The South African Cliff Swallow has a glossy blue-black back and a squared tail. The reddish-brown rump and chest vary with plumage condition. It migrates between southern African breeding areas and wintering grounds in the Congo Basin.
The back is glossy blue-black and the tail is square, without white spots. The rump ranges from reddish to pale buff, and the underparts also vary in tone.
It breeds colonially, building closed mud nests, often on structures such as bridges and buildings. It catches insects low over the ground and makes a long-distance migration to wintering areas in the Congo Basin.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.