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The Atlas Obscura Guide To South Africa

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

Updated March 25, 2025

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

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Animals 12
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Ecosystems 7
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Stories About South Africa

A close-up of an unidentified species of Conophytum with yellow flowers. This is one of many tiny succulent plants that have been confiscated by South African law enforcement.

Demand for Tiny Plants Is Driving a Poaching Crisis in South Africa

The Succulent Karoo is home to desert plant species found nowhere else on the planet—criminal networks have been digging them up by the millions.
by Adam Welz
A mine shaft elevator that descends some 3 kilometers underground offers scientists a glimpse of ancient Earth.

Searching for 'Dark Oxygen' in One of the World's Deepest Mines

A scientist's quest for mysterious sources of underground oxygen may offer clues about the origins of life.
by Alice Sun

World’s Oldest Human Footprint Found in South Africa

The ichnofossil, or trace fossil, is more than 150,000 years old.
by Charles Helm and Andrew Carr
African penguins develop a unique arrangement of black speckles on their white bellies at around three months old.

How Polka Dots Help African Penguins Stand Out From the Crowd

A new study shows how the birds identify their mates in a sea of black and white.
by Roxanne Hoorn
Researchers in an inflatable boat prepare to tag a bull shark they have flipped on its back, inducing tonic immobility. Science cannot yet explain why many species seem to go into a trance in this position.

To Track Bull Sharks, First Hit Their Snooze Button

For these researchers in Southern Africa, tagging the apex predators starts with putting them in trancelike tonic immobility.
by Ryan Truscott
South Africa’s northeastern region is a complex landscape of savanna, forest, and dramatic mountains, such as eMhlongamvula. The varied landscapes sit on massive gold deposits and some of the oldest continental crust on the planet.

The World's Oldest Glaciers Are Buried Under South African Gold

2.9-billion-year-old evidence could be proof of a lost ice age—the first “Snowball Earth.”
by Gemma Tarlach
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

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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