AN OVERVIEW

South Africa is one of the most culturally and geographically diverse places on earth. Each of its 9 provinces have their own unique flavour from the hot and almost barren Limpopo to the wide savannahs of the Northwest Province, while the Western Cape and Gauteng are complete opposites, from the laid back to the ‘never sleep’, the wild and often harsh Western Cape is also a stark contrast to the spectacular forests, mountains, valleys and waterfalls of Mpumalanga. The people are just as diverse. South Africa is fondly known as the 'Rainbow Nation'. While English is the language in which all legal documents and government proceedings are conducted in, there are in fact, 11 official languages. Many South Africans can speak a minimum of 2 and sometimes 3 languages – English, Afrikaans, and their mother tongue.

The vast majority of the population are black, the rest are made up of Europeans – historically English or Dutch, Coloureds, Indians or Asians. While for overseas visitors the term ‘coloureds’ may seem offensive, the majority of the mixed-race population see ‘coloured’ as the best definition of their own as it stems from the very beginning of South Africa’s history – a mixed lineage of indigenous Khoisan, African slaves from other parts of the continent and white settlers. The black population is divided into four major ethnic groups – Nguni, Sotho (pronounced Sutu), Shangaan-Tsonga, and Venda. Zulu and Xhosa (pronounced Khosa) are the largest tribes within the Nguni group. The largest population of Indians outside of India live in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.

Becoming the South Africa of today wasn’t an easy ride and one of the miracles of the country is that after an often-tragic past, its people are some of the friendliest, to visitors and to each other, that you will find on the African continent.

Explore the country’s history through the battlefields dotted all over the land, the Apartheid Museum, the Cape Town Castle, the District 6 Museum, Simon’s Town Museum, the Settlers Museum and Robben Island, among many others. Every population group’s history, culture, food, language, and music have contributed to making South Africa the ‘Rainbow Nation’. Exploring this magical place will take you to gourmet restaurants, impressive art galleries, vibrant nightlife, a delicious braai (barbecue) almost anywhere but especially in Soweto, and into the bush. You can browse the bustling Indian markets in Durban, discover the delights of the strangely named Bunny Chow (no bunnies included), or sample some of the world’s finest wines at one of the many world-class, and award-winning, famous Cape Winelands estates.

As varied and beautiful as the population is the country itself. In between the sometimes snow-bound highlands of Hogsback, Golden Gate National Park or Sani Pass to the hot, dry, stark landscape of the Karoo, you will find some of the most stunning lush and wildlife-rich places on earth. Places like the Blyde River Canyon - the largest green canyon in the world, the 2nd largest canyon in Africa and the 3rd largest on earth. If beaches are more your thing, South Africa is surrounded on 3 sides by some of the wildest, most beautiful and varied beaches to be found anywhere on the planet.

Africa is famous for its wildlife and South Africa has some of the largest populations outside of the Serengeti and Botswana. The game parks, such as the world-famous Kruger National Park, are world-class, as are the guides, lodges and camps within them.

South Africa is a must-see for world travellers!