A new species of Drimia is here described from South Africa. Drimia cochlearis sp. nov. is at first sight closely related to both Drimia ciliate and D. sclerophylla, but it differs in a number of floral and vegetative characters that clearly support its recognition as a distinct species. Here we provide a detailed morphological description for this species, including ecological and chorological data. Affinities and divergences with close allies are also discussed.