Located at the southern tip of Africa, South Africa is a land of never-ending beauty. From the rolling green hills, to the colorful townships and breath taking coastal views, Cape Town is a unique city within South Africa. It is a true blend of Asia and Europe in Africa. It is dominated by the steep and coarse slopes of Table Mountain that towers 1000m above the Atlantic Ocean. Small mountain streams and ravines offered a home to prehistoric people and animals living on its slopes.
In more recent times, these landmarks attracted sailors and farmers from Europe. Cape Town soon became known as 'the tavern of the seas' - a welcome halfway stop on the long journey between Europe and the East. Cape Town's strategic importance was (and remains) crucial to world trade. Today Cape Town is a majestic city of over 3 million people descended from every corner of the world.
South Africa has a generally temperate and comfortable climate because it is surrounded by both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Summers in the Western Cape run from mid-October to mid-February and are characterized by hot, sunny weather. Winters run from May to July and are the time when the Western Cape gets most of its rain. Due to its temperate climate, South Africa is the third most biodiverse country in the world with about 10% of all the know species of plants - it is surpassed only by Brazil and Indonesia. A wide variety of animal life also exists within South Africa.
The Republic of South Africa is a country that has experienced tremendous change in the past fifteen years. These changes are the result of the end of apartheid and the establishment of a new government which led to new social, economic and political systems for the country. It is seen as a model of reconciliation and development within the region and is still considered to be the most socially, economically and infrastructurally developed country on the continent. Although impressive progress has been made at a constitutional level, tremendous challenges still remain, including very high levels of unemployment, low levels of skills in poor communities, rapid urbanization, poverty and the widespread impact of HIV/AIDS.
Web Resources for South Africa
Suggested Reading
Southern Africa has produced several famous and acclaimed authors. These include Nadine Gordimer, Doris Lessing, Laurens van der Post, Andre Brink, Alan Paton, Phaswane Mpe. Recently, J. M Coetzee has won the Booker Prize twice for his brilliantly written novels. South African novelist and playwright, Zakes Mda, currently teaches at Ohio University and has written several exciting novels: The Whale Caller, Cion, The Heart of Redness and Ways of Dying, to name a few.
Most of the political actors of the South African political transition have written about their experiences including Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk and most famously Nelson Mandela - his 'Long Walk to Freedom' is well worth reading. Anthony Sampson and others have written biographies of Mandela.
There are various travel guides available - some have a general focus (e.g. Southern Africa) and some are very specific (e.g. Cape Town). Travel guides provide information to varying degrees: in general, the more glossy pictures, the less depth! Brands include Lonely Planet, Insight, Hildebrand, Baedeker's, Fodor's, Spectrum, Bradt and Footprints.
There are also specific field guides for safaris, such as Southern African Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide by Mike Unwin. Maps and good bird-books, such as Roberts, are available about South Africa.
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