All South Africa

The Atlas Obscura Guide To South Africa

66 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in South Africa

Updated June 5, 2023

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  1. Cape Town
  2. Dollaaskraal
  3. Ehlanzeni
  4. Howick
  5. Johannesburg
  6. Paarl
  7. Soweto
  8. Wilderness

Unusual Attractions in South Africa

See All 66 Things To Do in South Africa

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in South Africa

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Animals 12
Caves 7
Ecosystems 7
Geology 5
Architectural Oddities 4
Water 4
Birds 4
History 4

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Stories About South Africa

Divers on the site of the São José Paquete D'Africa wreck off the northwestern coast of Cape Town, South Africa.

Near Cape Town, the São José Shipwreck Is a Unique Symbol of A Painful Legacy

More than 200 enslaved people perished when the Portuguese ship sank in 1794.
by Sam Jones

South Africa's Penguins May Beat the Heat With New Ceramic Nests

The artificial nests could shield the endangered seabirds from rising temperatures.
by Ryan Truscott
Sports presenter and musician Selema Masekela is obsessed with amapiano, a genre of South African genre of house music.

The Genre-Bending World of Amapiano, South Africa’s Township House Music

You can’t not dance when amapiano comes on.
by Selema Masekela
Wilderness guide and author Sicelo Mbatha observes elephants during one of the excursions he leads in South Africa.

How to Connect With Nature Like a South African Wilderness Guide

Tragedy set Sicelo Mbatha on a course to understand, and make peace with, the wild on its own terms.
by Gemma Tarlach
Elephants, such as these in South Africa's Kruger National Park, are highly social—and loud.

Can We Track Elephants With Earthquake Detectors?

Low-cost seismometers could give rural communities an alert system, or begin to decipher elephant communication.
by Robin George Andrews
Archaeologists Joshua Kumbani (left) and Sarah Wurz (right) work at a site near the Klasies River in South Africa.

The Archaeologists Recreating the Sounds of the Stone Age

Researchers are working to uncover whether ancient objects in South Africa were once used to make noise or music.
by Sarah Wild
Plastic bottles are a must to avoid potentially dangerous explosions.

Under Pandemic Prohibition, South Africans Resort to Pineapples

A strict lockdown has meant a spike in homebrewing.
by Nick Dall
Circellium bacchus, a rare subspecies of dung beetle, is a scarab like no other.

The Outsize Allure of South Africa's Flightless Dung Beetle

In Addo Elephant National Park, the smallest residents may be the biggest draw.
by Sandra MacGregor

Lists Featuring South Africa

ALMA.
The observatory.
Ulugh Beg Observatory.

20 Out-of-This-World Stargazing Spots

These observatories boast truly stellar views.

20

Including Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), National Observatory of Colombia, and Pic du Midi Observatory

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