It covers an area of 29,961 square kilometres (11,568 sq mi) in southern Mozambique, Eswatini, and the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa.

The ecoregion comprises a mosaic of many different plant communities, from the forest of the Lemombo Mountains through savanna, woodland, palm veld, grassland, sand dunes with patches of dense sand forest, and wetland habitats.

The 100 species of mammal found here include the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), now contained in reserves along the coast, and large predators, of which leopard (Panthera pardus) are the most common.

The South African portion of this region is under threat of change due to increasing population and the introduction of foreign plant species such as the shrub Chromolaena odorata, Australian acacias, guava (Psidium guajava), pines and eucalyptus.

In Mozambique this coast is not so heavily populated but the area is affected by forestry and other projects including the Pongolapoort Dam and irrigation schemes.