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ATLAS REPORT
Country report: South Africa
Generated 15 October 2026, 06:44 from live Atlas data
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Executive summary
Atlas holds 114,918 mapped features and 38,220 observations in 47 datasets. The mapped mangrove canopy covers 2,001 ha in 458 polygons across 1 formation classes; Mangrove dominates with 100.0% of the area. The median patch is only 0.157 ha, while patches of 10 ha or more hold 85.0% of the area. 0 ha (0.0%) lies within 10 km of the LAPSSET development footprint.
Single mapping epoch (2019). Areas are geodesic hectares recalculated from geometry.
Species & formations
| Formation | Polygons | Area (ha) | Share | Mean patch (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mangrove | 458 | 2,001.5 | 100.0% | 4.37 |
Shannon evenness by area: 0.00
Pressure: LAPSSET and villages
Mangrove ha by distance from LAPSSET
Mangrove ha by distance from villages
Data quality
| Dataset | Features | Repaired | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, South Africa | 622 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, South Africa | 961 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, South Africa | 736 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, South Africa | 641 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, South Africa | 646 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, South Africa | 477 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, South Africa | 458 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, South Africa | 440 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, South Africa | 401 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, South Africa | 419 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, South Africa | 423 | 0 | 100 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, South Africa | 378 | 0 | 100 |
| Fynbos | 1 | 0 | 95 |
| Heliport | 4 | 0 | 95 |
| Africa_Water_Towers | 7 | 0 | 95 |
| polygons | 11 | 0 | 95 |
| Biodiversity Hotspots | 12 | 0 | 95 |
| Air Flight Routes | 18 | 0 | 95 |
| Air_Flight_Routes | 18 | 0 | 95 |
| Main Towns | 22 | 0 | 95 |
| Large airport | 23 | 0 | 95 |
| Planned Major Roads and Rails | 33 | 0 | 95 |
| Development Corridors | 33 | 0 | 95 |
| SADC_TFCAs | 56 | 1 | 95 |
| Fibre Cable | 72 | 0 | 95 |
| Operational Landscape | 79 | 13 | 95 |
| Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_Seascape | 96 | 16 | 95 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | 126 | 0 | 95 |
| Rivers | 228 | 0 | 95 |
| Trunk Roads N12 | 520 | 0 | 95 |
| towns and settlements | 611 | 0 | 95 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | 642 | 0 | 95 |
| AfricaPriority_River | 857 | 0 | 95 |
| Small airport | 1,979 | 0 | 95 |
| District Roads N12 | 2,158 | 0 | 95 |
| Dams | 2,586 | 0 | 95 |
| Districts | 6,099 | 13 | 95 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | 7,438 | 1 | 95 |
| Populated_places | 8,149 | 0 | 95 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | 9,759 | 0 | 95 |
| Divisions | 17,649 | 9 | 95 |
| Irrigated Areas | 23,095 | 1 | 95 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | 25,791 | 17 | 95 |
| Carbon projects: South Africa | 28 | 0 | 90 |
| Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): South Africa | 26 | 0 | 90 |
| Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): South Africa | 77 | 0 | 90 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): South Africa | 13 | 0 | 90 |
Recommendations
High Licence terms to be confirmed for 31 datasets
Licence terms are being confirmed with the publisher. Atlas holds the data for scientific and internal use and shows the original attribution, but cannot grant bulk redistribution rights.
Action: Request written permission from WWF Kenya, KMFRI and KFS for redistribution and derivative products.
High 10 of 9 themes have no data yet
Atlas holds no records for: Coastal Forests, Blue Carbon, Restoration Sites, Land Use & Land Cover, People & Settlements, Wildlife & Habitats, Fire & Climate, Farming & Livelihoods, Mining, Oil & Licences, Surveys & Field Data. Seagrass and salt marsh would come from UNEP-WCMC global datasets; carbon projects from the Verra and Gold Standard registries; community projects from partner programmes.
