South Africa

 

Main Cities, Languages, Curiosities, Coin and Economy, Population, Religion, Accommodation, Cities, Transportation, Celebrities, Culture, Food and Holidays

MAIN CITIES OF SOUTH AFRICA

Cape Town, Western Cape

Known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, this playground next to the sea has everything. It is also extraordinarily beautiful, being home to the new Wonder of the World, Table Mountain, as well as magnificent beaches and glorious winelands. In fact, Cape Town has been recognised as one of the world’s most beautiful cities. The beauty extends beyond it’s natural wealth.

Johannesburg , Gauteng

Founded in a gold rush. It is the financial center and the country's entertainment. Johannesburg is amazing in many, many ways. In terms of population, this is South Africa’s largest city. Gauteng is the wealthiest province in the country and Johannesburg is its capital, making this a very important commercial and political hub.

Durban , KwaZulu

Known for being hot and humid all year round, Durban and its beaches are a firm favourite for travellers from all over the world. The warm Indian Ocean waters and long stretches of beautiful coastline lure visitors with irresistible charm. Foodies will relish the curries for which Durban is famous and those wanting to infuse their trip with a bit of culture will be well rewarded in this heritage-rich destination.

Pretoria , Gauteng

Equipped with numerous international embassies, monuments and museums , this city is a great sports lover and has many possibilities for fun in theaters, music venues and nightclubs.

Port Elizabeth , Eastern Cape

Known as both the Friendly City and the Windy City, Port Elizabeth is a seaside metropolitan that, while relatively large, maintains the small-town look and feel. Its gorgeous beaches and warm waters are ideal for families and honeymooners and the locals are known for their hospitality. Water-sports are a huge hit in PE, since it has a variety of beaches, lakes and rivers.

Bloemfontein, Free State

Bloemfontein is the judicial capital of South Africa , which is the supreme court of the country. The population is 850 thousand people , and the sixth largest city in the country . Famous for red rock strings , the beautiful natural parks and the roses . The altitude is 1.400m. The National Museum houses important collections of fossils and archaeological objects , plus a large historical collection.

Nelspruit, Mpumalanga

It is one of the cities that are worth visiting in South Africa, for its wealth of natural beauty. It is a few kilometers from the most important animal reserve in the country, the Kruger National Park. Although they appear in other regions, there you can see the famous Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard) . For those who want to go on safari, the Lowveld National Botanical Gardens on the banks of the Crocodile River, has 600 species of trees and 250 of birds, as well as waterfalls and dense forest stretches. It is safe and close to the center.

Kimberley, Cabo Setentrional

Although it is a slightly remote area, there are several tourist attractions located in the Northern Cape . The highlight is certainly the area Namakwaland , world famous for its floral exuberance. The Northern Cape has one of the most important cities of diamond mining, several species of wild flowers and is one of the best places in the world to observe the rare black-maned lions.

Polokwane, Limpopo

Polokwane is the capital of Limpopo province. It has 508,000 inhabitants and the altitude is 1.310m. The area, surrounded by mountains, is home to the baobabs , the widest tree of Africa. The city developed with the discovery of gold in the region in the late 19th century. interesting attractions are the Pietersburg reservation , native forest thathe Vondo , the English Church , the Polokwane Museum , the caves of Makapan the Bakone Malapa Open- Air Museum and the Ndebele village where you can meet some of the local native culture.

Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu -Natal is known as the kingdom of the Zulus. Going west of Game Reserves Hluhluwe - Umfolozi, you can visit cultural museums that present local history. Near Ondini, you can know the reconstruction of Cetshwayo kingdom of the Zulu king. Eshowe, visitors will have the opportunity to visit the fascinating Museum Vukani Collection, which has one of the best collections of art and culture in the world zulu

The Valley of a Thousand Hills (Valley of a Thousand Hills) is a fascinating place, 45 km north of Durban. There lived the ancestors of the Zulu people and you can visit some villages and meet their culture and lifestyle.

The province was the scene of one of the most turbulent wars of South Africa.

Languages

Besides the 11 official languages, scores of others – African, European, Asian – are spoken in South Africa, as the country lies at the crossroads of southern Africa.

Languages spoken here, and mentioned in the Constitution, are the Khoi, Nama and San languages, sign language, Arabic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telegu and Urdu. There are also a few indigenous creoles and pidgins.

