South Africa contains a broad interior plateau with escarpments near parts of the eastern and southern margins. The southwest has the Cape Fold Mountains and an irregular coastline, while the drier northwest extends towards Namibia. Coastal and inland views can therefore look quite different.
The interior plateau and the Cape
Compare the Cape region with the eastern escarpment. Trace mountain belts and coastlines rather than treating both as the same kind of upland.
Similar landscapes across borders
Namibia, Botswana, and neighbouring countries share parts of the dry interior landscape. A mine or a centre-pivot field is not a country identifier. Compare relief and regional position before relying on land-use details.