The Convention on Wetlands came into force for South Africa on 21 December 1975. South Africa presently has 20 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance, with a total surface area of 553,178 hectares.
The first South African sites were De Hoop Vlei in the Western Cape and Barberspan in North West Province, both registered on 12 March 1975; the most recent one is the Ntsikeni Nature Reserve in Kwa-Zulu Natal registered on 2 February 2010.