What Are Mountains?
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth’s crust, generally with steep sides that show significantly exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher than a hill, typically rising at least 300 meters above the surrounding land.
Mountains are formed through tectonic forces, erosion, or volcanism, which act on time scales of up to tens of millions of years. Once mountain building ceases, mountains are slowly leveled through the action of weathering, slumping, and other forms of mass wasting, as well as through erosion by rivers and glaciers.
High elevations on mountains produce colder climates than at sea level at similar latitudes. These colder climates strongly affect the ecosystems of mountains: different elevations have different plants and animals. Because of the less hospitable terrain and climate, mountains tend to be used less for agriculture and more for resource extraction, such as mining and logging, along with recreation, such as mountain climbing and skiing.
How Many Mountains In South Africa?
A Khulu is a peak above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) and not within 1 km (0.62 mi) of another Khulu, as defined by the Mountain Club of South Africa. Seweweekspoortpiek and Du Toits Peak are among the ultra-prominent peaks of Africa.
A few mountains, such as Spion Kop or Isandlwana are historically important hills, even though they are relatively not very high. Table Mountain is important because of its emblematic flatness.
| Mountain | Height (m) | Range | location | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thabana Ntlenyana | 3482 | Drakensberg (Maloti) | Lesotho | Highest mountain in Southern Africa | |
| Makheka | |||||
| Thaba Putsoa | 3455 | Drakensberg (Maloti) | Lesotho | ||
| Mafadi | 3451 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Njesuthi | 3410 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Champagne Castle | 3377 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Lithobolog | 3375 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| kaNtuba Peak | 3366 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Trojan Wall | 3354 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| kaNtuba Buttress | 3344 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Yodler’s Peak I | 3338 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Yodler’s Peak II | 3338 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Pampiring | 3337 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Red Wall Peak | 3337 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Botlolong | 3333 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| The highest mountain in Southern Africa | 3331 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Ship’s Prow | 3325 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Sehonghong Peak | 3324 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Nkosozana Peak | 3318 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Champagne’s Castle | 3318 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Giant’s Castle | 3315 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Mashai | 3313 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Mohlesi | 3310 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Redi | 3309 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Walker’s Peak | 3306 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Mhlwazini Peak | 3305 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Yodler’s Ridge Peak | 3301 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Sanqebethu | 3301 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Mount Durnford | 3296 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Mont-aux-Sources | 3282 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Cleft Peak | 3281 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Namahadi Peak | 3275 | Drakensberg (Maloti) | Free State | ||
| Monk’s Cowl | 3229 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Cathkin Peak | 3148 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| The Tent | 3130 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Didima Dome | 3078 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| The Hawk | 3077 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Rhino Peak | 3056 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Thumb Spur Peak | 3055 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Devil’s Knuckles | 3028 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| KwaDuma | 3019 | Drakensberg | Eastern Cape | ||
| Cathedral Peak | 3004 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Ben Macdhui | 3001 | Drakensberg | Eastern Cape | ||
| Twins Top | 3000 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Sterkhorn | 2973 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Ribbokkop | 2829 | Rooiberge | Free State | ||
| Cairntoul | 2826 | Drakensberg | Eastern Cape | ||
| Edge Hill | 2725 | Wittenberg | Eastern Cape | ||
| Balloch Peak | 2648 | Witteberge | Eastern Cape | ||
| Compassberg | 2502 | Sneeuberge | Eastern Cape | ||
| Visierskerf Peak | 2470 | Witteberg | Free State | ||
| Mount Horeb | 2418 | Drakensberg (Maloti) | Free State | ||
| The Great Winterberg | 2371 | Winterberg | Eastern Cape | ||
| Platberg Mountain | 2394 | Harrismith | Free State | ||
| Die Berg | 2331 | Steenkampsberge | Mpumalanga | ||
| Seweweekspoortpiek | 2325 | Klein-Swartberge | Western Cape | ||
| Mount Anderson | 2284 | Drakensberg | Mpumalanga | ||
| Matroosberg | 2249 | Hex River Mountains | Western Cape | ||
| Kriegersbaken | 2156 | Sneeuberge | Northern Cape | ||
| Ysterkroon | 2126 | Wolkberg | Limpopo | ||
| Groot Winterhoek | 2077 | Groot Winterhoek | Western Cape | ||
| Sneeukop | 2070 | Skurweberg | Western Cape | ||
| Serala | 2050 | Wolkberg | Limpopo | ||
| Sneeuberg | 2028 | Cederberg | Western Cape | ||
| Du Toits Peak | 1995 | Klein Drakensteinberge | Western Cape | ||
| Gaika’s Kop | 1963 | Amatola Mountains | Eastern Cape | ||
| Toringkop | 1913 | Suikerbosrand | Gauteng | ||
| Emlembe | 1862 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | on S.A./Eswatini border | |
| Geelhoutkop | 1805 | Waterberg Massif | Limpopo | ||
| Nooitgedacht West | 1805 | Magaliesberg | North West | ||
| Cockscomb | 1768 | Groot Winterhoekberg | Eastern Cape | ||
| Lajuma | 1747 | Soutpansberg | Limpopo | ||
| Hanglip | 1719 | Soutpansberg | Limpopo | ||
| Rooiberg Peak | 1706 | Kamiesberge | Northern Cape | ||
| Pilanesberg | 1687 | Witwatersrand | North West | ||
| Formosa Peak | 1675 | Tsitsikamma | Eastern Cape | ||
| Impati Mountain | 1595 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Cradock Peak | 1578 | Outeniqua Mountains | Western Cape | ||
| Spion Kop | 1460 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Isandlwana | 1284 | Drakensberg | KwaZulu-Natal | ||
| Carolusberg | 1274 | Kamiesberg | Northern Cape | ||
| Mascarin Peak | 1230 | Marion Island | Prince Edward Islands | ||
| Ghaamsberg | 1148 | Northern Cape | close to Aggeneys | ||
| Table Mountain | 1084 | Western Cape | rising over Cape Town | ||
| Van Zinderen-Bakker Peak | 672 | Prince Edward Island | Prince Edward Islands | smallest South Africa mountain |