Maputaland–Pondoland bushland and thickets

The ecoregion occupies the foothills of the Drakensberg mountains, covering an area of 19,500 square kilometers (7,500 sq mi) in South Africa's Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces. It is bounded on the east by the KwaZulu-Cape coastal forest mosaic, which lies in the humid coastal strip along the Indian Ocean; to the west it is bounded by the higher-elevation Drakensberg montane grasslands, woodlands and forests. To the south, it transitions to the drier Albany thickets, which are characterized by more succulent and spiny plants.

The ecoregion experiences a dry subtropical climate characterised by varying rainfall levels, ranging from 1200 mm to 800 mm per year. 60% of its rainfall occurs during the summer.^[2]

The typical vegetation is of the semi-succulent type, which are densely packed and up to three meters in height. The ecoregion, which is in a transition between moist and dry, montane and lowland, and temperate and tropical, has a rich diversity of species, with many endemics.^[3]

The ecoregion is home to a variety of animal species, including endangered black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) and white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum).^[4]

A 1994 survey found that about 7.5% of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Protected areas include the Great Fish River Nature Reserve, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve, and Thomas Baines Nature Reserve.^[5]

• Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany Hotspot – Southern Africa biodiversity hotspot
• Maputaland – Natural region in South Africa in northern KwaZulu-Natal
• EmaMpondweni, also known as Pondoland
• Wild Coast – Section of the coast of the Eastern Cape, South Africa