South Africa

Key facts

How South Africa ranks

• Has 4 official languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa.

Every ranking is computed from the facts above — see the full record tables.

Which countries border South Africa?6

• Botswana
• Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Zimbabwe

South Africa in the game

Every puzzle gives three clues that exactly one country satisfies. South Africa is a household name, so it can be the answer even in easy puzzles. These are the 36 clues from the pool that are true of South Africa, rarest first — the fewer countries share a clue, the harder it works for you on the board.

• Has more people than all of its neighbours combined1 of 8
• The Tropic of Capricorn passes through it1 of 10
• Every country it borders is smaller than it1 of 14
• Borders a country that has no other neighbour1 of 15
• Its flag features a triangle1 of 16
• Its capital city's name begins with “P”1 of 17
• Has more than two official languages1 of 19
• Its name begins with “S”1 of 26
• Is larger than Egypt1 of 28
• Has an area larger than 1,000,000 km²1 of 29
• Has more than 50 million people1 of 29
• Has more people than Spain1 of 30
• Its name has more than one word1 of 32
• Borders more than 5 countries1 of 33
• Lies entirely in the Southern Hemisphere1 of 34
• Its capital is not its largest city1 of 36
• Is larger than France1 of 41
• Borders a monarchy1 of 42
• Its flag contains black1 of 44
• Its name has 10 letters or more1 of 48
• Has an area larger than 500,000 km²1 of 51
• Stretches more than 10 degrees of latitude1 of 52
• Drives on the left1 of 54
• Has more people than Australia1 of 54
• Is in Africa1 of 54
• Is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations1 of 56
• Has English as an official language1 of 59
• Is larger than Japan1 of 60
• Has a peak higher than 3,000 m1 of 65
• Has more than one official language1 of 65
• Its flag contains green1 of 83
• Has an area larger than 200,000 km²1 of 84
• Its flag contains yellow or gold1 of 85
• Borders a landlocked country1 of 88
• Its flag contains blue1 of 99
• Borders more than 2 countries1 of 111

Common questions about South Africa

Which countries border South Africa?

South Africa shares a land border with 6 countries: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

What is the capital of South Africa?

The capital of South Africa is Pretoria, which is not its largest city.

Is South Africa landlocked?

No. South Africa has a coastline.

What language is spoken in South Africa?

South Africa has 4 official languages: English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa.