South Africa: An Overview

Introduction

South Africa is a place of many attractions, among them an enviable climate, magnificent scenery and unsurpassed opportunities for watching game and other wildlife. It also has significant and well-documented social problems, legacies of the apartheid era, including corruption, crime, high levels of HIV/Aids infection, and widespread social deprivation and unemployment amongst the black majority. However, with unemployment falling and crime reported to be on the decrease, the outlook is far from bleak.

The country has now become one of the international property market’s hotspots. Thousands of British people have already bought homes there, benefiting from low property prices (in some areas as little as a tenth of prices in the south of England) and rapid capital appreciation.

Geography

Occupying an area of around 1.2 million km2, almost all of which lies below the Tropic of Capricorn, the Republic of South Africa is around an eighth of the size of the US. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Indian Ocean to the south and east, borders the countries of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland to the north, and encircles the independent kingdom of Lesotho.

South Africa is composed of three main regions, a central plateau, an escarpment of mountain ranges and a low-lying coastal strip. Its landscapes range from fertile plains and savannah (grasslands) to the Kalahari Desert and the Drakensberg Mountains. There are two major rivers, the Limpopo and the Orange.

Climate and weather

South Africa’s climate is comfortable throughout the year, although, owing to the country’s varied topography, there are significant regional differences and some extremes.

Average temperatures on the west coast are 20 degrees Celsius in summer and 12.5 degrees Celsius in winter. The east coast’s climate is sub-tropical, with summer temperatures often in excess of 30 degrees. Humidity there is typically high. Most rainfall occurs during late spring and summer.

The southern coast, on which lies the famous Garden Route, is less tropical but still verdant, while the south-western corner of the country has a Mediterranean climate, with wet winters and hot, dry summers. This area is known for the wind that blows intermittently throughout much of the year.

History

Originally inhabited by the San (or Bushmen) and Khoikhoin, South Africa was settled by Bantu tribes in the 16th century. The 17th century Dutch were the earliest European colonists. In 1806, the British seized the Cape of Good Hope, and control of the entire region passed to Britain in 1814.

The Dutch settlers’ descendants challenged Britain’s supremacy, unsuccessfully, in the Boer War (1899–1902). The Union of South Africa was formed in 1910, with a policy of apartheid designed to ensure the continued ascendancy of the white minority.

In 1961, South Africa became a republic, severed all links with the Commonwealth and strengthened apartheid. The 1990s saw the end of apartheid politically and paved the way for black majority rule.

South Africa’s culture

Dubbed ‘The Rainbow Nation’, South Africa is, as a result of its varied history, a country of great racial diversity. Around 75 per cent of the population is black, 14 per cent white, 9 per cent of mixed race and 3 per cent Asian.

All immigrant groups have brought with them their own traditions, which, combined with indigenous African ones, have contributed to a vibrant cultural mix in which music, dance and food are particularly important.

Inequalities between rich and poor are marked. The lifestyles of the white minority tend to be similar to those found in Western Europe and the US, while among the black majority there are still many, especially in rural areas, who are seriously impoverished.

Politics and government

South Africa is a constitutional democracy divided into nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, North West Province, Gauteng, Mpumalanga and Limpopo. It has a three-tier system of government (national, provincial and local) and an independent judiciary.

The bicameral parliament consists of the National Assembly (the lower house), elected by proportional representation, and the National Council of Provinces (the upper house), elected by the provincial legislatures. The leader of the majority party in the National Assembly becomes president and leader of a cabinet that also includes a deputy president and 25 ministers.

Parliament is currently dominated by the African National Congress (ANC), which won 70 per cent of the vote in the 2004 general election.

Health

No inoculations are required for those visiting South Africa from the UK. However, there is a malaria risk in the low-lying areas of the North West Province and Mpumalanga (including the Kruger National Park) and north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal, so it is advisable to take precautions when travelling to these areas.

South Africa’s healthcare is provided by a large public and small, but growing, private sector. The public sector lacks resources and much of the specialist and emergency care is provided by the private sector, whose hospitals are among the world’s finest.

Holidaymakers should visit private hospitals in the event of an emergency and are expected to pay cash for services rendered. It is therefore essential to take out appropriate insurance cover.

Sightseeing

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa’s number one tourist destination, offers sophisticated shopping and world-class African and international cuisine side by side with contemporary and historical attractions.