English is generally understood across the country, being the language of business, politics and the media, and is regarded as the country's weak language. But it only ranks a joint fifth (with Setswana) as a home language.

South Africa's linguistic diversity means all 11 languages have had a profound effect on each other. South African English, for example, is littered with words and phrases from Afrikaans, isiZulu, Nama, and other African languages.

Language distribution

According to the 2011 census, isiZulu is the mother tongue of 22.7% of South Africa's population, followed by isiXhosa at 16%, Afrikaans at 13.5%, English at 9.6%, Setswana at 8% and Sesotho at 7.6%.

The remaining official languages are spoken at home by less than 5% of the population each.

Curiosities

The South Africa Rovos Rail is considered the most luxurious train in the world;

The oldest remains of modern humans were found in South Africa and are well over 160.000 years old;

South Africa is extremely rich in mining and minerals and considered the world's leader with nearly 90% of all the platinum metals on  earth and around 41% of all the world's Gold;

South Africa's drinking water is rated 3rd best in the world for being "safe and ready to drink";

Water is not all there is to drink in this thirsty country! South Africa's Cape Winelands have around 560 wineries and 4.400 primary producers. Included in the Cape Winelands region is Route 62, considered the longest wine route in the world. That alone is good reason to visit South Africa if you haven't been yet!

Coin

The official currency of South Africa is "Rand". The cost of living in South Africa is not much higher than in Brazil. In fact , when we probed on price comparison sites , we could tell that some products and services are even cheaper there.

For the current exchange rate ( June 2015 ) 1 real equivalent to 4 Rands .

The scores range from 10 to 200, divided as follows: 10 , 20, 50 , 100 and 200 .

Economy

South Africa is a major agricultural producer , this is due to the fact that there is extensive fertile lands , which favors agricultural production. In agriculture , the country stands out in corn, sugarcane , grapes, oranges , since livestock are the main creations of cattle, poultry , goats and sheep .

In the extraction , the country stands out in the exploitation of its mineral deposits , especially coal , copper, manganese , gold, chromite, uranium, iron and diamonds.

Population

·         Estimate 2016: 55,053,392 inhabitants.

·         49,641 migrated to there this year

The white South Africans are mainly descendants of Dutch, German, Huguenot French, British and other European and Jewish settlers. The non-European ancestry, mainly African and Asian, is present in the descendants of Dutch settlers, according to the 2007 study: the average percentage of non-European ancestry was of 6%. Culturally and linguistically, they are divided into Afrikaners, who speak Afrikaans and English-speaking white groups. The white population has decreased due to the low birth rate and emigration; among the factors that influence the decision of this population to emigrate, many cite the high crime rate and affirmative government action policies. Since 1994, about 440 000 white South Africans emigrated permanently in the country. Despite high levels of emigration, some European immigrants settled in the country in that period. By 2005, an estimated 212,000 British citizens were residing in South Africa. By 2011, that number may have grown to five hundred thousand. Some white Zimbabweans emigrated to South Africa.

Population groups

South Africa is a nation of nearly fifty million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages ​​and religions. The last census was conducted in 2011 and the next will be in 2021. The Statistics South Africa ranks the population in five racial categories by which people can qualify. In the middle of 2009 the estimated values ​​for these categories were black with 79%, with 9.6% white, mestizo with 8.9% and Indians and Asians with 2.5% of the population.

The main dominant population groups in South Africa are:

•      black Africans

•      multiracial

•      Indian or Asian

•      White

Religion

The South Africa's Religion it's characterized by great diversity and religious miscegenation,live traditional African religions,originating in the ancient region's people,with Christian religion,Hinduism and Islam religion and seventy percent of the South-Africans population follows some Christian religion originating of the Europeans;

"Some research data on the porcentage of the religions"
Traditionals Africans Religions:15%
Hinduísts:1,3%
Muslims:1,1%
Jews:0,2%
No Filiation:1%
Others:15%
"In two-thousand ten,most Christians were in Europe(25,5%), Latin America(24,5) and in Africa(23,9%)

Accommodation

Sun-City Resort

Known regionally as Africa’s Kingdom of Pleasure, Sun City Resort is a luxury complex of four hotels, two casinos, two golf courses, one South African cultural village (Motseng Village) and one sanctuary with 7000 crocodiles. It is situated about two hours’ drive from Johannesburg and it borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve, where is possible to go on safari. Sun-City’s hotels are among the most luxurious in the world and their architecture portrays Africa’s vegetation and animals.

