South Africa landmarks, culture, food and national heroes

South Africa

South Africa• South Africa, officially the Republic of

South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded on the south by 2,798 kilometres of coastline of Southern Africa stretching along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans on the north by the neighbouring countries of Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, and on the east and northeast by Mozambique and Swaziland, and surrounding the kingdom of Lesotho.

South Africa• South Africa is the 25th-largest country in

the world by land area, and with close to 53 million people, is the world's 24th-most populous nation. It is the southernmost country on the mainland of the Old World or the Eastern Hemisphere.

Lovely landscapes in South Africa

Hendrik glleteThe Love South Africa group on Flickr is constantly updated with fantastic images taken all over the country. Why not share your pictures too?Each week we select images from this group to share on our blog. This week we celebrate some of the lovely landscapes of South Africa.


Andrea boogie

The spectacular Drakensberg mountain range falls within the province of KwaZulu-Natal and forms part of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its scenic beauty, rock art and diverse flora and fauna.


Western CapeThe southern-most province in South Africa is the Western Cape, home to majestic mountains like Table Mountain and natural wonders like Cape Point. Towards Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, you'll find Grootvadersbosch, an area known for its beautiful nature trails, fantastic bird-watching opportunities and indigenous forest


Drakensberg mountainsThe Drakensberg is the name given to the eastern portion of the Great Escarpment, which encloses the central Southern African plateau. The Great Escarpment reaches its greatest elevation in this region – 2,000 to 3,000 meters


CLynton thoressonMoving down the coast we enter the Eastern Cape; the province where former president Nelson Mandela was born. Inland, in the Karoo region, we find the Camdeboo National Park and the spectacular Valley of Desolation, which draws visiters from across the world.


Cathedral Peak

Cathedral Peak is a mountain in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is a 3,004 m high free standing mountain in the Drakensberg. The mountain is also known as Mponjwana by the local Amangwane people


Champagne CastleChampagne Castle is a mountain in the central Drakensberg range, and is the second highest peak in South Africa. It contains a series of subsidiary peaks, amongst them, Cathkin Peak, Sterkhorn, Monk's Cowl and Dragon's Bac.

Lovely landscapes in South AfricaGiant's CastleGiant's Castle is a mountain peak in the southern African Drakensberg in KwaZulu Natal. Giants Castle offers visitors to the regions hiking opportunities with panoramic views

South African national heroes

• The true National heroes of South Africa are the thousands of unknown natives who worked silently and consistently in an atmosphere of threat to overthrow the White regime. The abolition of apartheid in South Africa would not be possible by Mandela alone, without the initiative of the thousands of unsung heroes -


Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is one of the leading national heroes of South Africa, renowned for his role in the abolition of apartheid. His lifelong commitment in the fight against racial oppression has led him to win the Nobel Peace Prize.


Walter Max Ulyate SisuluWalter Max Ulyate Sisulu was a veteran anti- apartheid activist and among the most respected leaders of the freedom movement in South Africa.Born on 18 May, 1912 in Qutubeni, South Africa, Sisulu was raised in the tribal tradition.


Oliver Reginald TamboOliver Tambo is one of the lesser known national heroes of South Africa who fought for the cause of abolition of apartheid in South Africa.


Joe SlovoJoe Slovo was another lesser known South African National hero and an anti-apartheid activist. He was one of the founder members of Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), the ANC armed wing and in 1985 he had become the first white member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC.


Jan van Riebeeck (1619-1667) OK, so this guy is Dutch, not South African, but he makes the list as he was the founder of Cape Town, which makes him pretty famous. Van Riebeeck was an explorer and originally 'discovered' South Africa in 1652


Sid James (1913-1976) Sid James was one of those old school comedians/actors/jack of all trades. He made his name as Tony Hancock's co-star in 'Hancock’s Half Hour' but will always be remembered for his work on Carry On films.


Desmond Tutu (1931-)Desmond Tutu rose to fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. He became the first black South African Archbishop of Cape Town and is one of the most recognized figures in religion worldwide


Francois Pienaar (1967-)Pienaar was a distinctly average rugby player who did amazing things for his country. He became the first South African captain to lift the Rugby World Cup in 1995. It was hosted in South Africa, so people were pretty pleased that they won


Ernie Els (1969-) Ernie Els is a professional golfer who has been at the top of his game since the 1990s. He used to be number one in the world long before Tiger Woods could even hold a club (probably). He is a pretty chilled character, and big too, hence his nickname 'The Big Easy'. He is in the 'World Golf Hall of Fame'.

