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Places & Attractions South Africa is a country with a rich cultural heritage and diverse beauty. From the bustling city of Johannesburg to the stunning beaches of Cape Town, there are countless places to visit and attractions to see. Some of the must-visit places include Kruger National Park, Table Mountain, Robben Island, and the Apar Museum. Whether you're interested in history, wildlife, or simply soaking up the sun, South Africa has something for everyone. Click Here More Information ATTRACTIONS & PLACES TO VISIT western cape16 Castle-of-Good-Hope south-africa-cape-grace western cape16 1/14 The Union Building The Union Building in Pretoria, South Africa, is a landmark that has played a significant role in the country's political. Built in 1913, the building served as the administrative center for the Union of South Africa, which was formed in 1910. It was also the site of Nelson Mandela's presidential inauguration in 199, marking the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new era in South African history. Today, the Union Building remains an important symbol of democracy and freedom in the country. Suncity Casino Suncity in South Africa is a world-renowned resort and casino complex offers a unique blend of entertainment, relaxation and adventure. Located in the heart of the North West Province, Suncity boasts a range of luxurious hotels, restaurants, and attractions that cater to every taste and budget. Whether're looking for a romantic getaway, a family, or a thrilling experience, Suncity something for everyone. Cape Castle Capetown The Cape Castle in Cape Town is a historic that was built by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. It served as a strategic base for the Dutch to protect their trade route to the East. Over the years, the castle has been used for various purposes, including a prison and a military base. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction and a symbol of Town's rich history. Fish Hoek in Capetown Fish Hoek is a charming coastal town located in the southern of Cape Town, South Africa. The has a rich history dating back to the early1800s when it was first settled by Dutch farmers. Over the years, Fish Hoek has grown into a popular tourist destination, known for its beautiful, stunning scenery, and relaxed atmosphere. Whether you're looking to soak up the sun, explore the local culture, or simply unwind and relax, Fish Hoek has something for everyone. South Africa’s top 10 incredible attractions Ask anyone and they’ll tell you, South Africa boasts amazing tourist attractions that are worth visiting more than once. But where does one even start? Here’s a list of top 10 attractions that you should tick off your “to-do” list. 1) Table Mountain Sitting at 1,085m above sea level, you’re guaranteed incredible sunset views of Cape Town and surrounds on the new 7 Wonders of the World – the magnificent Table Mountain. Sprawling with indigenous plants such as the Protea and wildlife including adorable Dassies (rock badgers), Table Mountain is the ideal spot to witness nature at its best. Get a bird’s eye view of the city below from the Table Mountain Cable Way. 2) Cradle of Mankind Imagine what life was like in South Africa millions of years ago. Now you can when you visit the Cradle of Mankind in Gauteng, just northwest of Johannesburg. This World Heritage Site is a treasure trove of fossilised history, and home to the remains of our ancestors – the Hominids. Go back in time and discover an ancient world of dinosaur fossils, hominid skeletons and evidence of their existence at the Maropeng Visitor Centre and the Sterkfontein Caves. 3) Robben Island Of course, a visit to the Cape Town (The Mother City) is not complete without a boat trip to Robben Island. One can almost feel the spirit of legendary Tata Madiba - Nelson Mandela on the island, where he spent 27 years in incarceration. Take a tour of his former prison cell and learn more about his years spent on the island with other struggle fighters. 4) The Cape Winelands Who doesn’t like to swirl and sip delicious and award-winning wines? Even if you’re not a wine connoisseur, everyone can appreciate a good glass of wine. There’s no doubt South Africa, particularly the Western Cape is gateway to incredible wines that’s made in centuries old vineyards across the province. From Stellenbosch to Franschoek, drive along the wine route and enjoy wine tasting along with food pairing to tickle your palate. 5) The Drakensberg Mountains Did You Know? The Golden Gate Highlands National Park is 2200 metres above sea level? Reaching a whopping 3482 metres above sea level, the Drakensberg Mountains covers a distance of over 1000 kilometres. Thabana Ntlenyana is its highest peak and can be found around the area bordering Lesotho. 6) The Kruger National Park Expect to see the 'King of the Jungle' in its natural domain, ruling over the savannah... and the roads. The Kruger National Park is a gateway into the wild, where visitors get to see the Big Five including lions and other fierce cats in their prime. 7) Soweto From the former home of legendary Nelson and Winnie Mandela to other prominent struggle fighters who fought for equality during apartheid, visit Soweto to get a real sense of South Africa’s past and an in-depth look into the lives of those who once lived there. Go on a Sowetan tour, including a visit to nearby taverns to enjoy local beer, braai (barbeque) and experience the vibe of the township. 8) Blyde River Canyon Travelling to Mpumalanga requires a stopover at the Blyde River Canyon. There’s so much to see at this incredible part of the province, including God’s Window – an attraction that will greet you with sweeping views of the valley below. 9) Sun City Resort In 1979 the Sun City Resort was built and houses the Valley of Waves. It’s situated along the border of the Pilanesberg National Park and is known for its casino entertainment, water theme park and renowned for its safari adventures. 10) Golden Gate Highlands National Park Situated in the enchanting Golden Gate National Park in the heart of the Free State and at the foot of the Drakensberg Mountains, it's the perfect place to find South Africa and yourself. From Stellenbosch to Franschoek, drive along the wine route and enjoy wine tasting along with food pairing to tickle your palate. One of the continent’s most popular countries to visit, South Africa boasts loads of epic scenery and amazing wildlife. Asides from safaris and nature spots, some parts are just as famed for their wines and whale-watching or surfing and shark cage diving. Occupying the southernmost end of Africa, the ‘Rainbow Nation’ is bordered by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. A biodiversity hotspot, it includes everything from dramatic deserts and gorges to savannahs, mountains and wine lands. Dotted all about the huge country are gigantic game parks and nature reserves home to the Big 5. While Cape Town and Kruger National Park dominate most peoples’ itineraries, almost every corner of South Africa has new and interesting things to do to offer. Visitors quickly discover that the rich history and colourful inhabitants ideally complement the top tourist attractions in South Africa, which creates an unforgettable experience. e to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. Top Tourist Attractions in South Africa One of the continent’s most popular countries to visit, South Africa boasts loads of epic scenery and amazing wildlife. Asides from safaris and nature spots, some parts are just as famed for their wines and whale-watching or surfing and shark cage diving. Occupying the southernmost end of Africa, the ‘Rainbow Nation’ is bordered by the Atlantic and Indian oceans. A biodiversity hotspot, it includes everything from dramatic deserts and gorges to savannahs, mountains and wine lands. Dotted all about the huge country are gigantic game parks and nature reserves home to the Big 5. While Cape Town and Kruger National Park dominate most peoples’ itineraries, almost every corner of South Africa has new and interesting things to do to offer. Visitors quickly discover that the rich history and colourful inhabitants ideally complement the top tourist attractions in South Africa, which creates an unforgettable experience. Table of Contents Sabi Sands Game Reserve Part of the Mpumalanga province, the sprawling Sabi Sands Game Reserve lies nestled in the northeast of the country. One of the most luxurious safari experiences you can have, its top-end lodges almost guarantee up-close encounters with incredible animals. Named after the two rivers that flow through it, the park was founded as a private game reserve in 1938. Now dedicated to conservation, it has hundreds of species of animals, birds and reptiles residing within its confines. The most sought after and special to see are, of course, the Big 5. As the upscale lodges employ expert guides and trackers, guests return raving about all the elusive animals they’ve seen. Thanks to their efforts, you can often watch leopards, elephants and lions roam about, right beside the jeep. It is these superb safaris and the five-star service that make the considerable outlay well worth it. Cape Agulhas, Western Cape The southernmost tip of the African continent, Cape Agulhas is where both the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. Oft-overlooked in favour of Cape Point, which is much closer to Cape Town, it contains some absolutely stunning scenery. In addition, there is also a charming old lighthouse and a photo spot to prove you’ve been here. Fittingly named ‘Cape of Needles’ by Portuguese navigators, it overlooks a rough patch of sea renowned for winter storms and rogue waves. To protect the sailors and ships rounding the cape, a lonely lighthouse was built here in 1849. Its red-and-white striped tower now makes for some fantastic photos as does the large metal relief map of Africa nearby. There is also a scenic boardwalk to stroll along and rock pools to explore. Although it is nowhere near the country’s most impressive bit of coastline, we were still happy we stopped by while driving along the Garden Route. It was quite special seeing the oceans meet and their glittering waves stretching away endlessly into the distance. Surfing in Jeffreys Bay One of the best surf spots in the world, the laidback town of Jeffreys Bay can be found in the Eastern Cape, about an hour’s drive from Port Elizabeth. Known for its consistent swells, breaks and big waves, it hosts top-class surfing competitions each year. Since The Endless Summer surf documentary came out in the sixties, both expert and amateur surfers have flocked to J-Bay. It is most famed for its fast right-hand point break that sometimes continues for over a kilometre. At times, its