Where is the sahel located? near south africa just south of the sahara desert in the western reaches of sudan just off the coast of west africa

The Sahel is located just south of the Sahara Desert.

Explanation:

The Sahel is the eco-climatic and biogeographic zone of transition between the Sahara desert to the north and the Sudanese savanna to the south. It extends through the north of the African continent, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea.  

The Sahel covers the territory (going from west to east) of northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, Mali, northern Burkina Faso, the southern tip of Algeria, Niger, northern Nigeria, central fringe of Chad and Sudan, Eritrea and northern part of Ethiopia.

cold

very very cold