Festival of South AfricaGrahamstown Festival” even if it was on an obligatory school trip in a bus full of excitable teens. This ten-day event is undoubtedly the country’s oldest, biggest and most famous arts festival and offers a feast of theatre, music, dance and fi lm for the eager culture vulture.

Festival of South Africa

KNYSNA OYSTER FESTIVALDespite being smack bang in the middle of winter, the coastal town of Knysna comes alive for ten days in July over the increasingly famous Oyster Festival period.


FICKSBURG CHERRY FESTIVALThis festival, which attracts over 20 000 visitors annually to the small town of Ficksburg in the Free State each year, is apparently one of the longest running festivals in South Africa having fi rst been held in 1969.

Festival of South AfricaSPLASHY FEN MUSIC FESTIVALEvery Easter weekend, thousands of youngsters and families alike head to a (usually) quiet farm in the Drakensberg, to what may be loosely termed South Africa’s Glastonbury.

Festival of South AfricaKLEIN KAROO NASIONALE KUNSTEFEES (KKNK)Translated as the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, KKNK was originally established as an Afrikaans alternative to the well-known Grahamstown Festival, proudly representing Afrikaans culture across the spectrum of music, theatre and dance.

Festival of South AfricaHERMANUS WHALE FESTIVALEvery year, the beginning of spring is announced by the arrival of hordes of Southern Right whales in the waters of Walker Bay, Hermanus, where these great creatures end their long travels (thousands of miles)

Festival of South AfricaPRINCE ALBERT OLIVE FESTIVALThe Karoo village of Prince Albert lies in a fertile valley near the Swartberg mountain range, and has the ideal climate for olive growing.


ROBERTSON WACKY WINE WEEKENDWith the Cape Winelands being one of the most popular destinations in the country, and the wine produced in this area being some of the best in the world, there is little wonder that there are some serious wine festivals at various times of the year.

Festival of South AfricaCAPE TOWN JAZZ FESTIVALOn a distinctly sophisticated note, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is worth putting in the diary whether you’re an avid jazz fan or simply have an appreciative ear for good music.

South Africa FOODS

In South Africa, you'll find dishes influenced by the indigenous population, along with the Dutch, French, Indians and Malaysians and as such it offers a vibrant cuisine that's sure to excite the palate.

South Africa FoodBiltong & droeworsCoriander seedf

Dry curing was a method used to preserve meat by the indigenous tribes of South Africa before fridges were invented. Usually made from beef or game, such as springbok, biltong (a thinly sliced, air-dried meat) and droewors (an air-dried sausage) are traditionally eaten as snacks

South Africa FoodBoerewors

This is a traditional South African sausage made from beef, mixed with either pork or lamb and a mixture of spices. Boerewors are traditionally served in a coiled shape, similar to the Cumberland sausage and cooked on a braai (barbecue).

South Africa FoodCape Malay curryCape Malay curryIn the 17th century, the Dutch and French landed and settled in Cape Town, bringing slaves from Indonesia, India and Malaysia, along with their spices and traditional cooking methods.

South Africa Food

Malva puddingA Dutch import, malva pudding is a sweet and sticky baked sponge pudding made with apricot jam and served smothered in a hot cream sauce.

South Africa Food

Chakalaka & papChakalaka and pap are mainstays on every South African dinner table. Chakalaka is a vegetable dish made of onions, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, beans and spices, and is often served cold.

South Africa FoodBraai/Shisa nyamaBraaiFor a real taste of South Africa an authentic braai or shisa nyama ('burn the meat' in Zulu) is an eating experience not to be missed. Braais originated in the townships of Johannesburg, with butchers who set up barbecues in front of their shops at weekends to grill their meat and sell it on the street.

South Africa FoodBunny chowThis street food of Durban has become popular across South Africa and is now starting to hit our food markets back in London. Hollowed out loaves of bread, stuffed with spicy curry were originally created by the immigrant Indian community in the Natal area of Durban and served to workers for lunch.

South Africa FoodAmarula Don PedroThis cocktail-come-dessert uses South African Amarula, a cream liqueur made from the indigenous marula fruit, blended with ice cream. Find it in every bar or take a bottle of Amarula home from duty-free to make your own!

South Africa FoodBobotie

Another dish thought to have been brought to South Africa by Asian settlers, bobotie is now the national dish of the country and cooked in many homes and restaurants.

South Africa landmarks, culture, food and national heroes

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