waves also reach up to three metres in height with the Super Tubes stretch being the most popular. Even if you’re not into surfing or are fed up with falling off your board, Jeffreys Bay is still a nice place to spend some time. It has beautiful beaches full of pretty shells to lounge on before trying some of its delicious seafood restaurants. Addo Elephant National Park Also lying near PE (or Gqebera as the coastal city is now known) is the Addo Elephant National Park. One of the most popular places to visit in SA, it houses over 600 of the enormous animals. Whales and white sharks can also sometimes be spied in its waters. Established in 1931 to protect the area’s last eleven elephants, it is now the third-largest park in the country behind Kruger and Kgalagadi. Besides herds of zebra, antelopes and Cape buffaloes, you can also see rhinos, lions and leopards amidst the bush. Cute African penguins and Cape gannets form large breeding colonies along the coast and on its two offshore islands. Hiking and horseback riding about the park is a truly epic experience as is taking a night safari to see its nocturnal creatures. The only park in the world that boasts the ‘Big 7’, Addo definitely isn’t to be missed out on. Wildflowers of Namaqua A natural phenomenon like no other, the semi-desert area of Namaqua is transformed each spring when thousands of succulents seemingly shoot up over night. Watching the colourful wildflowers bloom in the remote region is now an increasingly popular activity. Spread across a large part of the Northern Cape, the biodiversity hotspot contains roughly 5,000 species of plant. Many of these are endemic to the area and can survive amidst all its dry and dusty landscapes. In August and September of the year, the biome changes dramatically for just several weeks thanks to the winter’s rains. During this period, succulents paint the desert a mesmerizing mix of colors with daisies and lilies seen next to aloes and even quiver trees. Cool rock formations and a diverse array of animals can also be seen from Namaqua’s scenic roads and trails. Sun City Resort If after all the sightseeing and safaris you’re looking to kick back and relax in style, then Sun City Resort is the place to go. At the ‘Las Vegas of South Africa’, guests can enjoy fun water parks, golf courses and a casino. Long a popular holiday and weekend destination, the resort opened in 1979 amidst the rolling mountains outside of Rustenburg. Nowadays, its four high-end hotels offer up all kinds of exciting family-friendly activities and exhilarating watersports. Asides from rides and water slides, you can quad bike and water ski or try your luck at the casino. It also has plenty of fine dining options while scintillating shows and events take place all the time. As it only lies two hours drive from Pretoria and Johannesburg, the luxury resort makes for a great getaway. Boulders Penguin Colony As Boulders Beach is located so close to Cape Town, you must go and see its adorable African penguins. Here you can watch the entire colony nest, feed, play and swim about without a care in the world. Since the first two breeding pairs arrived at the beach in 1982, the tiny birds’ numbers have swelled considerably. Around 3,000 now inhabit its sheltered sands and hulking great granite boulders. From its boardwalk, you can see the colony of black-and-white birds bustle about bask in divine views over False Bay. Although a bit pricey for international visitors, the fee does go to protecting their natural habitat and raising awareness about the endangered African penguins. Ride the Blue Train An unforgettable (yet expensive) way to see more of the country is to book a lavish suite aboard the Blue Train. As it is advertised as a ‘five-star hotel on wheels’, expect to pay top dollar for its elegant lounges, fine dining cars and butler service. One of the world’s most luxurious train journeys, the 1,600 kilometer-long line connects Cape Town to Pretoria. Since 1923, countless presidents, politicians and even members of royal families have ridden along the historic route. While relaxing in its carpeted compartments, you can see some of South Africa’s most spellbinding scenery outside the window. In some suites, guests can even sit and soak in a bubble bath as the train trundles along the tracks Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Straddling the border between SA and Botswana is the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park; one of the world’s largest wildlife preserves. Its endless desert landscapes and golden grasslands are home to massive herds of wildebeest and springbok. Here too you can also spy some of the cunning lions, cheetahs and leopards that prey on them. As it lies largely within the southern Kalahari Desert, the park is quite arid. Only sparse vegetation and dried out river beds punctuate its rolling dunes and open plains. Despite its inhospitable nature, KTP is a haven for local wildlife. This is thanks to its hundred or so waterholes that giraffes, gemsbok and eland all congregate around. The only park of its kind in Africa, it was founded in 2000 to protect animals and birds migrating between the two countries. Although you may not see as much wildlife as in Addo and Kruger, the park is still well worth visiting. This is because its bleak but beautiful scenery makes sightings even more special. Apartheid Museum, Johannesburg A harrowing place to visit, the Apartheid Museum covers a hugely important yet horrific part of South Africa’s past. The well-done displays and oral testimonies really highlight the daily atrocities and inhumanity of the racist system. Only opened in 2001 (just seven years after multiracial elections were finally allowed), it occupies a concrete complex in the center of Johannesburg. Once you walk through its racially-segregated entrance, you’ll find rooms packed with photos, videos and artifacts to explore. These chronicle the rise and fall of Apartheid, how races were classified and just what the country’s constitution now includes. Its exhibits will evoke a wide range of emotions, leaving you exhausted but upbeat at the end. As Apartheid’s impact is still sadly seen (and felt) wherever you go in SA, you really have to spend at least half a day here. This will help you better understand all the peoples and places you visit. iSimangaliso Wetland Park Another spot to enjoy for completely different reasons is the iSimangaliso Wetland Park along the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal. After two and a half hours drive from Durban, its idyllic bays, beaches and reefs really are a treat to explore. Home to Africa’s largest estuarine system, its name fittingly means ‘a miracle’ or ‘something wondrous’ in the Zulu language. We certainly found its beauty captivating as savannas and mangrove forests border pristine beaches and waters teeming with life. Here you can see huge numbers of hippos and crocodiles as well as the odd leopard, white rhino and elephant. Playful dolphins and pods of whales can sometimes also be spotted just offshore. Whale-Watching in Hermanus If you want to see more of the majestic mammals, then Hermanus is one of the best places to head. From atop of the popular seaside town’s craggy cliffs, visitors often see whales migrating all along Walker Bay. Memorable boat trips and sea kayak excursions to get an even closer look are also popular things to do in Hermanus. Located just off the Garden Route, the cute little town lies around ninety minutes’ drive southeast of Cape Town. From as early as June through til December, southern right, humpback and minke whales can all be sighted. Watching them slowly swim along its dramatic coastline is an amazing experience you won’t forget anytime soon. Other than sightseeing cruises and walking along its surrounding cliffs, you can visit the Old Harbour Museum and Whale Museum. The town also hosts the annual Hermanus Whale Festival. This celebrates the start of the calving and mating season that occurs in its shallow waters and sandy coves. Robben Island Certainly the most famous historic site in South Africa, Robben Island is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. Now a museum, it offers up a fascinating look at the lives of the inmates during Apartheid. On tours, it is usually ex-prisoners themselves who actually take you around the cell blocks. Discovered by Bartolomeu Dias in 1488, the isolated island was later fortified and used as a prison by the Portuguese, British and Dutch. From 1961, the South African government kept political prisoners here who opposed Apartheid. They were sadly often beaten, fed poor food and forced to work in quarries, particularly in the early years. While the tours conducted by the former political dissidents sound super interesting, we didn’t manage to make it ourselves. On our last day in Cape Town, bad weather meant our short ferry from the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront was unfortunately cancelled. Just be aware this can happen if you’re on a tight schedule. Blyde River Canyon In a country awash with stunning landscapes, scenery and nature, the Blyde River Canyon still manages to stand out. Part of the Mpumalanga province, it is often visited alongside the nearby Kruger National Park by tourists traveling up from Johannesburg. Stretching 26 kilometers in length, the colossal canyon is named after the winding river that runs through it. Coating its steep sides and sweeping slopes are vast swathes of subtropical forest. Twinkling waterfalls also course their way down its stupendous rock formations. For the best panoramas of the canyon and river, head to either the Pinnacle Rock or God’s Window viewpoints. From up high, you can look out over distinctive rocky outcrops such as the Three Rondavels and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. For a different perspective, hike and horseback ride along the canyon floor or enjoy a relaxing cruise along the river. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve Just inland from both St. Lucia and the iSimangaliso Wetlands is another popular park to hit up: the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve. Mostly hilly, it boasts the Big 5 and one of the largest remaining white rhino populations in the world. The oldest nature reserve in Africa, it was established back in 1895 in what is now central KwaZulu-Natal. Thought to be a royal hunting ground during the days of Shaka, Hluhluwe-Umfolozi is renowned for its rich wildlife and world-class conservation efforts. Much less crowded than Kruger, it contains large numbers of lions, leopards and cape buffaloes. The stars of the show though have to be its wonderful white rhinos. Staying at the rustic Mpila Camp or luxury Rhino Ridge lodge overnight enables you to see even more amazing animals. Wake up early and head out to see everything from hyenas and hippos to crocodiles, cheetahs and wildebeest. Cape Winelands As South Africa is famed for its reds, whites and roses, make sure to take a trip around the Cape Winelands. Covering a large part of the Western Cape, all its fertile farms and vineyards produce some absolutely superb wines. At the heart of the picturesque area is the historic university town of Stellenbosch which is also well worth visiting. Thanks to its hot dry summers and cool wet winters, the region is perfect for growing grapes. Countless top-class wineries coat its plains with tours often taking you around a handful in one go. These allow you to enjoy your time at the attractive estates and not have to worry about driving back. The chic J.C Le Roux pairs some fine sparkling wines with creative food combinations, as does the award-winning Beyerskloof. Wherever you go, you’re guaranteed delicious drinks in a gorgeous setting. On top of all this, you can enjoy outstanding views of the Cape Fold Mountains rising above the region in the distance. Drive the Garden Route After seeing Cape Town and Stellenbosch, many people spend about a week driving along the delightful Garden Route. One of the top things to do in South Africa, it takes you past magnificent coastal scenery and peaceful little seaside towns. From Mossel Bay in the Western Cape, the perfectly paved road meanders its way 170 kilometres to Storms River in the Eastern Cape. While the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains border it to one side, the other looks out over the ocean. Lining its shores are beautiful beaches, lagoons and tidal pools. As there is so much to do, everyone has a different itinerary. Stops at Plettenburg Bay’s beaches are almost a given though as is whale-watching and ambling around charming coastal towns. Knysna and Nature’s Valley are pretty popular as are shark cage diving trips and hiking Tsitsikamma National Park’s numerous trails. Durban’s Golden Mile A legendary stretch of sand, the Golden Mile is one of the main places in Durban where people relax and enjoy some exercise. Lining its long promenade are dozens of hotels and eateries as well as swimming pools, skate parks and surf spots. Bordered by the central business district, its wide, sandy beaches extend six kilometres or so in length. Overlooking them are lots of high-rises that mostly date to the seventies. Some arresting Art Deco architecture can still also be spied however alongside the busy boardwalk down below. For decades, tourists have flocked here for its flashy entertainment complexes and fun, family-friendly attractions. These include the excellent uShaka Marine World aquarium and Durban Funland amusement park. There is also the Suncoast Casino if you want to try your luck at some table games of slot machines. Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, Cape Town In contrast to the Golden Mile, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront positively sparkles before your eyes. Immaculately maintained, the shopping and entertainment complex has a lively yet laidback feel. Adding to its appeal is the shimmering sea before it and iconic Table Mountain rising in the background. As one of Cape Town’s largest tourist attractions and most visited destinations, the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront invokes images of the earliest days of the harbor. Located right in the heart of Cape Town, you’ll find hundreds of upmarket shops and restaurants along with an excellent art museum, aquarium and African crafts market. Besides shopping, dining and enjoying some of its live entertainment, you can watch the boats come and go or snap photos of its picture-perfect waterfront. From here, you can hop on harbour tours and take trips to Robben Island. Drakensberg Mountains Reaching between 2,000 and 3,482 meters in height are the massive and majestic Drakensberg Mountains. One of the most rugged and wild parts of South Africa, it is known for its jaw-dropping peaks, buttes and death-defying drops. Meaning ‘Dragons’ Mountains’ in Afrikaans, the absolutely enormous escarpment stretches over a thousand kilometers in length. As well as encircling the central South African plateau, it forms the border with the landlocked Kingdom of Lesotho. Countless trails crisscross its steep slopes and sweeping valleys. Some of the most popular places to head are the awe-inspiring Amphitheater cliffs and Cascades series of waterfalls. The ginormous mountain range is also home to Tugela Falls which is impressively the second-highest waterfall in the world. Its dramatic 947 meter drop and all the stunning views make the arduous hike more than worth it. Table Mountain One of the most recognizable landmarks in South Africa, the marvelous Table Mountain towers over Cape Town and its coastline. Famed for its distinctive flat-topped plateau, it offers up some great hiking, rock climbing and wildlife viewing. The panoramas from its summit are also out of this world. Now protected as a national park, its prominent plateau is flanked by the equally arresting Devil’s Peak and Lion’s Head. Together with Signal Hill, they form the colossal City Bowl which creates a breathtaking backdrop to the coastal city. Getting the cableway down is an even more memorable experience. As it actually rotates, you enjoy unrivaled views over Cape Town, Table Bay and even Robben Island in the distance. Although it descends over a thousand meters to the city below, the ride only lasts five minutes in total. Kruger National Park Another of South Africa’s most popular attractions is the incredible Kruger National Park in the very northeast of the country. Its confines contain a staggering number of animals with the Big 5 regularly sighted amidst its scenic savanna, woods and grasslands. Now one of Africa’s largest game reserves, it was established in 1926 with Zimbabwe and Mozambique both bordering the park. It encompasses fourteen different ecozones, each of which have their own fauna, flora and landscapes for you to explore. On unforgettable hikes and safaris, you are almost sure to spot some of the thousands of lions, leopards, elephants and rhinos that inhabit its territory. Crocodiles and hippos can also be seen in its reflective lakes and rushing rivers. Dozens of camps are dotted about the park should you want to stay even longer. BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURE - South African Culture, Customs, and Traditions The culture of South Africa is one of the most diverse in the world. The country boasts of an impressive eleven official languages and other several recognized languages, with each of the group having its own vibrancy and culture. A substantial majority of the South Africans still live in the rural areas where cultural traditions have survived. However, urbanization and adoption of new technology across the country have led to the decline in the traditional cultures. English and other foreign languages are slowly replacing the native languages. South African culture is not homogeneous but is rather a collection of cultures with different cultures being predominant in different regions. Some of the prominent cultures of South Africa include the Khoikhoi and San culture, Zulu, Ndebele, Xhosa , and Sotho cultures among other cultures. These cultures blend beautifully to give the country its unique identity on the globe. The People of South Africa South Africa has a population of approximately 55 million people comprising of diverse culture, religion, origin, and languages. Africans or South Africans and Bantu-speaking people form the major part of the population (approximately 35 million). Some ethnic groups are unique to South Africa while others like Basotho crossed the border into the country. Some of the major ethnic South Africans include Zulu, Basotho, Venda, Xhosa, Tsonga, Khoikhoi, Ndebele, and San. South Africa also hosts a number of refugees and asylum seekers, especially from Zimbabwe , Democratic Republic of Congo , and Somalia . The majority of refugees live in major cities including Pretoria, Durban, Johannesburg, and Cape Town. View More South African Languages The population of South Africa is composed of people from different backgrounds, speaking different languages. Eleven languages are considered the country’s official languages. The first official languages were English and Dutch. The majority of South Africans can speak more than one language. The language spoken by the majority of the people, especially native South Africans is Zulu which is spoken by 23% of the population followed by Xhosa and Afrikaans at 16% and 14% respectively. Zulu is the language of the Zulu people who number 10 million. It is understood by 50% of the total population. The Zulu language became an official language in 1994. The Xhosa language is spoken by 8 million people as the first language and over 11 million as a second language. The majority of Xhosa speakers live in Eastern Cape Province. Afrikaans evolved from the Dutch language and has adopted some words from other languages such as German and Khoisan. English is the most popular second language of the South Africans and the most commonly spoken language in the country. South African Tradition South African tradition is not homogenous but a blend of different traditions and cultures practiced by different ethnic groups in the country. Here are some examples of traditions and cultures as practiced by major ethnic groups in the country. Khoikhoi and San Khoikhoi and San were the original inhabitants of present-day South Africa. The KhoiSan were known as the “Bushmen” and were skilled hunters and trackers. Their tracking skills are still necessary for the fight against poachers. They are mainly nomads who live in desert regions of South Africa Zulus The Zulus are known for their shield-bearing warriors under the leadership of Shaka. They are also famous for their beadworks, grass huts, and basketry. The belief of the Zulu people is based on ancestral spirits which appear mainly in dreams and a supreme being who is rarely involved in the activities of the mortal. Use of magic is common among the Zulus and any tragedy or illness is blamed on the evil spirit. Xhosa Xhosa culture is popular for the complex dressing that portrays a person’s social status, position in the society, and whether they are married or not. They also have a strong oral tradition with stories of ancestral heroes. Ancestral worship is a common practice and young men have to undergo a rite of passage. Stick fighting is a common sport among the Xhosa among the young men looking after the cattle. Women mainly tend the crops and look after the home. Ndebele Ndebele are known for the skilled women who decorate their houses in beautiful geometric designs. The skills are hereditary and women