Davao del Sur (Filipino:Timog Dabaw) is a province of the Philippines located in the Davao Region in Mindanao. Its capital is Digos City. The province is bordered by Davao City to the north, and Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and Sarangani to the west. To the east lies the Davao Gulf. It also shares a water border with the Indonesian province of North Sulawesi to the south.

The beginnings of both Davao Region and Davao del Sur was associated with that of the foundation of Davao, which is the first town to be founded south of the island of Mindanao in 1848, following the conquest of the area by Don Jose Uyanguren of Guipuzcoa, Spain. In 1849, Nueva Guipuzcoa province is founded in the region conquered by Don Uyanguren in what is now Davao Region, with Davao, then called Nueva Vergara, as the provincial capital. Don Uyanguren, then the provincial governadorcillo, made some efforts to develop the areas he conquered, although he failed.

Just thirty-six years after the foundation of Davao, the town of Sta. Cruz was founded in the 5th day of October, 1884, the first town to be founded south of Davao; the town is now the oldest town in the province.