The map above shows South Carolina and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Carolina vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- South Carolina has a land area of 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- South Africa's land area is 15.6 times larger than South Carolina's.
Total area
- South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Africa's total area is 14.7 times larger than South Carolina's.
Length
- South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- South Africa's north-south length is 4.4 times (345%) longer than South Carolina's.
Width
- South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- South Africa's east-west width is 3.6 times (263%) wider than South Carolina's.
Highest point
- South Carolina's highest point is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Mafadi is 7,822 feet higher than Sassafras Mountain.
Lowest point
- South Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet.
- Both lowest points are at or near sea level.
South Carolina vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- South Carolina has a population of 5,478,831 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 11.6 times larger than South Carolina's.
Population density
- South Carolina: 182.2 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- South Carolina's population density is 1.3 times (34%) higher than South Africa's.
Biggest city
- South Carolina's biggest city is Charleston with 157,665 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 30.5 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area
- South Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 2.5 times (145%) larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History
- South Carolina: Admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788, as the 8th state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, South Carolina is the older of the two by 122 years.
South Carolina vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- South Carolina's GDP is $357.1 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- South Africa's economic output is 1.2 times (20%) larger than South Carolina's.
GDP per capita
- South Carolina: $65,173 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- South Carolina's GDP per capita is 9.9 times (888%) higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- South Carolina: $60,776 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Carolina's average income is 9.7 times (869%) higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
South Carolina official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All South Carolina size comparisons · All South Africa size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.