Kruger National Park                

Tourists visiting Kruger National Park can find accommodation inside it. There are three options: rest camps, bushveld camps and private lodge.

·         Rest camps are located all over the park and they resemble small villages with chalets and bungalows. The services offered by them vary. Some, besides offering accommodation, also offer restaurants, shops, gas stations, pools and even spa.

·         A bushveld camp consists of an isolated lodge. It is used especially for wildlife observation, because it offers a better approach to the animals and nature.

·         A private lodge, as the name says, is a lodge reserved for a particular person or group.

Camping in the park has become very popular, especially because it doesn’t require any special permission and is much less expensive.

Johannesburg and Cape Town

Johannesburg and Cape Town are respectively first and second most visited cities in South Africa, as well in the continent of Africa. Below are listed some accommodation options in these so popular destinations.

Cellars-Hohenort Hotel

A beautiful 18th-century wine estate backing onto Table Mountain, close to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. The 52 luxurious rooms are all individually decorated with antiques and South African art. Amenities include two restaurants, two pools, a tennis court, spa, hair salon and a mini golf course designed by Gary Player.

Welgelegen Guest House

Relaxed, informal and comfortable with lots of lived-in bric-a-brac. There is a pool in the courtyard, big breakfasts if you want them and an easy walk to the city center. There are six en-suite bedrooms in the main house and two in a cottage annexe, which has a living room and a fully equipped kitchen and can be rented as self-catering.

The Grand Daddy

The Grand Daddy hotel is located in the city centre, on Cape Town's long street, a stone throw away from shops, restaurants and local attractions. A strong contender for the title of coolest hotel in town, the former Metropole Hotel was recently reborn as a stylish four-star, and is now hugely popular with South Africans, particularly creative young professionals. It has 26 bedrooms and, on the roof terrace, seven Airstream trailers that have been transformed into suites. For a hot evening spot, visit the gold-mosaic Daddy Cool bar, or head to the Showroom Café for a contemporary South African breakfast. The place is for party people, so be warned; if you’re not in the mood, the atmosphere could grate.

The Michelangelo Hotel

The Michelangelo is a 5-star hotel set in the heart of the Sandton business and leisure district of Johannesburg, overlooking the Nelson Mandela Square. It has its rooms decorated and equipped with all modern amenities including satellite TV and free Wi-Fi.  It has also indoor pool and fitness center with sauna.

Mercure Hotel Bedfordview

Mercure Hotel Suites Bedfordview is a cozy hotel, located in a residential suburb of Johannesburg, right across from Eastgate Shopping, Entertainment Centre and only 8 km from O.R. Tambo International Airport. Its apartments are bright, uncluttered and lightly decorated with self-catering facilities such as fully-equipped kitchens leading into a spacious living area. It has an outdoor pool and a restaurant that every morning serves an English buffet breakfast along with the day's African dishes.  The staff can arrange trips to attractions in and around Johannesburg, including Gold Reef City Casino and Amusement Park, Lion Park and the Apartheid Museum.

Cities

Cape Town is part of the City of Cape Town in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, where the National Parliament and many government offices are located.

Durban is a South African city located in KwaZulu -Natal province , in the Indian Ocean . It is the third largest city in number of inhabitants, after Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Johannesburg and Johannesburg is the largest city in South Africa , the main urban center , industrial, commercial and cultural of the country.

Transportation

South Africa has a modern and well-developed transport infrastructure. The air and rail networks are the largest on the continent, and the roads in good condition. The country's ports provide a natural stopover for shipping to and from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australasia and both coasts of Africa.

The transport sector has been highlighted by the government as a key contributor to South Africa's competitiveness in global markets. It is regarded as a crucial engine for economic growth and social development, and the government has unveiled plans to spend billions of rands to improve the country's roads, railways and ports.

