World · Field notes

South Africa

Three details to notice, with the sources behind each story.

history

A small gold rhino tells a much bigger story

At Mapungubwe in northern South Africa, archaeologists found a small rhinoceros figure made with thin gold sheets. It comes from a medieval African kingdom and reveals the skill of its goldworkers. An object small enough to fit in a hand helps bring a much larger history into view.

Source: University of Pretoria: Mapungubwe gold rhino · Accessed 2026-10-06

A small rhinoceros figure covered in thin gold sheets. — The golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe, South Africa.
Sian Tiley-Nel / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; no cropping. · CC BY-SA 4.0

nature

A huge trunk that elephants can raid for moisture

African baobabs grow in the drier parts of South Africa and elsewhere on the continent. Their enormous trunks contain water, and elephants sometimes gouge into them to reach it. The scars on a baobab can record an encounter between a thirsty animal and a living source of moisture.

Source: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: African baobab · Accessed 2026-10-06

An African baobab with a broad trunk and spreading branches. — An African baobab in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; no cropping. · CC BY 2.0

geography

Pebbles help a river drill holes in rock

At Bourke’s Luck Potholes in South Africa, two rivers meet among rounded holes carved into the rock. Swirling water moves pebbles around inside the pools, wearing away the rock over time. Small stones carried by a river can help shape a whole rocky landscape.

Source: Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency: Bourke’s Luck Potholes · Accessed 2026-10-06

Rounded pools and holes carved into the rock at Bourke’s Luck Potholes. — Bourke’s Luck Potholes, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; no cropping. · CC BY-SA 4.0