Real size
How big is South Africa really?
1.22 million km²
472,000 sq mi · 24th largest of the 167 here · about the size of Angola
Normal web maps draw it 1.3× too big
South Africa covers 1.22 million km² (472,000 sq mi), about the size of Angola. A normal web map draws it about 1.3 times too big: not much, but enough to make it look bigger than countries nearer the equator.
Measured from our map outlines, so official figures can differ by a few percent. Ranks count the 167 countries and territories on these pages: those over 5,000 km², not counting disputed territories.
South AfricaMongolia
South AfricaMongolia
- Real area
- 1.22 million km²
- Size rank
- 24th of 167
- On a normal web map
- 1.3× too big
- Latitude
- 29°S
Countries about the same size
- AngolaAbout the same size
- MaliAbout the same size
- NigerAbout the same size
- ChadAbout the same size
- PeruPeru is 1.1 times the size of South Africa
South Africa through history
Borders here have moved many times. Step through our maps, from 2000 BCE to today, to see who ruled this land before, and how big their realms really were.
Open the history map →Browse the eras →
Common questions
- How big is South Africa?
- South Africa covers about 1.22 million km² (472,000 sq mi). It is the 24th largest of the 167 countries and territories on these pages (those over 5,000 km²).
- Why does South Africa look so big on maps?
- Most web maps use the Mercator projection, which keeps shapes right but stretches area more and more toward the poles. Averaged over the whole country, it draws South Africa about 1.3 times too big.
- Is South Africa bigger than Mongolia?
- No. Mongolia is about 1.3 times the size of South Africa.
- Is South Africa bigger than Angola?
- They are about the same size: within 5% of each other.