Washed by the cold Benguela current on the west coast and the warm Mozambique-Agulhas current on the east, the country has a long coastline of 2,954 kilometres, a temperate climate and a topography ranging from highveld grasslands to bleak semi-desert to subtropical swamps. Within these contrasting zones, some of the world's most diverse animal and plant kingdoms are found.

South Africa is the only country in the world with an entire floral kingdom, the Cape 'fynbos', within it's boundaries. It is flanked by the Indian Ocean on the east and the Atlantic on the west. It is bordered by Namibia to the north-west, Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north and by Mozambique to the north-east, while the tiny land-locked states of Swaziland and Lesotho, although fully independent countries, lie within the geographical area of South Africa.