Of the 39 lichen taxa reported here that were collected during numerous excursions to Namibia and the Republic of South Africa, 37 are new to Namibia and 6 are new to the Republic of South Africa; furthermore, 5 of these are new to continental Africa (Heppia arenacea M. Schultz, Peccania arabica (Müll. Arg.) Henssen, - Peccania‖ arizonica Herre, Phloeopeccania pulvinulina J. Steiner, Psorotichia hassei Fink) and 15 are reported for the first time from southern Africa. Most of the species have a worldwide distribution, especially in arid to semi-arid regions. Keywords: lichens, southern Africa, Namibia, Republic of South Africa.