Africa
South Africa
Everything you need to know about South Africa for geography games and satellite imagery — capital, population, time zone, and how to recognise it from above.
Quick facts
Where is South Africa?
Satellite view centred on Pretoria (-30.0°, 25.0°).
How to spot South Africa from satellite imagery
South Africa is geographically distinct from most of the African continent. The country sits at the southern tip of the continent, with a varied landscape that ranges from the high veld plateau in the interior to the dramatic Drakensberg escarpment, the unique fynbos vegetation of the Cape, and the semi-desert Karoo. From orbit, these landscapes combine with a unique urban form — apartheid-era spatial planning produced city layouts unlike anywhere else on Earth — to give South Africa a recognisable national fingerprint.
This guide walks through the visual signals of South Africa and how to identify the country quickly when it comes up in a satellite-imagery game.
Read the full satellite guideCan you find South Africa from above?
Play satellite-imagery rounds from South Africa on a 3D globe.
Themed South Africa modes
Restrict the location pool to South Africa and pick a theme — volcanoes, capitals, coastlines. Smaller pool, sharper learning curve.