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South Africa

1690
Total Protected Areas
269 With management effectiveness evaluations
Terrestrial and Inland Waters Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas
Other effective area-based conservation measures
0
Total Other effective area-based conservation measures
Polygons/Points ratio
Polygons 100%
Points 0%
Discover Protected Areas and OECMs
Terrestrial and Inland Waters Protected Areas
Marine Protected Areas
Other effective area-based conservation measures
ON
Map Disclaimer
The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

• Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties.
• Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined.
• Final status of the Abyei area is not yet determined.
• A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

Terrestrial and inland waters protected area coverage

9.53% Coverage

116,340km2 Land area covered

1,220,170km2 Total land area

12.96% 6th National Report coverage

PAME

6.35% With management effectiveness evaluations

77,488km2 Areas assessed

Marine protected area Coverage

15.43% Coverage

238,703km2 Marine and coastal area covered

1,547,395km2 Total marine and coastal area

10.00% 6th National Report coverage

PAME

0.24% With management effectiveness evaluations

3,726km2 Areas assessed

Disclaimer: These statistics might differ from those reported officially by countries due to difference in methodologies and datasets used to assess protected area coverage and differences in the base maps used to measure terrestrial and marine area of a country or territory.

IUCN Management Categories

SeriesChart100%Chart created using amCharts library

Governance types

SeriesChart100%Chart created using amCharts library

Sources 3

  1. South Africa Protected Areas Database (SAPAD) and South Africa Conservation Area Database (SACAD) Updated: 2025 Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries - faciliated by the Regional Centre For Mapping Of Resources For Development (RCMRD)
  2. Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance Updated: 2023 Ramsar Secretariat, on behalf of Ramsar Contracting Parties
  3. UNESCO World Heritage Sites Updated: 2024 IUCN World Heritage Programme

Designations

  • 97.99%
  • 2.01%

National designations

1656
  • Forest Wilderness Area 12
  • National Park 22
  • Special Nature Reserve 2
  • Nature Reserve 1443
  • Forest Nature Reserve 57
  • Marine Protected Area 42
  • Mountain Catchment Area 16
  • Protected Environment 62

Regional designations

0

    International designations

    34
    • Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance 29
    • World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) 5

    Other designations

    0

      citation

      UNEP-WCMC (2025). Protected Area Profile for South Africa from the World Database on Protected Areas, March 2025. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net

      Downloads
      Citation

      UNEP-WCMC and IUCN (2025), Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM) [Online], March 2025, Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC and IUCN. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.