http://lntreasures.com/rsa.html
South Africa has a truly spectacular flora: only Australiahas more endemic families or genera and South Africa has over 13,000 vascular plant species found nowhere else (POSA).
Families unique to South Africa include Grubbiaceae (Fernkloof), Bruniaceae (PlantZAfrica.com), Lanariaceae (Fernkloof), Roridulaceae (Kew), and Geissolomataceae (iSpot). An endemic family of non-vascular plant is the aquatic moss Wardiaceae (BBS). Other endemic plants include the Bird of Paradise Flower (PlantZAfrica.com), the Red Disa (ARKive), the Rhinoceros Bush (PlantZAfrica.com), the Cushion Restio (PlantZAfrica.com), the Clanwilliam Cedar (ARKive), Rhynchocalyx (ARKive), the Kammanassie Erica (PlantZAfrica.com),Bergeranthus jamesii (NARGS), the Keurboom (PlantZAfrica.com), the Silver Tree (ARKive),the Buck Bay Vygie (PlantZAfrica.com),Kniphofia leucocephala (PlantZAfrica.com), the Belladonna Lily (PlantZAfrica.com), the Cape Strawflower (PlantZAfrica.com), the Forest Lily (PlantZAfrica.com), the Tree Pagoda (Biodiversity Explorer),Penaea mucronata(Fernkloof), and the national flower, the King Protea (Biodiversity Explorer).
Mammals unique to South Africa include the Cape Grysbok (ARKive), the Cape Elephant Shrew (ScienceDaily), the Cape Horseshoe Bat (flickr), the Spectacled African Dormouse (ASM), and the Cape Mole-rat (Mammalian Species pdf file). Endemic genera include the Riverine Rabbit (EDGE) and three genera of golden moles: Chrysospalax(EDGE),Cryptochloris(Afrotheria), and Neamblysomus(ARKive).
Sometimes considered full species are the Bontebok (Biodiversity Explorer), the Cape Springbok (Trevor Hardaker), the Cape Klipspringer (flickr),the Cape Kudu (flickr), and the Cape Blue Duiker (flickr).
Extinct endemic mammals include the Quagga (ARKive) and the Bluebuck or Blue Antelope (Extinction Website). The Cape Mountain Zebra (ARKive) is an endemic subspecies. Birds found nowhere else include the Black Bustard (ARKive), the Cape Francolin (IBC), the Knysna Woodpecker (Biodiversity Explorer), the Orange-breasted Sunbird (IBC), the Cape Sugarbird (Biodiversity Explorer), the Cape Rockjumper (IBC), the Cape Bulbul (IBC), Botha’s Lark (BirdLife Int’l), the Algulhas Long-billed Lark (IBC), the Red Lark (Biodiversity Explorer), Victorin’s Warbler (Biodiversity Explorer), the Cape Siskin (IBC), the Protea Canary (AFBID), and the recently split Hottentot Buttonquail (Fynbos Endemic Bird Survey).
Reptiles restricted to South Africa include the Geometric Tortoise (ARKive), the Speckled Padloper (ARKive), the Southern Adder (ARKive), Fisk’s House Snake (Biodiversity Explorer), the Black Thread Snake (Trevor Hardaker), the Giant Girdled Lizard or Sungazer (ARKive), the Pondo Flat Gecko (Trevor Hardaker), the Augrabies Flat Lizard (ARKive), the Namaqua Plated Lizard (SCARCE), the Knysna Dwarf Chameleon (Biodiversity Explorer), Austen’s Gecko (SCARCE), and the Cape Legless Skink (SCARCE).
Endemic genera include the Soutpansberg Rock Lizard (ARKive) and Peringuey’s Coastal Leaf-toed Gecko (Jon Boone). Amphibians known only from South Africa include the Table Mountain Ghost Frog (EDGE),the Spotted Snout-burrower (ARKive),the Cape Mountain Rain Frog (SCARCE),the Knysna Spiny Reed Frog (AmphibiaWeb), the Bush Squeaker (AmphibiaWeb), and the Cape Platanna (ARKive).
Representing endemic genera are the Micro Frog (ARKive),the Montane Marsh Frog (Trevor Hardaker), Drewes’ Moss Frog (eol),the Mistbelt Chirping Frog (ARKive),the Tradouw Mountain Toadlet (SCARCE), and the Kloof Frog (CalPhotos). Freshwater fish exclusive to South Africa include the Eastern Cape Rocky (ARKive), the Clanwilliam Rock Catfish (ARKive), the Sawfin (ARKive), the Clanwilliam Sandfish (ARKive), the Cape Galaxias (FishBase), and the Sibayi Goby (Google Books).
Endemic marine fish include the Ornate Sleeper Ray (IISE),the Blue-spotted Klipfish (SURG), the Cape Triplefin (ECFWP),the Puffadder Shyshark (FLMNH), the Speckled Guitarfish (Biodiversity Explorer), the Puzzled Toadfish (ECSD), the Estuarine Pipefish (ARKive), and the Knysna Seahorse (ARKive).
Endemic butterflies include the Waterberg Copper (ADU),the Brenton Blue (Brenton Blue),the Forest Swallowtail (Biodiversity Explorer), the Karkloof Emperor (Biodiversity Exlorer), and the Hawequas Widow (ISpot).Other endemic insects include the Cape stag beetles (ARKive), the Flightless Dung Beetle (Biodiversity Explorer), the Galloping Dung Beetle Pachysoma endroedyi(flickr), a heelwalker Karoophasma biedouwensis (Biodiversity Explorer), the Cedarberg Cave Katydid (Smaller Majority),the Silver-spotted Ghost Moth (John Grehan), the Basking Malachite (ARKive),the Meganosed Fly Moegistorhynchus longirostris(MOBOT), and an endemic ant genus Diplomorium (AntWiki).
Endemic insect families include the bugs Gengidae (fig. A on p. 9 of Univ. Delaware pdf file) and the caddisflies Barbarochthonidae (BOLD) and Hydrosalpingidae (Trichoptera Africana)
Spiders unique to South Africa include a jumping spider Afromarengo bimaculata(Jumping Spiders of South Africa), the Cape Orange Baboon Spider (Tarantupedia),a net-casting spider Avellopsis capensis(Biodiversity Explorer), the Cave Violin Spider (ISpot), and the family Chummidae (p. 113 of ARCpdf file).
Other endemic invertebrates include the Pink Velvet Worm (ARKive),the Ruby-legged Black Millipede (Kloof), the Albany Giant Earthworm (CalPhotos), the Devil’s Worm (IISE), the Swamp Forest Crab (ARKive),the Dlinza Forest Pinweel (IUCN),the Trumpet-mouthed Hunter Snail (ARKive), and Conus algoensis(Endemic Cones of SA).
Endemic invertebrate families include isopod crustaceans Hekelidae (BHL) and Mesamphisopidae (SUNScholar), an amphipod crustacean Pleioplateidae (BHL), land slugs Oopeltidae (ISpot), and a nudibranch Mandeliidae (Nudi Pixel).
Biodiversity Hotspots in South Africa include all of the Cape Floristic Region (CEPF) and portions of the the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany (CEPF) and the Succulent Karoo (CEPF).
Eastern South Africa is one of the world’s top ten coral reef hotspots (Columbia Univ. pdf file). The Cape Fold (FEOW) is an important freshwater ecoregion.
