Biomes are regions that share similar ecological and climatic characteristics. The grasslands biome, covering roughly a third of the country and occurring mainly across 6 provinces, is the 2^nd  largest of South Africa's 9 biomes, covering an area of 339 237.68 km².

The biome can be divided into four bioregions based chiefly on altitude and moisture/rainfall, namely the Drakensberg Grassland, Dry Highveld Grassland, Mesic Highveld Grassland and the Sub-Escarpment Grassland. These are further subdivided into 72 vegetation types based chiefly on floristic and environmental factors

The term ‘grassland’ creates the impression that the biome consists only of grass species. In fact, it is a complex ecosystem, including rivers and wetlands, where only one in six plant species are grasses, with the bulk being bulbous plants such as arum lilies, orchids, red-hot pokers, aloes, watsonias, gladioli and ground orchids. This, in turn, is the habitat for a myriad bird, mammal, insect and reptile species – many endemic.