What is the highest peak in Lesotho and southern Africa?

Thabana Ntlenyana is the highest peak in Lesotho and the highest point in southern Africa, rising to 3,482 metres in the Maloti Mountains. Its Sesotho name is commonly translated as “beautiful little mountain,” an unexpectedly gentle name for the region’s summit.

The peak stands on the Mohlesi ridge, north of Sani Pass, within the wider Drakensberg mountain system. The surrounding highlands are largely treeless and covered by alpine grasslands, with cold winters, summer rainfall, and occasional snow. Nearby slopes also contain headwaters feeding the Senqu, known in South Africa as the Orange River.

Mafadi is a frequent source of confusion. At about 3,446 metres, Mafadi is the highest point in South Africa, but it is lower than Thabana Ntlenyana. Cathedral Peak and Mont-aux-Sources are prominent Drakensberg landmarks, yet neither is the highest summit in Lesotho or the subcontinent’s southern region.