The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board has protected the province’s bathing beaches from shark attacks for more than 40 years. The Sharks Board is also involved in vital shark research and educates the public about sharks and their behaviour. more

BirdLife South Africa is a non-profit organisation dedicated to conserving and protecting South Africa’s birds. Become a member online, read BirdLife’s own magazine, get the information and discover how you can help to protect the birds that are a crucial part of our world’s biodiversity. more

Bontebok and blesbok are two similar but distinct antelope species that came close to extinction. These colourful beasts – especially the bontebok – owe their continued existence to a few stubborn landowners, some fences and one of the first examples of a South African conservation ethic. more

The grey rhebok, also known as the vaal rhebok, ribbok or rhebuck, is endemic, and found only in South Africa. It is fairly common, but its colouring and is shyness make it a challenge to see. Seek it in the high grasslands, especially the flanks of the Drakensberg mountains. more

The /Ai /Ais-Richtersveld Transfrontier Park's spectacular scenery spans two countries - South Africa and Namibia - and is home to extraordinary biodiversity, ranging from small succulents to giant aloes, from African wild cats to antelope and many rare bird species endemic to the region. more

Baboons are some of the most widespread primates in South Africa. Here you’ll mostly see the Chacma baboon. What is interesting about them is how very intelligent they are. They learn fast, and along the Cape coast, often eat seafood – or brain food. And they’re very entertaining to watch. more

Dyer Island was once the most important breeding ground in the world for the African penguin. But now these delightful birds are struggling to breed successfully. A new initiative has brought hope, though. You can give a penguin couple a home to raise chicks successfully. more

At !Khwa ttu modern man can learn much from the San people, who lived in harmony with nature and practised an ancient ubuntu. Be transported into the past on a moving journey that will leave you with a renewed appreciation of their legacy. more

Mosetlha Bush Camp is in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, about a 4-hour drive west of Johannesburg. Once there, you plunge into the sights and sounds of the bush. You won’t hear the hum of air conditioning at Mosetlha. Here nothing gets between you and the wildlife experience of Madikwe. more

Glen Afric – about 40 minutes from Johannesburg and 20 minutes from Pretoria – offers unusual wildlife encounters. You can go on game drives, guided walks and horse rides, or go walking with elephants. And the animals you meet are mostly famous – many have appeared in adverts, movies and TV series. more

The Ugly 5 is a whimsical listing of animals that includes the hyena, marabou stork, vulture, warthog and wildebeest. The list provides a fun alternative when the Big 5 are proving difficult to see. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Many think the Ugly 5 are gorgeous. more

Seals are among the few mammals whose numbers are increasing. In fact, Cape fur seals number millions. South Africa and Namibia host enormous colonies of them – some of the greatest concentrations of wildlife outside of the Serengeti and Masai Mara reserves in East Africa. more

South African ground squirrels are knee-high rodents with fluffy tails and a pale racing stripe down their cinnamon-coloured flanks. At a glance, they’re easily mistaken for meerkats, since they also occur in the Karoo and Kalahari. But unlike meerkats, these little burrowers (which often live alongside meerkats) are mostly vegetarians. more

If you see a riverine rabbit, you will belong to a very tiny and exclusive group of people. It is thought to only number in the low hundreds and is found along dry riverbeds in the arid central Karoo. This critically endangered mammal is a flagship species for this semi-desert’s delicate ecology. more