South Africa Map Quiz at a Glance
South Africa has 9 provinces. The South Africa Map Quiz is a free game from DodoThinks: a province is named and you click it on a blank map of South Africa. A second round names the provincial capital (Polokwane, Mbombela, Bhisho), a third names one of 55 cities and towns, and a Whole map round asks all nine. The list with capitals, population and area is below the map. No sign-up.
- Provinces
- 9
- Capitals
- Pretoria, Cape Town and Bloemfontein
- Largest province
- Northern Cape (372,889 km²)
- Most people
- Gauteng (15.1 million)
- Population
- About 62 million (2022 census)
- Cost
- Free, no sign-up
How to Play the South Africa Map Quiz
- Before you start, tap any province to see its name, or press "Show names" to label them all.
- Pick a round: Provinces names each province, Capitals names its capital city, Cities names one of 55 cities and towns, and Whole map asks all nine.
- Click the right province. Lesotho, the grey country inside South Africa, is not a province.
- After each answer the right province lights up, so a mistake still teaches you where it is.
The 9 provinces of South Africa
South Africa has had nine provinces since 1994, when the four old provinces (Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal) and the homelands were redrawn. The Northern Cape is by far the largest, almost a third of the country, but has the fewest people. Gauteng, around Johannesburg and Pretoria, is the smallest province and has the most people, about 15 million. KwaZulu-Natal is second with about 12 million.
Three capital cities
South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (in Gauteng) for the government, Cape Town (Western Cape) for parliament, and Bloemfontein (Free State) for the Supreme Court of Appeal. Johannesburg, the biggest city, is not a national capital but is the capital of Gauteng.
Renamed cities
Several cities have new names: Port Elizabeth is Gqeberha, Grahamstown is Makhanda, Nelspruit is Mbombela, Witbank is eMalahleni, Pietersburg is Polokwane and Mafikeng is Mahikeng. The quiz uses the current names, with the old ones in brackets.
Provinces of South Africa
Population from Census 2022 by Statistics South Africa, rounded. Area in km².
| # | Province | Capital | Population | Area (km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern Cape | Bhisho | 7.2 million | 168,966 |
| 2 | Free State | Bloemfontein | 3.0 million | 129,825 |
| 3 | Gauteng | Johannesburg | 15.1 million | 18,178 |
| 4 | KwaZulu-Natal | Pietermaritzburg | 12.4 million | 94,361 |
| 5 | Limpopo | Polokwane | 6.6 million | 125,754 |
| 6 | Mpumalanga | Mbombela | 5.1 million | 76,495 |
| 7 | North West | Mahikeng | 3.8 million | 104,882 |
| 8 | Northern Cape | Kimberley | 1.4 million | 372,889 |
| 9 | Western Cape | Cape Town | 7.4 million | 129,462 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many provinces are there in South Africa?
Nine: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, Western Cape.
What are the provinces and their capitals?
Eastern Cape: Bhisho; Free State: Bloemfontein; Gauteng: Johannesburg; KwaZulu-Natal: Pietermaritzburg; Limpopo: Polokwane; Mpumalanga: Mbombela; North West: Mahikeng; Northern Cape: Kimberley; Western Cape: Cape Town.
Which is the largest province in South Africa?
The Northern Cape, 372,889 km², almost a third of the country. Gauteng is the smallest by area but has the most people.
What is the capital of South Africa?
It has three: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative) and Bloemfontein (judicial).
Which country is inside South Africa?
Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa. Eswatini is almost surrounded, with a short border with Mozambique.
Made by Kashif Sulehria in Lahore, Pakistan. Updated October 20, 2026.