The map above shows South Dakota and South Africa side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Dakota vs South Africa Geography
Land area
- South Dakota has a land area of 75,808 square miles (196,342 km²), while South Africa has 468,909 square miles (1,214,470 km²).
- South Africa's land area is 6.2 times (519%) larger than South Dakota's.
Total area
- South Dakota: 77,116 square miles (199,729 km²) vs South Africa: 471,445 square miles (1,221,037 km²), including inland and coastal water.
- South Africa's total area is 6.1 times (511%) larger than South Dakota's.
Length
- South Dakota is 443 miles (712 km) long from north to south; South Africa is 1,050 miles (1,690 km).
- South Africa's north-south length is 2.4 times (137%) longer than South Dakota's.
Width
- South Dakota spans 371 miles (597 km) east to west; South Africa spans 1,012 miles (1,628 km).
- South Africa's east-west width is 2.7 times (173%) wider than South Dakota's.
Highest point
- South Dakota's highest point is Black Elk Peak at 7,198 feet (2,194 m); South Africa's is Mafadi at 11,319 feet (3,450 m).
- Mafadi is 4,121 feet higher than Black Elk Peak.
Lowest point
- South Dakota's lowest point is Big Stone Lake at 966 feet; South Africa's is Indian Ocean at 0 feet.
- South Africa's lowest point is 966 feet lower.
South Dakota vs South Africa Population and History
Population
- South Dakota has a population of 924,669 (2024), while South Africa has 63,522,380 (2026).
- South Africa's population is 68.7 times larger than South Dakota's.
Population density
- South Dakota: 12.2 people per square mile vs South Africa: 135.5.
- South Africa's population density is 11.1 times higher than South Dakota's.
Biggest city
- South Dakota's biggest city is Sioux Falls with 209,289 people; South Africa's is Johannesburg with 4,803,262.
- Johannesburg's population is 23.0 times larger than Sioux Falls'.
Largest metro area
- South Dakota's largest metropolitan area is Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area (308,266 people) vs South Africa's Johannesburg (7,077,175).
- Johannesburg's population is 23.0 times larger than Sioux Falls, SD-MN metro area's.
History
- South Dakota: Admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state.
- South Africa: Formed as the Union of South Africa on May 31, 1910; a republic since 1961.
- In its current form, South Dakota is the older of the two by 21 years.
South Dakota vs South Africa Economy
GDP
- South Dakota's GDP is $76.8 billion (2024) vs South Africa's $427.2 billion.
- South Africa's economic output is 5.6 times (456%) larger than South Dakota's.
GDP per capita
- South Dakota: $83,052 per person vs South Africa: $6,598.
- South Dakota's GDP per capita is 12.6 times higher than South Africa's.
Average income
- South Dakota: $75,699 vs South Africa: $6,270 average income per person (per capita personal income).
- South Dakota's average income is 12.1 times higher than South Africa's.
Official Websites
South Dakota official website · South Africa official website
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More Size Comparisons
All South Dakota 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.