are tasked with the responsibility of teaching their daughters. The shapes used in the decoration are inspired by their fashioned beadwork. Ndebele women are distinguished from other South African women by the neck rings and the striking traditional blankets. Sotho The culture of the Sotho people differs from those of the Ndebele, Xhosa, and Zulus in several ways, especially on how they organize their villages. The Sotho homes are organized into villages rather than scattered settlements. The villages are further organized into age-sets. Each of the age-set is given a specific responsibility and the age-set graduate from one responsibility to another. They also allow their sons to marry from their kin, especially from the maternal side. Their traditional folk art includes pottery making, beadwork, decoration of houses, and weaving. Venda The Venda culture and tradition is built on mythical beliefs and water. They believe that lakes and rivers are sacred and that rains are controlled by Python God. Lake Fundudzi is one of the sacred places among the Venda and hosts the annual rites. Traditional healers known as Sangoma are believed to have access to the spirits and ancestors. Venda’s art has also been influenced by the belief in the spirit world. Cattle are considered a sign of wealth while agriculture is the main economic activity. Modern Day South African Tradition The younger generation from the above cultures is relocating to the city in search of a “better” life. However, in the city, they tend to abandon their traditions and culture for the western culture and lifestyle. Over time, a unique culture that combines the western culture and the traditional cultures have been developed. This new culture is evident in art, music, and food View More Culture of South Africa South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Almost all South Africans speak English to some degree of proficiency, in addition to their native language, with English acting as a lingua franca in commerce, education, and government. South Africa has twelve official languages, but other indigenous languages are spoken by smaller groups, chiefly Khoisan languages . Members of the middle class, who are predominantly white and Indian but whose ranks include growing numbers of other groups, have lifestyles similar in many respects to that of people found in Western Europe , North America , Australia and New Zealand . The Apartheid state legally classified South Africans into one of four race groups , determined where they could live , and enforced segregation in education, work opportunities, public amenities and social relations. Although these laws were abolished by the early 1990s, the apartheid racial categories remain ingrained in South African culture, with South Africans continuing to classify themselves, and each other, as belonging to one of the four defined race groups (blacks, whites, Coloureds and Indians) making it difficult to define a single South African culture that doesn't make reference to these racial categories View More Art Main article: Art of South Africa Eland , rock painting , Drakensberg , South Africa The oldest art objects in the world were discovered in a South African cave. Dating from 75,000 years ago, these small drilled snail shells could have no other function than to have been strung on a string as a necklace. South Africa was one of the cradles of the human species. One of the defining characteristics of the human species is the creation of art (from Latin "ars", meaning worked or formed from basic material). The scattered tribes of Khoisan peoples moving into South Africa from around 10,000 BC had their own fluent art styles seen today in a multitude of cave paintings. They were superseded by Bantu and Nguni peoples with their own vocabularies of art forms. In the 20th century, traditional tribal forms of art were scattered and re-melded by the divisive policies of apartheid . New great forms of art evolved in the mines and townships: a dynamic art using everything from plastic strips to bicycle spokes. The Dutch-influenced folk art of the Afrikaner Trekboer and the urban white artists earnestly following changing European traditions from the 1850s onwards also contributed to this eclectic mix, which continues to evolve today. One form of art developed during the period of apartheid. This new characterisation was termed "township art" and became common in the 1960s and 1970s. This art style tended to depict scenes from everyday life of poor black individuals in South Africa.[8] Common visual elements in this art style are dilapidated houses, women washing clothes, penny whistlers, and black mother-and-child tableaux. Oracles of the Pink Universe by Simphiwe Ndzube, 2021 Contemporary South Africa has a vibrant art scene, with artists receiving international recognition. The recent "Figures and Fictions" exhibition of South African photography at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London included the work of Mikhael Subotzky , Zanele Muholi , David Goldblatt , Zwelethu Mthethwa and Guy Tillim . Contemporary South African artists whose work has been met with international acclaim include Marlene Dumas , William Kentridge and John Smith. South African art is the visual art produced by the people inhabiting the territory occupied by the modern country of South Africa . The oldest art objects in the world were discovered in a South African cave. Archaeologists have discovered two sets of art kits thought to be 100,000 years old at a cave in South Africa. The findings provide a glimpse into how early humans produced and stored ochre – a form of paint – which pushes back our understanding of when evolved complex cognition occurred by around 20,000 – 30,000 years. Also, dating from 75,000 years ago, they found small drilled snail shells which could have no other function than to have been strung on a string as a necklace. South Africa was one of the cradles of the human species. The scattered tribes of Khoisan and San peoples moving into South Africa from around 10000 BC had their own art styles seen today in a multitude of cave paintings. They were superseded by Bantu and Nguni peoples with their own vocabularies of art forms. In the present era, traditional tribal forms of art were scattered and re-melded by the divisive policies of apartheid . New forms of art evolved in the mines and townships : a dynamic art using everything from plastic strips to bicycle spokes. In addition to this, there also is the Dutch -influenced folk art of the Afrikaner Trek Boers and the urban white artists earnestly following changing European traditions from the 1850s onwards, making for an eclectic mix which continues to evolve today. Paleolithic rock art Main article: San rock art San rock paintings, Perdekop Farm, (Mossel Bay , South Africa) The pre-Bantu peoples migrating southwards from around the year 30,000 BC were nomadic hunters who favoured caves as dwellings. Before the rise of the Nguni peoples along the east and southern coasts and central areas of Africa these nomadic hunters were widely distributed. It is thought they entered South Africa at least 1000 years ago. They have left many signs of life, such as artwork (San paintings) depicting hunting, domestic and magic-related art. There is a stylistic unity across the region and even with more ancient art in the Tassili n'Ajjer region of northern Africa, and also in what is now desert Chad but was once a lush landscape. The figures are dynamic and elongate, and the colours (derived probably from earthen and plant pigments and possibly also from insects) combine ochreous red, white, grey, black, and many warm tones ranging from red through to primary yellow. Common subjects include hunting, often depicting with great accuracy large animals which no longer inhabit the same region in the modern era, as well as: warfare among humans, dancing, domestic scenes, multiple images of various animals, including giraffes, antelope of many kinds, and snakes. The last of these works are poignant in their representation of larger, darker people and even of white hunters on horseback, both of whom would supplant the San peoples. Many of the "dancing" figures are decorated with unusual patterns and may be wearing masks and other festive clothing. Other paintings, depicting patterned quadrilaterals and other symbols, are obscure in their meaning and may be non-representational. Similar symbols are seen in shamanistic art worldwide. This art form is distributed from Angola in the west to Mozambique and Kenya , throughout Zimbabwe and South Africa and throughout Botswana wherever cave conditions have favoured preservation from the elements. Contemporary art in South Africa The contemporary art scene in South Africa is as diverse and vibrant as the population and vast cultures in the country. Contemporary artists in South Africa have adopted new media technologies to produce varied and creative bodies of work, as seen in the work of Dineo Seshee Bopape and CUSS Group. Their art gives insight into the pressing issues of South African society. On a global scale, contemporary South African art is relevant and sought-after. A charcoal and oil on canvas work by leading South African contemporary artist William Kentridge was sold on auction for R3,5 million in London in 2012. Black art post-apartheid The Bantu Education Act of 1955 barred Black South Africans from receiving formal art training during the years of apartheid and as a result, the artistic movements that had originated from this community have, until recently, been distinctly classified as “craft” rather than “art.” Informal art centers, that were funded by European states, became one of the few avenues in which Black South Africans could receive some form of artistic development. Throughout this time period from 1947 to the mid-1990s, the first practitioners to receive this informal training began passing down their knowledge to younger generations of practitioners. However, the traditional canon of African art, categorized as “fine art” had been formed in the 20th century by European and U.S. art audiences. South Africa's inequality gap is larger than that of other countries in the world so the audience for art is primarily the rich and not those who are subject to the artistic expression, giving these higher socio-economic groups a gatekeeper status in deciding what is classified as art. After the Soweto Riots of 1976, a new social consciousness emerged that retaliated against the government's policy of segregation and effectively reexamined the classification of certain Black South African artworks. One of the first artistic styles to receive critic attention was Venda sculpting because it aesthetically appealed to white patrons while also maintaining its “artistic manifestations of ethnic