Ports and shipping

Major shipping lanes pass along the South African coastline in the south Atlantic and Indian oceans. Approximately 96% of the country's exports are conveyed by sea, and the eight commercial ports are the conduits for trade between South Africa and its southern African partners as well as hubs for traffic to and from Europe, Asia, the Americas and the east and west coasts of Africa.

The commercial ports are: Richards Bay and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal; East London, Port Elizabeth and the Port of Ngqura in the Eastern Cape; and Mossel Bay, Cape Town and Saldanha in the Western Cape.

The state-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (NPA) manages the ports, while Transnet Port Terminals, formerly known as SAPO, is responsible for managing port and cargo terminal operations.

The Port of Ngqura was completed in 2006. Developed off the coast from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, Nqura is the deepest container terminal in Africa, and is a key part of Coega, one of the country's strategic industrial development zones (IDZs).

Durban is Africa's busiest port and the largest container facility in southern Africa, while Richard's Bay is the world's largest bulk coal terminal.

Located between these two ports is the Dube Trade Port. Launched in March 2012, the port includes King Shaka International Airport. Operated by the Dube Trade Port Corporation, a state-owned company, the port includes a cargo terminal, trade zone, agrizone and IT and telecommunications platform.

The old Durban International Airport will be turned into a multibillion-rand dug-out port by Transnet. Expected to be ready by 2019, development plans include the creation of an automotive component supplier park around the port.

Roads

South Africa's total road network is about 747 000km, the longest network of roads of any African country. The drive from Musina on South Africa's northern border to Cape Town in the south is a 2 000km journey on well-maintained roads.

While the Department of Transport is responsible for overall policy, road-building and maintenance is the responsibility of the South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) as well as the nine provinces and local governments.

Sanral is responsible for the country's network of national roads, which cover around 16 200km. There are about 185 000km of provincial roads, and the municipal network totals around 66 000km, according to the SA Institute of Civil Engineering.

Around 19% of the national roads are toll roads, most of which are maintained by Sanral, while the rest have been concessioned to private companies to develop, operate and maintain.

A multi-billion rand freeway improvement scheme has significantly eased congestion on the roads in Gauteng, the country's busiest province.

S’hamba Sonke (“walking together”) is a labour-intensive road maintenance programme, with projects run by the provinces to upgrade and repair roads in rural areas.

South Africa’s Public Transport Strategy plans to integrate rail, taxi and bus services in co-operation with private operators, both operationally and through ownership. Johannesburg's successes with the Bus Rapid Transport System (BRT) has led to it being adapted and implemented in other South African cities, including Cape Town, Nelson Mandela Bay, Rustenburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.

As the vast majority of South Africans use taxis as their prime transport, the government has introduced compulsory safety standards and a taxi recapitalisation programme, which gets rids of unsafe taxis through a scrapping allowance.

Railways

South Africa has an extensive rail network – the 14th longest in the world – connecting with networks in the sub-Saharan region. The country's rail infrastructure, which connects the ports with the rest of South Africa, represents about 80% of Africa's total.

Improving the country’s 20 247km rail network is a top government priority, with projects aiming to increase freight rail volumes and increase market share of container traffic.

The rail network is managed by the Department of Public Enterprises via Transnet. Transnet Freight Rail is the largest railroad and heavy haulier in southern Africa, with about 21 000km of rail network, of which about 1 500km are heavy haul lines. Just over 8 200km of the lines are electrified.

Passenger rail is also being completely overhauled, with a 20-year fleet renewal programme in place to buy more than 7 200 new trains. Managed and implemented by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), the programme focuses on revitalising the local industry through local manufacturing of components. The existing rail network will be upgraded to take advantage of the new coaches’ technological features.

Around 2.2-million people travel by train every day in South Africa. Metrorail commuter services can be found in Cape Town, the Eastern Cape Province, Durban, and greater Johannesburg and Pretoria, focusing mainly on poorer South Africans.

Tourists and well-heeled passengers can travel on the Blue Train, one of the world's most famous luxury trains, while Shosholoza Meyl transports passengers between the country's major cities.

The Gautrain, Africa’s only high-speed train, was opened just days before the start of the World Cup in 2010. Servicing Johannesburg, Pretoria and OR Tambo International Airport, it is supported by a network of feeder buses. About 40 000 people use the service every day.

