Afrotheria

Afrosoricida (golden moles, tenrecs and otter-shrews)

Macroscelidea (elephant shrews)

Contains a single family, the Macroscelididae. Elephant shrews are endemic to Africa. 

Tubulidentata (aardvarks)

The only living species is the Aardvark Orycteropus afer, best known for being found at the beginning of the dictionary. It is found in Africa south of the Sahara.

Paenungulata

Hyracoidea (hyraxes / dassies)

Hyraxes (in Afrikaans dassies) are indigenous to Africa and Arabia and all fall within the single family Procaviidae.

Tethytheria

Proboscidea (elephants)

A single extant elephants species, the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana), is indigenous to southern Africa.

Sirenia (dugongs and manatees)

A single species, Dugong dugon (Dugong, Sea cow, Sea pig) is indigenous to southern Africa, found along the Mozambican coast and the coast of northern KwaZulu-Natal. Its distribution extends to East Africa, Red Sea and N Australia.

Euarchontaglires

Glires

Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares and pikas)

The family Leporidae (rabbits and hares) is indigenous to southern Africa.

Rodentia (rodents, including squirrels, mice, rats, Spring Hare, molerats, porcupines)

Euarchonta

Primates (lemurs, bushbabies, monkeys, human being, apes)

Laurasiatheria

Eulipotyphla (shrews and hedgehogs)

Chiroptera (bats)

Ferungulata

Ferae

Pholidota (pangolins / scaly anteaters)

Pangolins, also called scaly anteaters, all fall in the family Manidae and are native to Africa and south Asia. One species in Southern Africa: Manis temminckii (Ground pangolin)

Carnivora (dogs, cats, mongooses, hyaenas, otters, badgers, weasels, polecats, walrus, seals, raccoons, bears, genets, civets)

Paraxonia

Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) 

There are three families of odd-toed ungulates: horses, zebras and donkeys (Equidae) from Africa and Asia ;  tapirs (Tapiridae) from Central America, South America and SE Asia; and rhinoceroses (Rhinocerotidae) from Africa and SE Asia.

Cetartiodactyla (even-toed ungulates and cetaceans)

Suiformes (pigs)

Whippomorpha (hippopotamuses, whales, dolphins and porpoises)

Ancodonta (hippopotamuses)

One family: Hippopotamidae containing one extant species, Hippopotamus amphibius (Hippopotamus).The hippo is semi- aquatic and spends most of the day lying in water or on the river bank. They emerge at night to graze and may travel as far as 30 km during a night. Hippo normally occur in herds (or schools) of 10 to 15 animals, although larger groupings and solitary animals are also quite common. Herds consist of cows, sub-adults and calves, with a dominant bull. Bulls are aggressive to anything entering their territory, including other hippos, other animals and boats or canoes. It is for this reason that the hippo has earned the reputation as the “biggest killer” in Africa, as they will intercept canoes and are occasionally involved in instances where unobservant swimmers are attacked. Hippos give birth on land or in shallow water the calf weighs about 30 kg is kept separate from the herd for the first fortnight.

Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises)

Ruminantia (ruminants)