Seven Fun Facts About South Africa - From Oldest Mountains to Largest Birds

1. Capital Three: Why Have One Capital City?

Cape Town is not the only capital city in South Africa. In fact, the country has three cities that lay claim to this appellation: Pretoria, Cape Town, and Bloemfontein. Pretoria is the administrative-cum-executive capital, Cape Town is the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein is the judicial capital.

2. Largest Animals in the World

Three animals - the ostrich, elephant, and leatherback turtle - are recognized as the world's largest bird, land mammal, and reptile, respectively. And guess where these magnificent creatures can be found? Good ol' Mzansi is home to these record-breaking animals.

3. National Anthem

• A Linguistic Wonder

SA's national anthem is a stirring, spirited tune that's enough to make anyone cry. But what makes it even more remarkable is that it consists of four stanzas sung in five of SA's 12 official languages: isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English.

4. Ancient Mountains

Our planet is a little over 4.5 billion years old. For three mountain ranges in South Africa, they're slowly but surely catching up. The Barberton Mountains in Mpumalanga are the oldest mountain range on Earth, dating back 3.5 billion years. The Waterberg Mountains in Limpopo come in second at 2.8 billion years old, while the Magaliesberg Mountains in North West trail behind at 2.3 billion years old.

5. Longest Wine Route

Route 62 spans 850 kilometers from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, making it the world's longest wine route. Along the way, you can stop, sip, and savor plenty of vintages at our top vineyards and wine farms.

6. Same-Sex Marriage in SA

The year 2026 marks the 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage becoming legalised in South Africa. In addition to being the fifth country in the world to legalise this practice, the Rainbow Nation is the only African country to do so.

7. Biodiversity in the Cape Floristic Region

The Cape Floristic Region is one of six floral kingdoms on Earth, located on the southern tip of SA. It's home to over 9,000 plant species, including fynbos, a highly diverse shrubland ecosystem found only in the Cape region.