▁from ▁the ▁desert ▁border ▁with ▁Nam ib ia ▁on ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁( western ) ▁coast ▁south wards ▁around ▁the ▁tip ▁of ▁Africa ▁and ▁then ▁n ortheast ▁to ▁the ▁border ▁with ▁Moz amb ique ▁on ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean . ▁The ▁low - lying ▁coast al ▁zone ▁is ▁narrow ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁that ▁distance , ▁soon ▁giving ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁mountain ous ▁esc arp ment ▁( Gre at ▁Esc arp ment ) ▁that ▁separ ates ▁the ▁coast ▁from ▁the ▁high ▁in land ▁plate au . ▁In ▁some ▁places , ▁not ably ▁the ▁province ▁of ▁K wa Z ulu - N atal ▁in ▁the ▁east , ▁a ▁greater ▁distance ▁separ ates ▁the ▁coast ▁from ▁the ▁esc arp ment . ▁Although ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁country ▁is ▁class ified ▁as ▁semi - ar id , ▁it ▁has ▁considerable ▁variation ▁in ▁climate ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁top ography . ▁The ▁total ▁land ▁area ▁is ▁. ▁It ▁has ▁the ▁ 2 3 rd ▁largest ▁Ex clus ive ▁Econom ic ▁Zone ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁South ▁African ▁central ▁plate au ▁contains ▁only ▁two ▁major ▁rivers : ▁the ▁L imp opo ▁( a ▁stretch ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁shared ▁with ▁Z imb ab we ), ▁and ▁the ▁Orange ▁( with ▁its ▁trib ut ary , ▁the ▁Va al ) ▁which ▁runs ▁with ▁a ▁variable ▁flow ▁across ▁the ▁central ▁landscape ▁from ▁east ▁to ▁west , ▁empty ing ▁into ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁Ocean ▁at ▁the ▁Nam ib ian ▁border . ▁ ▁The ▁eastern ▁and ▁southern ▁coast al ▁regions ▁are ▁dra ined ▁by ▁numerous ▁shorter ▁rivers . ▁There