diversity.” These sculptures would be considered “transitional art” rather than “craft” and would gain access into fine art galleries. Other Black artistic expressions such as beadwork, photography, and studio arts have also begun to be slowly integrated into canonical South African art forms. The Johannesburg Biennale's Africus (1995) and Trade Routes (1997) had a significant impact on the cultural awareness of new South African art. These events were among the first exhibitions that revealed the “new South African art” to the international community, but also other local South Africans. This gave Black South African artists a new platform to express the effects to which apartheid had influenced society. In the post-apartheid regime, artists have now been given an apparatus to protest social issues such as inequality, sexuality, state control over the personal realm, and HIV/AIDS. However, the emphasis to embody many of these social issues within Black South African art has a led to a stereotype that many young artists are now trying to escape. International pressure has been said to once again demand a level of ‘authenticity’ within South African art that portrays discourse on the topic of apartheid. Scholar Victoria Rovine goes as far as to state that “these exhibitions represent a South Africa that seeks liberation not from apartheid itself but from apartheid as an already predictable subject for artistic production.” Furthermore, although South African art is not always political, conversations stemming from its interpretation are rarely apolitical and the high demand for apartheid symbols by private collectors have raised concerns over the collection of the art for the sake of nostalgia. See also Culture of South Africa List of South African artists South Africa Outline of South Africa View More Architecture See also: Architecture of Johannesburg and Cape Dutch architecture Gateway to the Castle of Good Hope , the oldest building in South Africa Old Dutch church in Ladismith The architecture of South Africa mirrors the vast ethnic and cultural diversity of the country and its historical colonial period. In addition, influences from other distant countries have contributed to the variety of the South African architectural landscape. Herbert Baker , among the country's most influential architects, designed the Union Buildings in Pretoria . Other buildings of note include the Rhodes memorial and St George's Cathedral in Cape Town , and St John's College in Johannesburg . Cape Dutch architecture was prominent in the early days (17th century) of the Cape Colony , and the name derives from the fact that the initial settlers of the Cape were primarily Dutch. The style has roots in medieval Holland, Germany, France and Indonesia. Houses in this style have a distinctive and recognisable design, with a prominent feature being the grand, ornately rounded gables, reminiscent of features in townhouses of Amsterdam built in the Dutch style . The rural landscape of South Africa is populated with traditional and European-influenced African architecture . View More Literature Main article: Literature of South Africa Olive Schreiner , the author of The Story of an African Farm (1883) There are 11 national languages in South Africa. South Africa's unique social and political history has generated a rich variety of literatures, with themes spanning pre-colonial life, the days of apartheid, and the lives of people in the "new South Africa". Many of the first black South African print authors were missionary-educated, and many wrote in either English or Afrikaans . One of the first well known novels written by a black author in an African language was Solomon Thekiso Plaatje 's Mhudi , written in 1930. Notable white English-language South African authors include Nadine Gordimer who was, in Seamus Heaney 's words, one of "the guerrillas of the imagination", and who became the first South African and the seventh woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1991. Her novel, July's People , was released in 1981, depicting the collapse of white-minority rule. Athol Fugard , whose plays have been regularly premiered in fringe theatres in South Africa, London (The Royal Court Theatre ), and New York City. Olive Schreiner 's The Story of an African Farm (1883) was a revelation in Victorian literature: it is heralded by many as introducing feminism into the novel form. Alan Paton published the acclaimed novel Cry, the Beloved Country in 1948. He told the tale of a black priest who comes to Johannesburg to find his son, which became an international best-seller. During the 1950s, Drum magazine became a hotbed of political satire, fiction, and essays, giving a voice to urban black culture. Afrikaans-language writers also began to write controversial material. Breyten Breytenbach was jailed for his involvement with the guerrilla movement against apartheid. Andre Brink was the first Afrikaner writer to be banned by the government after he released the novel A Dry White Season about a white South African who discovers the truth about a black friend who dies in police custody. John Maxwell (JM) Coetzee was also first published in the 1970s, and became internationally recognise in 1983 with his Booker Prize -winning novel Life & Times of Michael K . His 1999 novel Disgrace won him his second Booker Prize as well as the 2000 Commonwealth Writers' Prize . He is also the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2003. English writer J. R. R. Tolkien , author of The Hobbit , The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion , was born in Bloemfontein in 1892. Poetry Main article: South African poetry South Africa has a rich tradition of oral poetry . Several influential African poets became prominent in the 1970s such as Mongane Wally Serote , whose most famous work, No Baby Must Weep, gave insight into the everyday lives of black South Africans under apartheid. Another famous black novelist, Zakes Mda , transitioned from poetry and plays to becoming a novelist in the same time period. His novel, The Heart of Redness won the 2001 Commonwealth Writers Prize and was made a part of the school curriculum across South Africa. View More Cinema Main article: Cinema of South Africa While many foreign films have been produced about South Africa (usually involving race relations), few local productions are known outside South Africa itself. One exception was the film The Gods Must Be Crazy in 1980, set in the Kalahari . This is about how life in a traditional community of San (Bushmen) is changed when a Coke bottle, thrown out of a plane, suddenly lands from the sky. The late Jamie Uys , who wrote and directed The Gods Must Be Crazy, also had success overseas in the 1970s with his films Funny People and Funny People II, similar to the TV series Candid Camera in the US. Leon Schuster 's You Must Be Joking! films are in the same genre, and hugely popular among South Africans. Schuster's most successful film internationally is Mr Bones, which was also the best performing film locally at the time of its release, grossing 35m USD. This was surpassed by the sequel, Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past. The most high-profile film portraying South Africa in recent years was District 9 . Directed by Neill Blomkamp , a native South African, and produced by Peter Jackson , the action/science-fiction film depicts a sub-class of alien refugees forced to live in the slums of Johannesburg in what many saw as a creative allegory for apartheid . The film was a critical and commercial success worldwide, and was nominated for Best Picture at the 82nd Academy Awards . Another notable film that was produced in South Africa is Chappie . Other notable exceptions are the film Tsotsi , which won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards in 2006 as well as U-Carmen e-Khayelitsha , which won the Golden Bear at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival . View More Music Main article: Music of South Africa Enoch Sontonga There is great diversity in music from South Africa. Many black musicians who sang in Afrikaans or English during apartheid have since begun to sing in traditional African languages, and have developed unique styles called Kwaito and Amapiano . Of note is Brenda Fassie , who launched to fame with her song "Weekend Special", which was sung in English. More famous traditional musicians include Ladysmith Black Mambazo , while the Soweto String Quartet performs classic music with an African flavour. White and Coloured South African singers are historically influenced by European musical styles. South Africa has produced world-famous jazz musicians, notably Hugh Masekela , Jonas Gwangwa , Abdullah Ibrahim , Miriam Makeba , Jonathan Butler , Chris McGregor , and Sathima Bea Benjamin . Afrikaans music covers multiple genres, such as the contemporary Steve Hofmeyr and the punk rock band Fokofpolisiekar . Crossover artists such as Verity (internationally recognised for innovation in the music industry) and Johnny Clegg and his bands Juluka and Savuka have enjoyed various success underground, publicly, and abroad. Don Clarke who wrote Sanbonani, a local hit for P J Powers , and Hotline in 1986 wrote much of the music for Leon Schuster 's films including Till You're Free Again which he recorded for the film Frank and Fearless in 2018. Rap-rave group Die Antwoord have also found international success. The South African music scene includes Kwaito and Amapiano , new music genres that had developed in the mid-1980s and late 2010s, and have since developed to become a popular socio-economic form of representation among the populace. However, some argue that the political aspects of Kwaito have since diminished after Apartheid, and the relative interest in politics has become a very minor aspect of daily life. Others argue that in a sense, Kwaito is in fact a political force that shows activism in its apolitical actions. Today, major corporations like Sony , BMG , and EMI have appeared on the South African scene to produce and distribute Kwaito music. Due to its popularity, as well as the general influence of DJs, who are among the top 5 most influential types of people within the country, Kwaito has taken over radio, television, and magazines. South African rock music is a very popular subculture, especially within the Johannesburg region. The alternative rock and metal band Seether gained international popularity in the early 2000s, with five of their albums achieving Gold or Platinum certification in the United States. Four other rock bands, KONGOS , Civil Twilight , Prime Circle , the Parlotones and have also achieved success abroad in the late 2000s. While metal bands such as Vulvodynia have achieved moderate success in the 2020s. View More Cuisine Main article: South African