South Africa
Welcome
Located entirely in the Southern hemisphere and in the most southern region of the African continent.
THE CAN DO QUIZ
1. Where in the continent of Africa is South Africa located?
A
North
B
South
2. What are the colours of the South African flag?
A
Red, black, gold, green, white and blue
B
Red and white
Did you Know?
South Africa’s coastline is bordered to the west by the Atlantic Ocean and to the east by the Indian Ocean. Cape Agulhas, is the meeting point of these two oceans located at the most southern tip of the continent of Africa.
Neighbouring Countries
Click or hover over a country name below to see it on the map.
DID YOU KNOW?
The independent country of Lesotho is completely surrounded by the country of South Africa.
REGIONS
DID YOU KNOW?
The government of the Republic of South Africa is divided into three sections. The Union Buildings of the executive capital are located in Pretoria. Cape Town is home to the legislative capital and the judicial capital is in Bloemfontein.
Drag and drop the name of each region in South Africa to its position on the map.
CLIMATE
DID YOU KNOW?
The climate of South Africa is influenced by a variety of different landforms. These include the mountainous region known as the Great Escarpment, plateaus and the oceans of the west, south and east coasts.
South Africa has four seasons. Select from the
boxes below to see Johannesburg in each season.
Summer
June to August
Autumn
September to November
Winter
December to February
Spring
March to May
FAMOUS LANDMARKS OF south africa
Table Mountain
This sandstone and granite flat-topped mountain overlooks the city of Cape Town. It is over 240 million years old and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. It is approximately 1087 meters (3,563 feet) tall.
Robben Island
Located off the coast of Cape Town, this island is actually the peak of a mountain submerged under the sea. From the 17th century up until 1996 the island was used as a prison. Robben Island was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999.
Kruger National Park
Located in northeastern South Africa, this game reserve is one of the largest in Africa. Rhinos, lions, leopards, elephants and cape buffalo, as well as hundreds of different mammals, reptiles and bird species all call it home.
The Cradle of Humankind
Located northwest of Johannesburg are the Sterkfontein Caves. Many hundreds of fossils dating back millions of years have been found here. Including stone tools thought to be 1.7 million year old. Burnt bones suggest fire was also used here a million years ago.
NATIVE SOUTH AFRICA ANIMALS
Giraffe
Zebra
Cape Buffalo
Name the animal
Drag and drop the correct name onto the correct animal image
Lion
Cheetah
Zebra
Giraffe
Rhinoceros
Cape Buffalo
African Elephant
Rhinoceros
African Elephant
Lion
Cheetah
NATIONAL ANTHEM, FLAG AND CURRENCY
South Africa’s official anthem is the ‘National Anthem of South Africa’.
Play Anthem
Play Anthem
The South African flag was created in 1994 to symbolise the merging of this diverse nation into one democratic state. The ‘Y’ represents the meeting point and the pathway forward to a united and prosperous future.
Originally the flag was to be temporary, but it was confirmed as the permanent flag of South Africa by the 1996 constitution. The flag, intended as temporary, was confirmed by the 1996 constitution as permanent.
At the time it was created, it was the only national flag in the world to include six different colours.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Rand is the official currency of South Africa. A capital ‘R’ is used to symbolise the Rand. There are 100 cents in one rand.
Notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 rand.
Coins come in denominations of 10c, 20c, 50c, R1, R2 and R5.
CAN DO KIDS BAND HIGHLIGHTS
Click on one of the Can Do Kids
to hear more about their experience in South Africa..
The 360 degree views from Table Mountain was the start of an amazing tour. We were introduced to so many new musical styles and instruments. The Marabi swing, a kind of jazz style music and Bantu, more folk style music, were my favourites.
There was so many new foods to try on our tour. The national dish, Bobotie, was tasty. Meeting locals at a Braai, the South African word for a barbecue, gave us the opportunity to learn more about the culture and traditions of the people.
Seeing elephants, giraffes, zebras and lions in their natural habitat was incredible. As was having the opportunity to watch the Springboks play a game of rugby in their home stadium.
We learned a lot about South Africa’s history when we visited Robben Island. The country has a rich and colourful past, with such a mix of people and cultures. I now know why South Africa is called a rainbow nation.
It was great to travel around my home country and hear the familiar sounds of marimba music. It was cool to watch the many ritual dances in the different villages we visited and hear the accompanying beat of drums. The Zulu warriors performance of the Indlamu dance was my favourite.
DEPARTURE
We’ve had an exciting adventure on our tour of South Africa. Click on the game links below to test your knowledge. Best of luck from me, Amy, Ace, Lin, Oz and Ravi.
Amazing People Trust ©