The Republic of South Africa, commonly known as South Africa, is located in southern Africa and bordered by Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Eswatini, and surrounds Lesotho. Its administrative capital, Pretoria, hosts the executive government. South Africa is a unitary state with a parliamentary system of government, where the president serves as both head of state and head of government. 

South Africa is party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees. It is not party to the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons or the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness. South Africa is party to the 1969 OAU Convention governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa but is not party to the 2009 African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention).