South Africa is divided into nine provinces, the sizes of which vary greatly. The smallest is Gauteng, a densely populated region, and the largest is the huge, dry, and desolate Northern Cape, which accounts for over a third of South Africa’s total geographical area.
Each province has its own Legislative Assembly, Premier, and Executive Council. Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe share borders, while Mozambique and Eswatini lie to the north-east.
Lesotho is a mountain monarchy completely surrounded by South African territory in the south-east. South Africa has three capitals: Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Pretoria.
Cape Town, located in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality in the Western Cape, is the legislative capital and home to the country’s Parliament.
Bloemfontein, in the Mangaung metropolitan municipality of Free State, is the judicial capital and home to the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Pretoria is the administrative and final capital of South Africa, located in the City of Tshwane metropolitan municipality in Gauteng. It houses the Union Buildings as well as a substantial component of the Public Service.
The provinces are as follows: Eastern Cape,
The Eastern Cape(link is external), located on the south-eastern coast of South Africa, is a location of remarkable natural beauty, particularly the steep cliffs, strong seas, and lush green bush of the Wild Coast stretch. Various floral ecosystems coexist in the Eastern Cape. The northern tropical forests coexist with the more moderate woods in the south along the shore.
Airports serve the province in Port Elizabeth, East London, Mthatha, and Bhisho.
The Free State, a province with expansive horizons and beautiful sky, agriculture, mountains, goldfields, and widely spaced settlements, is located in the heart of South Africa.
This vast rolling plain spreads as far as the eye can see between the Vaal River in the north and the Orange River in the south.
Gauteng
Gauteng (link is external) is the smallest of South Africa’s nine provinces yet has the highest population share. Some of the most important economic sectors are financial and commercial services, logistics, manufacturing, real estate, telecommunications, and commerce.
The province is an integrated industrial complex with considerable economic activity concentrated in three subregions: the Vaal Triangle, the East, West, and Central Rand, and Pretoria.
KwaZulu-Natal
The province with the second biggest population is KwaZulu-Natal (link is external), one of the country’s most popular holiday destinations. South Africa’s lush subtropical east coast is included in this green region. It spans from Port Edward in the south to the Mozambique border, washed by the warm Indian Ocean.
In addition to the magnificent coastline, there is the vast savanna in the east and the beautiful Drakensberg mountain range in the west, which offers some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes in the country.
Limpopo
Limpopo, South Africa’s northernmost province, shares borders with Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, giving it a good gateway to Africa. The province, named after the Limpopo River, which flows along its northern border, is rich in wildlife, stunning scenery, and historical and cultural riches.
This province is in the Savanna Biome, which is an area of mixed grassland and trees known as bushveld. There are around 50 provincial reserves in the province, as well as several private game reserves. The Kruger National Park’s greatest area runs along Limpopo’s eastern border with Mozambique.
Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga (link is external) means “Sunrise Place.” The province is a popular tourist destination in South Africa due to its magnificent scenic beauty and abundance of animals. Mpumalanga is mostly covered by the Grassland Biome. Between this grassland area and the Savanna Biome, the escarpment and the Lowveld constitute a transitional zone.
The area is easily accessible because to an extensive network of highways and train links. A variety of small airports, including the Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, service Mpumalanga (link is external).
Mbombela is the province’s capital and the Lowveld’s administrative and business center. eMalahleni, Standerton, Piet Retief, Malalane, Ermelo, Barberton, and Sabie are also prominent towns.
The Northern Cape
The Northern Cape (link is external) is South Africa’s largest province, accounting for 31% of the country’s total surface area (slightly bigger than Germany). The Northern Cape, on the other hand, continues to have the smallest share of the South African population.
The province is well-known for its San rock art, diamond mining, 4WD safaris, and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (link is external). It is a large area of semi-desert land. The province is well-known for its beautiful display of spring flowers, which draws thousands of tourists every year for a brief period of time.
North and west
North West (link is external) is located in northern South Africa, near the Botswana border, and is bounded to the west by the Kalahari desert, to the east by Gauteng, and to the south by the Free State. Some of the tourism attractions are Sun City, the Pilanesberg National Park, the Madikwe Game Reserve, the Cradle of Humankind Site, the Taung Heritage Site, the De Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Trust, and the Lesedi Cultural Village.
Stellaland in Vryburg has some of the world’s largest cow herds, which explains why it’s known as the “Texas of South Africa.” Marico is cattle country as well. North West is the country’s leading producer of white maize. Mining is extremely important to the North West economy and the South African mining industry.
The Western Cape
The Western Cape is a world-famous tourist attraction, with its broad beaches and magnificent landscape, as well as a diverse range of cultures, historical landmarks, world-class restaurants, and entertainment.
Table Mountain, the Cape winelands, Robben Island, and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are among the province’s most famous tourist attractions.
The floral diversity of the Western Cape is also well-known. The Cape Floristic Region World Heritage Site, which consists of eight distinct protected areas, spans an area of more than
When did South Africa get its nine provinces?
The country of South Africa is divided into nine provinces. South Africa’s previous homelands, sometimes known as Bantustans, were reintegrated on the eve of the 1994 general election, and the four existing provinces were divided into nine.
Which is the largest province in Sa?
The Northern Cape is South Africa’s largest province, accounting for 31% of the country’s total land area (slightly bigger than Germany). The Northern Cape, on the other hand, continues to have the smallest share of the South African population.
Which province in South Africa is the poorest?
The Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is South Africa’s poorest province. Gauteng is the richest province. Poverty affects around 880,000 individuals in the predominantly rural Eastern Cape. Some 610,000 individuals live in poverty in Gauteng, a metropolis region with the highest job chances.