Action: Ingest the planned sources listed in the Source Catalogue, starting with Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC seagrass and salt marsh, and the carbon registries.
Medium Most polygons are very small, but most area sits in large stands
36.5% of the 458 mapped polygons are under 0.1 ha, yet patches of 10 ha or more hold 85.0% of all mangrove area. Management and monitoring effort should focus on the large stands, while the small-patch tail needs checking against satellite imagery.
Action: Prioritise field verification of large stands; review the sub-0.1 ha tail for mapping artefacts.
Low Net gain of mangrove since 1996
Global Mangrove Watch maps 1,834 ha of mangrove in South Africa in 1996 and 2,072 ha in 2025: a net gain of 238 ha (13.0%), about 8 ha per year. This is the net balance of total mapped area; gains and losses inside the country can cancel out, so real loss may be larger.
Datasets & sources
| Dataset | Publisher | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2020, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 622 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 1996, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 961 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2007, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 736 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2010, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 641 |
| Global Mangrove Watch: mangrove extent 2015, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 646 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2025, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 477 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2020, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 458 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2015, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 440 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2010, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 401 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2005, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 419 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 2000, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 423 |
| Global Mangrove Watch v4.1: mangrove extent 1996, South Africa | Global Mangrove Watch (Aberystwyth University, soloEO, Wetlands International, UNEP-WCMC, JAXA) | 378 |
| Fynbos | WWF Kenya | 1 |
| Heliport | WWF Kenya | 4 |
| Africa_Water_Towers | WWF Kenya | 7 |
| polygons | WWF Kenya | 11 |
| Biodiversity Hotspots | WWF Kenya | 12 |
| Air Flight Routes | WWF Kenya | 18 |
| Air_Flight_Routes | WWF Kenya | 18 |
| Main Towns | WWF Kenya | 22 |
| Large airport | WWF Kenya | 23 |
| Planned Major Roads and Rails | WWF Kenya | 33 |
| Development Corridors | WWF Kenya | 33 |
| SADC_TFCAs | WWF Kenya | 56 |
| Fibre Cable | WWF Kenya | 72 |
| Operational Landscape | WWF Kenya | 79 |
| Africa_WWF_Priority_202104_Operational_Landscapes_Seascape | WWF Kenya | 96 |
| Fibre Cable Landing Stations | WWF Kenya | 126 |
| Rivers | WWF Kenya | 228 |
| Trunk Roads N12 | WWF Kenya | 520 |
| towns and settlements | WWF Kenya | 611 |
| Power Plants (Power output MW) | WWF Kenya | 642 |
| AfricaPriority_River | WWF Kenya | 857 |
| Small airport | WWF Kenya | 1,979 |
| District Roads N12 | WWF Kenya | 2,158 |
| Dams | WWF Kenya | 2,586 |
| Districts | WWF Kenya | 6,099 |
| World Database on Protected Areas | WWF Kenya | 7,438 |
| Populated_places | WWF Kenya | 8,149 |
| Electricity Transmission Network | WWF Kenya | 9,759 |
| Divisions | WWF Kenya | 17,649 |
| Irrigated Areas | WWF Kenya | 23,095 |
| Agro-Ecological Zones | WWF Kenya | 25,791 |
| Carbon projects: South Africa | Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, University of California, Berkeley | 28 |
| Seagrass (UNEP-WCMC): South Africa | UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT | 26 |
| Salt marsh (UNEP-WCMC): South Africa | UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and Short FT | 77 |
| Community and nature projects (UNDP): South Africa | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | 13 |
Methods & limits
Areas and lengths are recomputed on the WGS 84 ellipsoid; units are harmonised (ha, m, %, UTC). The mapping is a single 2019 epoch; the source publishes no licence; field plots are a sample; scenario figures are illustrative assumptions. Cite the original publishers listed above. Full methods: Methodologies page.