cuisine An array of traditional South African cuisine The cuisine of South Africa is heavily meat-based and has spawned the distinctively South African social gathering known as a braai . A variation of the barbecue, braais often feature boerewors or spicy sausages, and mielies (maize ) or Mielie-meal , often as a porridge, or pearl millet , a staple food of black South Africans. Pastries such like koeksisters and desserts like melktert (milk tart) are also universally popular. Meat on a traditional South African braai Indian food like curry is also popular, especially in Durban with its large Indian population. Another local Indian Durban speciality is the "bunny", or bunny chow , which consists of a hollowed-out loaf of white bread filled with curry. The Portuguese community has also made its mark, with spicy peri-peri chicken being a favourite. The South African Portuguese-themed restaurant chain Nando's now has restaurants in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Malaysia, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates. Bunny Chow Close-up view of a plate of Bunny ChoW No culinary journey in South Africa is complete without trying a “bunny”. Don’t worry, it’s not an actual rabbit. A bunny chow is a hollowed-out half or quarter loaf of bread filled with curry, typically served with a bit of salad, or sambal, on the side. It originated in Durban, South Africa, in the 1940s, and was created by Indian migrant workers as a convenient and transportable lunch. The loaf can be filled with various curries such as chicken, beef, mutton, bean, or vegetable, depending on personal preference. The bread serves as both a “container” for the curry and as an accompaniment to be eaten with it! Bunny chows are eaten throughout the country these days, and has become a street food classic that’s enjoyed by people from all walks of life. Bobotie Bobotie with some yellow rice served with a salad Considered by many to be South Africa’s national dish, there are many versions of bobotie, most based on treasured recipes that have been passed down through generations. It’s believed that the first recipe for bobotie dates back to a 1609 Dutch cookbook. After it made its way to South Africa, it was adopted and refined – or arguably perfected – by the Cape Malay community, ultimately turning it into a South African dish. Bobotie is made from savoury spiced minced meat (beef, lamb, pork, chicken, or even ostrich) that’s baked with an egg and milk topping. Various spices, curry powder, bay leaves, apricot jam, dried fruits, and nuts are added, depending on the recipe. You typically eat it with slightly sweet yellow rice with raisins added to it, desiccated coconut, blatjang (chutney), and sambals. Biltong Three different types of biltong on a wooden platter | Photo credit: Getty Images Biltong is a quintessential and hugely popular snack with meat-loving South Africans. In fact, it’s gained popularity worldwide for its delicious, salty taste. The word biltong is derived from the Dutch words “bil”, meaning meat or rump, and “tong”, meaning tongue, which is often the shape of the pieces of meat used to make biltong. The meaty snack has its origins in the Great Trek era, when Dutch settlers, or Voortrekkers, moved from the Cape Colony into the interior of South Africa. They needed a reliable way to preserve meat during their long journeys, and viola – biltong was born! It’s superficially similar to American beef jerky, but that’s where the common ground ends. To make it, skilled butchers marinate strips of beef in a mixture of vinegar, salt, sugar, and spices like pepper and coriander, depending on personal taste. The marinated meat is then hung out to air-dry. Today, biltong remains a beloved South African snack, cherished for its unique flavour and versatility. It’s available in every butcher shop, corner café, petrol station, and supermarket, and you can even try venison options like kudu and gemsbok (oryx). Potjiekos Top view of a pot of potjiekos | Photo credit: Getty Images Potjiekos is another dish that was developed by the Voortrekkers during the Great Trek. It’s a stew-like South African dish cooked outdoors over an open fire in a round, three-legged cast-iron pot, known locally as a potjie (little pot). It’s an extremely versatile dish that people adapt to personal preferences and tastes. As with many South African dishes, everyone has their own recipes and techniques. It’s also an efficient and delicious way of preparing a large amount of food with minimal effort. In essence, potjiekos is a slow-cooked stew, featuring a mix of vegetables, meat, and spices. It sits atop hot coals for hours, simmering to perfection in its own juices. A wide variety of meats are suitable for a potjie, but people often opt for less expensive cuts. Potjiekos is famous for the range of delicious and complex flavours it develops and the exquisite tenderness of the meat cooked this way. Enjoying a potjie with friends and relatives perfectly embodies the spirit of the communal sharing of food so integral to South Africa’s food culture and cuisine. The South African Braai: Pap en Vleis/Shisa Nyama Spread of a typical braai with meat, braaibroodjies, and corn | Photo credit: Getty Images In Afrikaans, “pap en vleis” means maize porridge served with meat. “Shisa nyama” is the Zulu equivalent, with “shisa” meaning hot or burnt (i.e. cooked over an open fire) and “nyama” meaning meat. However, no matter where you go in South Africa, people call it braai. Whether you try it at a friend’s house or at a shisa nyama restaurant, the essence remains the same: it’s flame-grilled meat. However, it’s also South Africa’s favourite excuse to get together for social gatherings. Depending on who’s cooking, the meat is served with pap, cornbread, or another starch, along with chakalaka, a spicy relish, or more conventional sides like potato salad and garlic bread. Another local favourite is mielies (corn on the cob). At any given South African braai, you might come across lamb, boerewors (South African sausage), beef, chicken, pork, kudu, springbok, eland, warthog, ostrich, or even seafood. Often, the meat is marinated beforehand in the braai chef’s secret basting. The South African braai is an indelible part of South Africa’s food culture, resonating perfectly with the country’s love of good food enjoyed with family and friends. Vetkoek Mini vetkoek with mince curry filling | Photo credit: Getty Images A delightful treat, vetkoek or “fat cake”, is a traditional South African pastry, it’s a South African dish that you absolutely must try. Originally made as a way to use up leftover bread dough, it’s become a much-loved dish on its own, similar to the Dutch oliebol and the Xhosa amagwinya. Vetkoek is essentially a deep-fried bread dough ball best served hot. It can be served on its own, often just sprinkled with sugar, but it’s also served cut open and filled with delicious toppings. These include savoury mince mixtures, curries, cheese, butter, tuna and mayonnaise, or jam for a sweet version. Ideally, vetkoek should be crispy on the outside and delectably soft inside! Umngqusho, Isitambu, or Samp and Beans Bowl of samp and beans on a wooden platter | Photo credit: Getty Images Umngqusho, a highly prized staple in traditional Xhosa culture, is extremely nutritious and packed with flavours. Reputedly one of Nelson Mandela’s favourite dishes, samp and beans is made from slowly cooked sugar beans and crushed maize kernels, known as samp. It’s flavoured with chilli, onions, leeks, stock blocks, and butter or fat, and is a comforting and satisfying meal. Often served as a meal on its own, it can also be paired with other dishes like chicken, beef, mutton, or lamb stews. It’s traditionally served with umleqwa, a “hardbody chicken”, or lamb curry. Chakalaka Traditional South African chakalaka, a popular spicy side dish or relish | Photo credit: Getty Images This spicy, delicious, and versatile vegetable relish is reputed to have originated in Johannesburg. As the story goes, migrant mine workers from Mozambique used various ingredients like tomatoes, beans, and chilli to create a flavoursome Portuguese-style relish to eat with their pap. Many variations of the dish exist, with different versions including carrots, green peppers, onions, cabbage, and even butternut and sweetcorn. Flavourings like garlic and curry paste are used to add some oomph, and it can be served hot or cold. Make sure to ask how spicy it is before you take a bite – some chefs can be a little too generous with the chilli! It can be served with bread, rice, pap, and other starches, and as an accompaniment to stews and curries, adding a spicy kick to every bite. Melktert Traditional South African melktert | Photo credit: Getty Images For many South Africans, traditional melktert or milk tart conjures up images of home and childhood comfort food enjoyed with loved ones. It’s a South African sweet pastry that can be served with tea or coffee, or as a dessert after a meal. Many South African bakers have jealously-guarded secret family recipes that originated in the Dutch colonial era in South Africa. The main components of a melktert are a sweet pastry crust and a deliciously creamy custard filling made from milk, sugar, and eggs. It can be served hot or cold, but is traditionally served cold with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Melktert is a much-loved staple at every church fête, home industries outlet, and supermarket in South Africa. We even have a National Melktert Day on 27 February! Koeksisters Sweet koeksisters covered in syrup | Photo credit: Getty Images This is a diabolically sweet and addictive treat for serious sugar fans only! Koeksisters are twisted or braided deep-fried doughnut-like pastries. After deep-frying, the pastries are soaked in ice-cold syrup that has been left in the fridge overnight, which includes cinnamon, lemon, and ginger. This process ensures maximum absorption of the syrup while the outside of the koeksister remains crispy. Koeksisters have a rich history dating back to the arrival of Dutch settlers in 1652. The name koeksister is derived from the Dutch/Afrikaans word “koek”, meaning cake. It’s interesting to note that another spicy and delicious, often coconut-covered version called “koe’sister”, exists in the Cape. This can be traced back to Indonesian, Malay, and Arabian culinary traditions. Both of these delectable sweet pastries have become deeply entrenched cultural icons in South African cuisine. Has this glimpse into South Africa’s cuisine and culinary traditions piqued your interest and awakened a desire to see – and taste – South Africa for yourself? We wouldn’t blame you. At Discover Africa, after all these years, we’re still amazed at the wealth of experiences South Africa has to offer its visitors. Whatever your