the Highveld to the south and the lower-lying Bushveld to the north. It lies at an altitude of about 1,339 m (4,393 ft) above sea level, in a warm,…

Average elevation: 1,363 m

The Cape Peninsula is 52 km long from Mouille Point in the north to Cape Point in the south, with an area of about 470 km2, and it displays more topographical variety than other similar sized areas in southern Africa, and consequently spectacular scenery. There are diverse low-nutrient soils, large rocky…

Average elevation: 53 m

Average elevation: 1,285 m

Bredasdorp is situated at an elevation of between 40 and 120 metres (130 and 390 ft) on the slopes of the Heuningberg (Afrikaans for "Honey Mountain"). There is no significant watercourse flowing through the town, although the Kars River flows past a few kilometres to the east.

Average elevation: 101 m

Average elevation: 74 m

Average elevation: 1,451 m

Gauteng's southern border is the Vaal River, which separates it from the Free State. It also borders on North West to the west, Limpopo to the north, and Mpumalanga to the east. Gauteng is the only landlocked province of South Africa without a foreign border. Most of Gauteng is on the Highveld, a high-altitude…

Average elevation: 1,405 m

The Free State is situated on a succession of flat grassy plains sprinkled with pastureland, resting on a general elevation of 3,800 feet only broken by the occasional hill or kopje. The rich soil and pleasant climate allow for a thriving agricultural industry. With more than 30,000 farms, which produce over…

Average elevation: 1,499 m

Average elevation: 1,319 m

Average elevation: 778 m

Average elevation: 26 m

Average elevation: 503 m

Average elevation: 421 m

Average elevation: 1,288 m

Average elevation: 969 m

Average elevation: 935 m

Average elevation: 1,736 m

Average elevation: 247 m

Average elevation: 1,380 m

The province is topographically exceptionally diverse. Most of the province falls within the Cape Fold Belt, a set of nearly parallel ranges of sandstone folded mountains of Cambrian-Ordovician age (the age of the rocks is from 510 to about 330 million years ago; their folding into mountains occurred about 350…

Average elevation: 90 m

The elevation of Upington is 2,742 feet (835 metres). It is the closest large centre to the Augrabies Falls (arguably the greatest of South African waterfalls) and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The landscape is very arid but the soil is fertile and crops such as fruit are grown in irrigated fields. The…

Average elevation: 856 m

Average elevation: 887 m

Average elevation: 998 m

Average elevation: 114 m

Average elevation: 89 m

Average elevation: 1,276 m

Average elevation: 1,183 m

Average elevation: 593 m

Average elevation: 91 m

Average elevation: 1,258 m

Average elevation: 1,300 m

Average elevation: 384 m

Average elevation: 333 m

Average elevation: 1,593 m

Average elevation: 27 m

Average elevation: 1,592 m

Average elevation: 29 m

Average elevation: 1,583 m

Average elevation: 449 m

The Drakensberg (Zulu: uKhahlamba, Sotho: Maloti, Afrikaans: Drakensberge) is the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation – 2,000 to 3,482 metres (6,562 to 11,424 feet) within the border region of South…

Average elevation: 3,286 m

Kimberley is set in a relatively flat landscape with no prominent topographic features within the urban limits. The only "hills" are debris dumps generated by more than a century of diamond mining. From the 1990s these were being recycled and poured back into De Beers Mine (by 2010 it was filled to within a…

Average elevation: 1,203 m

Worcester is located at an elevation of 220 metres (720 ft) and can be reached by road either travelling on the N1 highway through the Huguenot Tunnel or by driving through spectacular mountain passes. From Cape Town Du Toitskloof, from Wellington Bainskloof, from Malmesbury, Western Cape Nieuwekloof, from…

Average elevation: 252 m

The further subdivisions and sale of portions of Richmond Farm No. 999 by the Field heirs after 1901 resulted in the birth of Kloof as a residential area: numerous plots were sold to wealthy Durban residents and businessmen, who built country house retreats close to the city, but (due to its 550 m above sea…

Average elevation: 480 m

Average elevation: 1,590 m

Average elevation: 578 m

Average elevation: 41 m

KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with a…

Average elevation: 777 m

Johannesburg is located in the eastern plateau area of South Africa known as the Highveld, at an elevation of 1,753 metres (5,751 ft). The former Central Business District is located on the southern side of the prominent ridge called the Witwatersrand (English: White Water's Ridge) and the terrain falls to the…

Average elevation: 1,615 m

Average elevation: 845 m

Average elevation: 1,933 m

Average elevation: 61 m

Average elevation: 235 m

Average elevation: 180 m

Average elevation: 968 m

The Orange rises in the Drakensberg mountains along the border between South Africa and Lesotho, about 193 km (120 mi) west of the Indian Ocean and at an altitude of over 3,000 m (9,800 ft). The extremity of the Orange River inside Lesotho is known as the Senqu. Parts of the Senqu River freeze in winter…

Average elevation: 966 m

Average elevation: 1,266 m

Average elevation: 1,356 m

The river originates west of Carolina, rising at an elevation of about 1,800 m (5,906 ft) near Breyten in the Ermelo district of the Mpumalanga province. It flows in a general northeasterly direction and reaches the Indian Ocean at Maputo Bay, after a course of some 800 km (497 mi).

Average elevation: 477 m

Average elevation: 1,568 m

KwaZulu-Natal has a varied yet verdant climate thanks to diverse, complex topography. Generally, the coast is subtropical with inland regions becoming progressively colder. Durban on the south coast has an annual rainfall of 1009 mm, with daytime maxima peaking from January to March at 28 °C (82 °F) with a…

Average elevation: 950 m

Average elevation: 853 m

Average elevation: 353 m

Average elevation: 1,214 m

Average elevation: 10 m

Average elevation: 716 m

Average elevation: 24 m

Average elevation: 1,481 m

Average elevation: 1,438 m

Average elevation: 1,619 m

Average elevation: 72 m

Situated at an elevation of 1,395 m (4,577 ft) above sea level, the city is home to approximately 520,000 residents and forms part of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality which has a population of 747,431. It was one of the host cities for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Average elevation: 1,374 m

Average elevation: 535 m

Average elevation: 1,477 m

Average elevation: 1,257 m

The Drakensberg escarpment divides Mpumalanga into a westerly half consisting mainly of high-altitude grassland called the Highveld and an eastern half situated in low-altitude subtropical Lowveld/Bushveld, mostly savanna habitat. The southern half of the Kruger National Park is in the latter region. The…

Average elevation: 1,127 m

Stellenbosch is 53 km (33 mi) east of Cape Town via National Route N1. Stellenbosch is in a hilly region of the Cape Winelands, and is sheltered in a valley at an average elevation of 136 m (446 ft), flanked on the west by Papegaaiberg (Afrikaans: Parrot Mountain), which is actually a hill. To the south is…

Average elevation: 287 m

Average elevation: 1,305 m

Average elevation: 37 m

Average elevation: 1,365 m

Average elevation: 456 m

Average elevation: 1,398 m

Average elevation: 1,202 m

Average elevation: 580 m

Average elevation: 1,084 m

Average elevation: 1,291 m

Average elevation: 37 m

Average elevation: 995 m

Average elevation: 1,095 m

Average elevation: 1,496 m

Average elevation: 143 m

Average elevation: 1,414 m

Average elevation: 1,495 m

Average elevation: 1,177 m

Average elevation: 1,586 m

Average elevation: 809 m

Average elevation: 1,176 m

Average elevation: 1,257 m

Average elevation: 1,462 m