This paper discusses how South African toponymy reflects the impact of a large range of cultures, ranging from the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, German, British, French and other seafaring nations, to the indigenous Khoi, San, Xhosa, Zulu, Pedi, Sesotho, Tswana, Venda, Tsonga and Ndebele people. It is argued that a diverse corpus of South African place names became part of the country's cultural inheritance and mirrors a true South African identity.