dream safari holiday, rest assured that South Africa’s varied cuisine will enrich any South African trip. Wine Main article: South African wine South Africa has developed into a major wine producer, with some of the best vineyards lying in valleys around Stellenbosch , Franschhoek , Paarl and Barrydale . South African wine has a history dating back to 1659, and at one time Constantia was considered one of the greatest wines in the world. Access to international markets has unleashed a burst of new energy and new investment. Production is concentrated around Cape Town , with major vineyard and production centres at Paarl , Stellenbosch and Worcester . There are about 60 appellations within the Wine of Origin (WO) system, which was implemented in 1973 with a hierarchy of designated production regions, districts and wards. WO wines must be made 100% from grapes from the designated area. "Single vineyard" wines must come from a defined area of less than 5 hectares. An "Estate Wine" can come from adjacent farms, as long as they are farmed together and wine is produced on site. A ward is an area with a distinctive soil type and/or climate, and is roughly equivalent to a European appellation. View More Education Main article: Education in South Africa The heart of the Rhodes University campus Learners have twelve years of formal schooling, from grade 1 to 12. Grade R is a pre-primary foundation year. Primary schools span the first seven years of schooling. High School education spans a further five years. The Senior Certificate examination takes place at the end of grade 12 and is necessary for tertiary studies at a South African university . Public universities in South Africa are divided into three types: traditional universities, which offer theoretically oriented university degrees; universities of technology (formerly called "Technikons "), which offer vocational oriented diplomas and degrees; and comprehensive universities, which offer both types of qualification. Public institutions are usually English medium, although instruction may take place in Afrikaans as well. There are also a large number of other educational institutions in South Africa – some are local campuses of foreign universities, some conduct classes for students who write their exams at the distance-education University of South Africa and some offer unaccredited or non-accredited diplomas. Public expenditure on education was at 6.1% of the 2016 GDP. Under apartheid , schools for blacks were subject to discrimination through inadequate funding and a separate syllabus called Bantu Education which was only designed to give them sufficient skills to work as labourers. Redressing these imbalances has been a focus of recent education policy; see Education in South Africa: Restructuring . See also: Matriculation in South Africa ; High school in South Africa Scouting South Africa has also had a large influence in the Scouting movement, with many Scouting traditions and ceremonies coming from the experiences of Robert Baden-Powell (the founder of Scouting) during his time in South Africa as a military officer in the 1890s-1900s. Scouts South Africa (then known as Boy Scouts of South Africa) was one of the first youth organisations to open its doors to youth and adults of all races in South Africa. This happened on 2 July 1977 at a conference known as Quo Vadis View More Society Gender roles Main article: Women in South Africa Further information: Feminism in South Africa Sexual orientation Main article: LGBT rights in South Africa South Africa enacted same-sex marriage laws in 2006 allowing full marriage and adoption rights to same-sex couples. Although the Constitutional and legal system in South Africa theoretically ensures equality, social acceptance is generally lacking, especially outside of urban areas. Lesbian women from smaller towns (especially the townships ) are often victims of beating or rape. This has been posited, in part, to be because of the perceived threat they pose to traditional male authority. Although evidence of hatred may influence rulings on a case-by-case basis, South Africa has no specific hate crime legislation; human rights organisations have criticised the South African police for failing to address the matter of bias-motivated crimes. For example, the NGO ActionAid has condemned the continued impunity and accused governments of turning a blind eye to reported murders of lesbians in homophobic attacks in South Africa; as well as to so-called "corrective" rapes , including cases among pupils, in which cases the male rapists purport to raping the lesbian victim with the intent of thereby "curing" her of her sexual orientation. Science and technology Main article: Science and technology in South Africa Several important scientific and technological developments have originated in South Africa. The first human-to-human heart transplant was performed by cardiac surgeon Christiaan Barnard at Groote Schuur Hospital in December 1967. Max Theiler developed a vaccine against Yellow Fever, Allan McLeod Cormack pioneered x-ray Computed tomography , and Aaron Klug developed crystallographic electron microscopy techniques. These advancements were all (with the exception of that of Barnard) recognised with Nobel Prizes . Sydney Brenner won most recently, in 2002, for his pioneering work in molecular biology . Mark Shuttleworth founded an early Internet security company Thawte , that was subsequently bought out by world-leader VeriSign . Elon Musk was born in South Africa. South Africa has cultivated a burgeoning astronomy community. It hosts the Southern African Large Telescope , the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere. South Africa is currently building the Karoo Array Telescope as a pathfinder for the $20 billion Square Kilometer Array project to be built in South Africa and Australia. View More Sports Main article: Sport in South Africa The Springboks in a bus parade after winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup The Proteas at the Oval in 2008 The most popular sports in South Africa are association football , rugby , and cricket . Other sports with significant support are field hockey , swimming , athletics , golf , boxing , tennis , netball and softball . Although association football commands the greatest following among the youth , other sports like basketball , surfing , judo and skateboarding are becoming increasingly popular. Famous combat sport personalities include Baby Jake Jacob Matlala , Vuyani Bungu , Welcome Ncita , Dingaan Thobela , Corrie Sanders , Gerrie Coetzee , Brian Mitchell and Dricus du Plessis . Footballers who have played for major foreign clubs include Lucas Radebe and Philemon Masinga , (both formerly of Leeds United ), Quinton Fortune (Atlético Madrid and Manchester United ), Benni McCarthy (also first-team coach at Manchester United ) (Ajax Amsterdam , F.C. Porto , Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United ), Aaron Mokoena (Ajax Amsterdam, Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth ), Delron Buckley (Borussia Dortmund ) and Steven Pienaar (Ajax Amsterdam and Everton ). South Africa has also produced 1979 Formula One World Champion, Jody Scheckter , along with his son, two time Indycar Series race winner, Tomas Scheckter , who led the most laps in both his first two Indianapolis 500 starts during the 2002 and 2003 running of the race. In MotoGP , notable racers include Brad Binder and his younger brother, Darryn Binder . Durban Surfer Jordy Smith won the 2010 Billabong J-Bay competition making him the No. 1 ranked surfer in the world. Famous cricket players include Herschelle Gibbs , Graeme Smith , Dale Steyn , Jonty Rhodes , Jacques Kallis , JP Duminy , Quinton de Kock , Faf du Plessis , Keshav Maharaj , Kagiso Rabada , David Miller and AB de Villiers , etc. Most of them have also participated in the Indian Premier League . South Africa has also produced numerous world class rugby players, including Francois Pienaar , Joost van der Westhuizen , Danie Craven , Frik du Preez , Naas Botha , Bryan Habana , Siya Kolisi , Cheslin Kolbe , Duane Vermeulen , Eben Etzebeth and Makazole Mapimpi . South Africa hosted and won the 1995 Rugby World Cup and won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France as well as the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, and the 2023 Rugby World Cup , again in France. It followed the 1995 Rugby World Cup by hosting the 1996 African Cup of Nations , with the national team going on to win the tournament. It also hosted the 2003 Cricket World Cup , the 2007 World Twenty20 Championship , and it was the host nation for the 2010 FIFA World Cup , which was the first time the tournament was held in Africa. FIFA president Sepp Blatter awarded South Africa a grade 9 out of 10 for successfully hosting the event. In 2004, the swimming team of Roland Schoeman , Lyndon Ferns , Darian Townsend and Ryk Neethling won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Athens, simultaneously breaking the world record in the 4x100 freestyle relay. Penny Heyns won Olympic Gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games . Swimmer Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker) won gold and silver medals at both the Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games. In golf, Gary Player is generally regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, having won the Career Grand Slam , one of five golfers to have done so. Other South African golfers to have won major tournaments include Bobby Locke , Ernie Els , Retief Goosen , Trevor Immelman and Louis Oosthuizen . View More View More BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

