List of mountain ranges of South Africa

Panorama of the Baviaanskloof mountain range

This is a list of mountain ranges of South Africa.

Physiography

The list includes chains of mountains bordered by highlands or separated from other mountains by passes or valleys. Some ranges in South Africa are relatively isolated, while others are physiographically part of larger geographical ranges such as the Drakensberg.

Geology

Individual mountains within the same mountain range do not necessarily have the same geology; for example, in the Witwatersrand there is Pilanesberg, a mountain having a different orogeny from the main range and its subranges.^[1]

Geologically, many ranges are part of the Cape Fold Belt system, a wide geological system that also includes the Drakensberg.

List of mountain ranges of South Africa

Name of Range	English translation	Location	Length (km)	Highest elevation (m)	Remarks
Amatola Mountains (also known as Knysna-Amatola)	Calves (in Xhosa)	Eastern Cape, Western Cape
Asbestos Mountains	named for minerals mined	Northern Cape
Balelesberge	Baleles Mountains	KwaZulu-Natal
Bamboesberg	named for Thamnocalamus tessellatus	Eastern Cape			An outlier of the Drakensberg Mountains
Bankberg	Bank Mountains	Eastern Cape
Baviaanskloof berge	Baboon's Gorge Mountains	Eastern Cape
Blouberg	Blue Mountains	Limpopo
Bronberge	Source/Well Mountains	Gauteng
Cederberg	Ceder Mountains	Western Cape
Drakensberg called Maloti Mountains in Lesotho	Dragons Mountains	Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal			a section is called the Mont-Aux-Sources
Drakenstein	Dragons stone Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Du Toitskloof	Du Toit's Canyon	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Gatsrand	Hole Ridge	Gauteng
Groot Swartberge	Great Black Mountains	Western Cape
Groot Winterhoekberge	Great Winter Corner Mountains	Western Cape
Hex River Mountains	Witch River Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Hottentots-Holland	(Hottentot: old name for Khoi aboriginal inhabitants)	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Kammanassieberge	Kamanssie Mountains	Western Cape
Kamiesberge	Jumbled Mountains	Northern Cape
Kareeberge	Karoo Mountains	Western Cape
Kleinrivier Mountains	Small River Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Kogelberg	Bullet, or cone-shaped Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Komsberg	Rough mountain (in Khoekhoen)^[2]	Eastern Cape			Part of the Drakensberg system
Koranna Mountains	named after a tribe	Northwest
Kouebokkeveld Mountains	Cold Bucks Field Mountains	Western Cape
Kouga Mountains	named after the Kouga River (‘hippos’)	Eastern Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Langeberg	Long Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Langkloof Mountains	Long Valley/Gap Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Lebombo Mountains	Big nose (in Zulu)	from KwaZulu-Natal to Limpopo
Magaliesberg	Mogale's Mountain	North West
Murchison Range	named after a prospector	Limpopo
Nuweveldberge	New Field Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Drakensberg system
Olifants River Mountains	Elephant's River Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Onverwacht series	Unexpected Mountains	Limpopo
Outeniqua	They who bear honey, Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Piketberg	Picket Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Rietfonteinrand	Reed Fountain Ridge	Gauteng
Riviersonderend Mountains	River without end Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Roggeveld Mountains	Rye Field Mountains	Northern Cape
Rooiberg	Red Mountains	Rooiberg
Simonsberg	Simon's Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Skurweberge	Rough or scaly Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Sneeuberge	Snow Mountains	Eastern Cape
Soutpansberg	Saltpan Mountain	Limpopo
Steenkampsberg	Steenkamp's Mountain	Mpumalanga
Stettynsberge	Stettyn's Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Stormberg Mountains	Storm Mountains	Eastern Cape			Part of the Drakensberg system
Strydpoort Mountains	Battle Gate Mountains	Limpopo
Suikerbosrand	Sugar Bush Ridge	Gauteng
Suurberg	Sour Mountains	Eastern Cape			Part of the Drakensberg system
Swartberg	Black Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Table Mountain Group	a mesa (tableland)	Western Cape
Tsitsikamma Mountains	Place of Much Water Mountains	Eastern Cape and Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Waterberg [Rooiberg] (Waterberge)	Water Mountain Massif (Water Mountains)	Limpopo
Winterberg	Winter Mountains	Eastern Cape
Winterhoek	Winter Corner Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system
Witfonteinrand	White Fountain Ridge	North West
Witteberge	White Mountains	Free State
Witwatersberg	White Water Mountains	Gauteng
Witwatersrand	White Waters Ridge	Gauteng	280
Wolkberg	Cloud Mountains	Limpopo			Part of the Drakensberg system
Zuurberge	Sour, acid or acidic Mountains	Western Cape			Part of the Cape Fold Belt system

See also

References

↑ Pilanesberg, South Africa
↑ Raper, Peter Edmund (1987). Dictionary of Southern African Place Names. Johannesburg: Lowry. ISBN 0947042067.

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