Which countries border South Africa?
South Africa shares a land border with six countries: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. That is more than 123 of the 157 countries that have a land border.
South Africa and its neighbours on a map
South Africa is shown in green and its six neighbours in blue. Click a neighbour to see the countries that border it.
- South Africa
- Land neighbours
Every neighbour of South Africa
Two borders away
These four countries border a neighbour of South Africa but not South Africa itself, so you cross exactly two borders to reach them by land.
Think you know your neighbours?
Border Chain gives you two countries and you connect them by naming neighbours, one border at a time. A new puzzle every day.
How far are you from South Africa?
On a phone this uses GPS. The calculator opens with South Africa already selected and measures the straight-line distance to its nearest border.
Questions
Which countries border South Africa?
South Africa shares a land border with six countries: Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
How many countries border South Africa?
Six. That is more than 123 of the 157 countries that have a land border.
Which countries are two borders away from South Africa?
Angola, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. Each one borders a neighbour of South Africa without touching South Africa itself.
Are borders across the sea counted?
No. Only land borders count. Countries that face South Africa across water are not listed here, and neither are borders of overseas territories far from the mainland. This is the same list the Border Chain game plays with.
Countries with the most neighbours
Land borders as used by the Border Chain game, checked October 8, 2026. Country outlines from Natural Earth.