Fast Facts

Size 1,221,037 square km (471,442 square mi)

Number of National Parks 21

Number of Private Game and Nature Reserves Dozens in each state

Population Approximately 47.9 million

Big Five Lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and Cape buffalo

Language 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, North and South Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu. English is widely spoken.

Time SAST (South African Standard Time), seven hours ahead of North American Eastern Standard Time.