The Gautrain can travel at speeds of 160 km/h, enabling commuters to make the trip from Johannesburg to Pretoria in less than 40 minutes.

Airports and airlines

South Africa's 10 airports handle more than 98% of the country's commercial traffic, with 200 000 aircraft landings and 10-million departing passengers annually.

The R20-billion airports upgrade ahead of the World Cup in 2010 focused on OR Tambo International in Johannesburg, Cape Town International, and the new airport, King Shaka International, outside Durban. The seven smaller airports are domestic airports: Port Elizabeth, East London, George, Kimberley, Upington and Pilanesberg.

State-owned Airports Company of South Africa (Acsa) is responsible for managing the country's airports and improving productivity of its airports. Other airports include Lanseria (Midrand), Gateway (Polokwane), Nelspruit and Kruger (Mpumalanga).

In 2012, South African Airways (SAA) was voted the best airline in Africa for the 10th year in a row by UK global aviation research organisation Skytrax.

South African Airways (SAA) is by far the largest air carrier in Africa, with connections to more than 28 cities across the continent. As a Star Alliance member, SAA also offers its customers 1 356 destinations in 193 countries and 21500 flights daily.

Celebrities

Wayde van Niekerk is a South Africa sprinter from Cape Town, he competes mainly evidences of two hundred meters and four hundred meters.

Sasha Pieterse is an actress, singer and model of South Africa. She is one of the main characters of PLL (Pretty Little Liars). Sasha was born in Johannesburg and moved soon after with her family to Las Vegas.

Charlize Theron is an actress, producer and ex model from South Africa, Oscar winner for best actress. The actress starred in the film "Monster".

Nelson Mandela was a lawyer, rebel leader and president of South Africa in 1994 to 1999. He is considered the most important leader of black Africa, he won the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

Culture

Black African culture is most obviously known for its art, dance and music – these have been profoundly influenced by more than two centuries of colonialism and the work of Christian missionaries.

Today, songs reflect a number of different styles such as gospel, jazz and rock, but often have a strong local flavour. Styles such as kwaito (house music), mbube (Zulu vocal) and kwela (jazzy street music often with a penny whistle) incorporate indigenous sounds.

Art is also becoming a fusion of traditional and modern. Artists draw inspiration from the masks, statues and figurines of tribal culture, but also employ Western techniques and mediums.

Gumboot dancing was born in the mines of South Africa, where black Africans were given Wellingtons to protect their feet and communicated in the dark by slapping and thudding their boots.

Food

African food is colourful, interesting and alien to most visitors. It also tastes terrific. A well-prepared local meal can be a highlight of your trip to South Africa. Many restaurants specialise in the cuisine of the continent and serve a good variety of traditional African dishes.

Trying some delicious traditional African food should be part of every visitor’s itinerary. A number of specialised restaurants in South Africa do an excellent job of serving both modern and traditional African food. Each dish reflects one or more of the different cultural influences found across the continent.

Traditional African food is generally cooked over an open fire or in a three-legged pot (or potjie), so meat tends to be served in either stewed or grilled form. A starch usually accompanies the meat: mieliepap (maize porridge), potatoes or rice. Beetroot, carrots, cabbage and pumpkin are the vegetables most commonly served. Typical South African dishes include tripe, morogo, chakalaka, amadumbe, and the ubiquitous boerewors roll.

Tripe is a traditional treat favoured by most Africans. In the Cape it is considered a regional delicacy and is often served lightly curried with small new potatoes and fried onions.

Other local favourites include a wide variety of delectable Cape Malay dishes, biltong and sweet delicacies such as the koeksister and melktert.

Grilled chicken feet and heads – known as walkie-talkies – are a popular dish in rural South Africa.

Holidays

January, 1 – New Year

March, 21 – Human Rights Day

After Easter Sunday – Family Day

April, 27 – Liberty Day

May, 1 – Labour Day

June, 16 –Youth Day

August, 9 – National Women’s Day

September, 24 – Heritage Day

December, 16 – Day of Atonement

December, 25 – Christmas

December, 26 – Boxing Day

W6 P2 - Wizard Centro - Teacher Ana Paula

Alberes, Fellipe, Luisa, Junior, Emily, Maiza, Thais, Kaio, Jonas, Lucas, Thayane, Luiz, Jessica and Sthefanne.

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