Fernando da Costa Leal (15 October 1846 – 4 April 1910) was a Portuguese army officer, writer, poet and botanist.
It was on this trip that Leal compiled a report of his impressions of his stay in the ZAR and the journey from Potchefstroom via Pretoria, Botšhabelo, New Scotland, the southern part of Swaziland, the Lebombo Mountains and Catembe to Lourenço Marques (lasting from 18 May to 8 August 1870).
In 1871 da Costa Leal was placed in charge of construction of the planned route between Mozambique and the ZAR up to the Lebombo Mountains.
On 20 April 1892 he was appointed Administrator of State Property at Assolna, the same office that his father, Sebastião Augusto da Costa Leal, had held from 1855 to 1883.
Fernando da Costa Leal was married to the daughter of Dom José de Noronha, Count of Maem.