Notable sights include the Castle of Good Hope, South Africa’s oldest building, which dates from 1666, St. George\'s Cathedral, Government Avenue and the colourful Malay Quarter. The Planetarium, the South African Museum (dedicated to promoting understanding and appreciation of natural history and anthropology) and the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, which grows only indigenous South African plants, are also worth a visit.

As well as such city-based activities, there are opportunities to experience the authentic Africa, including arts and crafts trails and visits to traditional tribal villages and townships.

The great outdoors

South Africa\'s scenery is world famous. Highlights include the golden beaches of the south coast, the Drakensberg Mountains, the magnificent open spaces of the Karoo (a semi-desert area) and the scenic Garden Route, which runs along a stretch of the southern coastline beginning at Hermanus, near Cape Town, and ending at Port Elizabeth. The Garden Route, which has some of South Africa\'s best swimming and watersports beaches, is South Africa’s second most popular tourist destination.

Wildlife is one of the country’s greatest assets, and there are numerous game lodges and parks providing drives and safaris. As well as two of the world\'s best-known wildlife reserves, the Kruger and Kalahari Gemsbok National Parks, South Africa has over a dozen smaller regional parks and reserves.

Shopping

South Africa’s diverse culture means that international-class shopping facilities and vibrant local markets exist side by side. Durban, for instance, has some of the Southern Hemisphere’s largest shopping malls, where you can buy everything from designer clothes to antiques. The city’s fleamarkets, craft trails and discount stores are a must for browsers and bargain hunters, and its oriental bazaars offer silks, saris, ethnic jewellery and ornaments.

In addition to a range of shopping centres and smaller shops, Cape Town has the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront complex, an imaginative blend of retail and entertainment facilities, offices, hotels and luxury apartments.

As in many other countries, the best value is often found in the open street markets rather than the shopping centres.

Eating out and nightlife

Eating out

Larger towns and cities boast a variety of restaurants and cafés serving traditional South African, ethnic and international fare.

Traditional South African cuisine focuses on meat. Specialities include bobotie (a version of shepherd\'s pie) and boerewors (hand-made sausages, grilled on an open flame). South African wine is recognised as some of the best in the world.

Nightlife

Nightlife varies from city to city. Cape Town’s waterfront has a wealth of bars and pubs, and clubs with live music are also popular. Visitors to Johannesburg can sample traditional and township South African jazz, as well as kwaito, a version of house music.

All over South Africa, theatres and concert halls stage classical, avant-garde and ethnic programmes.

Gambling has been legal throughout the country since 1996. Most major cities have casinos, and casino complexes, which include hotels, restaurants and a range of other leisure and sporting facilities, have now been set up in all nine provinces. The longest established, and to date the largest, is Sun City in North West Province, founded in 1979.

Sport and leisure

South Africa’s climate is ideal for many types of outdoor activity. Rugby, cricket and football are the three main national sports. There are clubs across the country, with amateur as well as professional teams and leagues. South Africa is to host the football World Cup in 2010.

Depending on location, popular leisure activities include hiking, bowls, tennis, swimming, fishing and watersports of all kinds, especially surfing, snorkelling and scuba-diving. Golf is particularly popular, and South Africa has many fine championship courses.

Wildlife watching is probably the activity most associated with this part of the world. There are numerous game lodges, parks and nature reserves providing game drives, safaris and other activities. The more adventurous can even visit a crocodile farm.

Public holidays

In addition to New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday (known as Family Day), Christmas Day and Boxing Day (known as the Day of Goodwill), South Africa’s national holidays are:

• Human Rights Day (21 March)
• Freedom Day (27 April)
• Workers’ Day (1 May)
• Youth Day (16 June)
• National Women\'s Day (9 August)
• Heritage Day (4 September)
• Day of Reconciliation (16 December)

Holidays that fall on a Sunday are observed on the following Monday.

Getting there

Flights to South Africa can be expensive. To secure the best deals, it is advisable to book well in advance and to be flexible about dates if possible.

There are three international airports, at Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg, the latter being South Africa’s main entry point.

British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and South African Airways provide regular direct services from London Heathrow to both Johannesburg and Cape Town, while BMI offers direct flights to Johannesburg only. Flight time is around 12 hours.

Onward connecting flights to other South African airports (there are 700 in total) are available via several different carriers.

Flights are also available from several other UK airports, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Gatwick and Manchester.