Thirty species are recorded from Southern Africa, of which the following are descriptionbed as new to science: Cololes obscliricomis, C. angulithorax, C. nigrolimbatus, C. gazankulu, C. transversus, C. leucosideae, C. louwi, C. holmi, C. beaconellsis, C. zimbabwensis. A key to the males of South African species is provided. The following synonyms are proposed: Pseudocolotes preocularis Pic syn. nov of C. albilateris Erichson; Pseudocolotes agnatus Abeille de Perrin syn. nov. of C. plagiatus (Abeille de Perrin); C. planifrons Wittmer syn. nov. of C. oneili (Pic); C. ruficollis Wittmer syn. nov. of C. hessei Wittmer. Ebaeus conradsi Pic is transferred to Colales, but renamed as C. neoconradsi because of homonymy with Colotes conradsi (Pic). C. nobilis Boheman is reinstated from synonymy with C. albilateris Erichson. New distribution records are added and the maxillary palps of all species are illustrated. Keywords: Malachiidae, Colotes, Taxonomy, Southern Africa.