South Africa

The Land of the People – South Africa

South Africa has become a popular tourist destination in recent years. It’s an affordable and easy introduction to Africa for first-time travellers to the continent. It’s a country of many attractions, a significant history and a melting pot of ethnicities.

http://www.safariguideafrica.com/traditional-south-african-food/ – Image 01 (Shisa Nyama)

With so many different cultures coming together, it is hard to choose just one dish to try that will represent the entire nation. Bobotie, a spiced mince dish topped with an unsweetened custard is a dish derived from the Cape Malay people. Bunny chow, is curry stuffed into hollowed bread originating from Indian labourers. African cuisine is normally served with thick maize meal as the starch of the meal, known as pap. Try Tribes African Grill Steak House, a mere ten minutes away from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Gauteng. Offering select cuts of beef, venison and ostrich served with sides such as pap or samp is a very upmarket take on South African cuisine. A quirky joint to try out shisa nyama (barbequed meat), is the Sha’p Braai Corner in Maboneng, Johannesburg.

https://www.nightjartravel.com/cultural/apartheid-museum – Image 02 (Apartheid Museum)

Each of the nine provinces in South Africa has great attractions, often making a travellers choice hard on what to skip out on. But if you’re planning to stay a few days in Gauteng, the hub of the country, visit the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. It is an insightful tour into the country’s terrifying past and showcases how far the nation has come together, after overcoming its Apartheid past. It’s an interactive tour too, incorporating visual media and audio to retell the inner workings of the Apartheid regime.  About twenty minutes away lies Constitution hill, is another prison used during Apartheid. With daily tours, you can walk through the prisons and learn more about the prisoners held here such as Apartheid struggle heroes Nelson Mandela, Joe Slovo, Fatima Meer and Mahatma Gandhi. Today the highest court in South Africa, the Constitutional Court functions onsite.

http://www.southafrica.net/za/fr/posts/entry/know-your-culture-ndebele – Image 03 (Ndebele women)

The diversity of South Africans reflects in their dress. Different tribes of Africans wear unique garments that are styled differently. Zulu men traditionally wear loincloths made of animal hide, headdresses with feathers attached.  Zulu women wear beaded bodices with wrap around skirts. Ndebele women, like the Matabele in Zimbabwe, wear copper/brass rings referred to as “dzilla” around their necks, arms and legs. Their beaded garments are detailed and tell a story, but also represents their marital status. The Cape Malay people, are mostly of Indo-Asian descent and are predominantly of the Muslim faith, meaning that their wear is more conservative. Cape Malay women can often be seen wearing the Muslim hijab along with their either traditional or non-traditional wear. Now days, though, western style clothing is more common and traditional garments are used sparingly or only at special occasions.

http://www.capetown.travel/visitors/see-do/explore-cape-towns-iconic-table-mountain – Image 04 (Table Mountain)

As you travel around South Africa, another must do on your list is Table Mountain in the Western Cape. An iconic attraction, Table Mountain is named after its evident shape. With a cable-way going up and down multiple times, daily – you can skip the trek to the top and enjoy the view from this Southern tip of Africa. If you do decide to either hike up, down or both ways, you’ll be surrounded by beautiful fauna and flora as well as interested dassies (rock hyrax). Plan your trip to Table Mountain National Park around early morning or late afternoon, as the South African sun during the day is not very forgiving.

South Africa has much to offer, you’ll be spoilt for choice. You’ll find yourself taken aback with its natural splendour, jovial people and turbulent history. But you will also find yourself inspired. South Africa is truly the land of the people.