GAUTENG Gauteng Some of South Africa’s largest cities are in Gauteng, including Johannesburg and Pretoria. This province is the economic hub of South Africa. Gauteng is the smallest but wealthiest of South Africa’s provinces . It is the most densely populated of the provinces. The province borders the Free State Province , Limpopo , Mpumalanga and the North-West Province. Towns and Cities The main cities are Johannesburg, Pretoria, Centurion, Midrand, Germiston, Roodepoort, Krugersdorp, Kempton Park and Vereeniging. The main towns include Heidelberg, Magaliesburg, Soweto and Vanderbijlpark. Gauteng (/xaʊˈtɛŋ/ khow-TENG , Sotho: [xɑ́.úˈtʼèŋ̀] ; Sotho-Tswana for 'place of gold'; Zulu : eGoli or iGoli [îːˈɡóːlì] ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa . Situated on the Highveld , Gauteng is the smallest province by land area in South Africa . Although Gauteng accounts for only 1.5% of the country's land area, it is the most populous province in South Africa , with more than a quarter (26%) of the national population; the provincial population was approximately 16.1 million, according to mid-year 2022 estimates. Highly urbanised, the province contains the country's largest city, Johannesburg . Gauteng is the wealthiest province in South Africa and is considered the financial hub of South Africa; the financial activity is mostly concentrated in Johannesburg. It also contains the administrative capital, Pretoria , and other large areas such as Midrand , Vanderbijlpark , Ekurhuleni and the affluent Sandton . The largest township, Soweto, is also found in this province. Politically, it is the closest contested province between the ANC and the DA in South Africa. Etymology The name Gauteng is derived from Sotho-Tswana gauta, meaning 'gold'. There was a thriving gold industry in the province following the 1886 discovery of gold in Johannesburg . In Sesotho , Setswana and Sepedi the name Gauteng was used for Johannesburg and surrounding areas long before it was adopted in 1994 as the official name of the province. History A snippet of text showing the Sesotho word "Gaudeng" (modern Gauteng) in Jacottet's A practical method to learn Sesuto: with exercises and a short vocabulary , published in 1906 Gauteng was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first multiracial elections on 27 April 1994. It was initially called Pretoria –Witwatersrand –Vereeniging (PWV) and was renamed "Gauteng" on the 28th of June 1995, the same day two other provinces were renamed. The term "PWV" describing the region existed long before the establishment of a province by that name,with the "V" sometimes standing for "Vaal Triangle " rather than Vereeniging. At the Sterkfontein caves, some of the oldest fossils of hominids have been discovered, such as Mrs. Ples and Little Foot . Events in this area were not written down until the 19th century; information from before that time is lost or difficult to confirm. The first records are from the early 19th century, when settlers originating from the Cape Colony defeated chief Mzilikazi and started establishing villages in the area. The city of Pretoria, established in 1855 as the capital of the South African Republic , witnessed rapid growth until the discovery of gold in the Witswatersrand area in 1886, which led to the founding of Johannesburg.[12] [15] Despite slower development compared to Johannesburg, Pretoria maintained significance, notably due to its pivotal role in the Second Boer War . The nearby town of Cullinan gained international acclaim in 1905 when the largest diamond ever discovered, the Cullinan Diamond , was mined there. Many events crucial to the anti-apartheid struggle happened in present-day Gauteng, such as the Freedom Charter of 1955, Women's March of 1956, Sharpeville massacre of 1960, the Rivonia Trial of 1963 and 1964, the little Rivonia Trial of 1964, the Soweto Uprising of 1976 and Sharpeville Six of 1984. The Apartheid Museum documents this era. Law and government Gauteng is governed by the Gauteng Provincial Legislature , a 73-person unicameral legislature elected by party-list proportional representation . The legislature elects one of its members as Premier of Gauteng to lead the executive, and the Premier appoints an Executive Council of up to 10 members of the legislature to serve as heads of the various government departments. The provincial government is responsible for the topics allocated to it in the national constitution , including such fields as basic education, health, housing, social services, agriculture and environmental protection. The most recent election of the provincial legislature was held on 8 May 2019 , and the African National Congress (ANC) won 50.19% of the vote and a 37-seat majority in the legislature. The official opposition is the Democratic Alliance , which won 27.45% of the vote and 20 seats. Other parties represented are the Economic Freedom Fighters with eleven seats and the Freedom Front Plus with three seats. The Inkatha Freedom Party and African Christian Democratic Party hold one seat each.[16] Premier David Makhura of the ANC was re-elected as premier on 22 May 2019, at the first meeting of the legislature after the general election.Makhura resigned from the position on 6 October 2022 and Panyaza Lesufi of the ANC was elected to replace him. In the 2024 South African general election , held on 29 May, the ANC received 34% of the vote, while the DA received 28%. The Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa , which has seats in Pretoria and Johannesburg, is a superior court with general jurisdiction over the province. Johannesburg is also home to the Constitutional Court , South Africa's highest court, and to a branch of the Labour Court and Labour Appeal Court . Geography The undulating hills that form part of the rural areas in the province just north of Johannesburg. Although Gauteng is a heavily urbanised province, much of its area is extensively cultivated for agriculture. Gauteng's southern border is the Vaal River , which separates it from the Free State . It also borders on North West to the west, Limpopo [10] to the north, and Mpumalanga [10] to the east. Gauteng is the only landlocked province of South Africa without a foreign border. Most of Gauteng is on the Highveld , a high-altitude grassland (circa 1,500 m or 4,921 ft above sea level). Between Johannesburg and Pretoria , there are low parallel ridges and undulating hills, some part of the Magaliesberg Mountains and the Witwatersrand . The north of the province is more subtropical , due to its lower altitude and is mostly dry savanna habitat. Witwatersrand area Further information: Witwatersrand In the southern half of Gauteng, the Witwatersrand area is an older term describing a 120 km wide oblong-shaped conurbation from Randfontein in the West to Nigel in the East, named after the Witwatersrand , a geologically and economically important series of low ridges and their associated plateau that greater Johannesburg developed on. This area is also often referred to simply as "Witwatersrand", "the Rand" or "the Reef" (archaic, after the gold reefs that precipitated the development of the area), and was the "W" in PWV, the initial name for Gauteng. It has traditionally been divided into the three areas of East Rand (governed by the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality ), Central Rand (approximately today's Johannesburg Municipality ) and West Rand Climate The climate is mostly influenced by altitude. Even though the province is at a subtropical latitude, the climate is comparatively cooler, especially in Johannesburg , at 1,700 m (5,577 ft) above sea level (Pretoria is at 1,330 m or 4,364 ft). Most precipitation occurs as brief afternoon thunderstorms; however, relative humidity never becomes uncomfortable. Winters are crisp and dry with frost occurring often in the southern areas. Snow is rare, but it has occurred on some occasions in the Johannesburg metropolitan area Cities and towns Cities and towns See also: List of cities and towns in Gauteng Alberton Atteridgeville Benoni Boksburg Bronkhorstspruit Brakpan Carletonville Centurion Cullinan Edenvale Ga-Rankuwa Germiston Hammanskraal Heidelberg Henley on Klip Johannesburg Kempton Park Krugersdorp Mabopane Mamelodi Magaliesburg Meyerton Midrand Nigel Parkhurst Pretoria Randburg Randfontein Roodepoort Rosebank Sandton Soshanguve Soweto Springs Tembisa Vanderbijlpark Vereeniging Administrative divisions Gauteng municipalities Main article: List of municipalities in Gauteng The Gauteng Province (as of May 2011) is divided into three metropolitan municipalities and two district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into six local municipalities : District municipalities Sedibeng District Emfuleni Lesedi Midvaal West Rand District Merafong City Mogale City Rand West City Metropolitan municipalities Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (Pretoria ) Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality The former Metsweding district consisting of Nokeng Tsa Taemane and Kungwini in the North of the province was incorporated into Tshwane in 2011. Demographics Population density in Gauteng <1 /km² 1–3 /km² 3–10 /km² 10–30 /km² 30–100 /km² 100–300 /km² 300–1000 /km² 1000–3000 /km² >3000 /km² Dominant home languages in Gauteng Afrikaans English Ndebele Xhosa Zulu Pedi Sotho Tswana Swati Venda Tsonga No language dominant As of the 2022 census , Gauteng had a population of 15,099,422, an increase of 23.0% from the last census in 2011 . Despite being the smallest province by area, it has the highest population of any South African province, with 24.3% of the total South African population. As of 2022, there are 5,318,665 households in Gauteng. The population density is 831/km2. The density of households is 155.86/km2. About 22.1% of all households are made up of individuals. The average household size fell slightly between the 2011 census and 2022 census, from 3.1 to 2.8 persons. The province's age distribution was 23.6% under the age of 15, 19.6% from 15 to 24, 37.9% from 25 to 44, 15.0% from 45 to 64, and 4.0% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 27 years. For every 100 females there are 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 102.3 males. BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE Languages Languages According to the 2022 census , in Gauteng, the most spoken languages at home were: Zulu : 23.1% of residents, Sesotho : 13.1%, Sepedi : 12.6%, Setswana : 10.4%, English : 9.2%, Afrikaans : 7.7%, Xitsonga : 7.0%, IsiXhosa : 6.7%, IsiNdebele : 3.1%, Tshivenda : 2.4%, SiSwati : 0.9%, South African Sign Language : 0.02%, Other languages: 4.3%. Religion 86.1% of residents are Christian, 4.3% have no religion , 1.6% are Muslim, 0.1% are Jewish, and 0.7% are Hindu . 6.0% stated Traditional African religions as their faith. Educational Attainment 8.4% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 11.2% have had some primary, 5.5% have completed only primary school, 34.3% have had some high education, 28.0% have finished only high school, and 12.6% have an education higher than the high school level. Overall, 40.6% of residents have completed high school. Economic Status 56.1% of housing units have a telephone and/or mobile phone in the dwelling, 41.5% have access to a phone nearby, and 2.3% have access that is not nearby or no access. 82.8% of households have a flush or chemical toilet. 84.2% have refuse removed by the municipality at least once a week and 2.6% have no rubbish disposal. 47.2% have running water inside their dwelling, 83.6% have running water on their property, and 97.5% have access to running water. 73.2% of households use electricity for cooking, 70.4% for heating, and 80.8% for lighting. 77.4% of households have a radio, 65.7% have a television, 15.1% own a computer, 62.1% have a refrigerator , and 45.1% have a mobile phone. 25.8% of the population aged 15–65 is unemployed. The median annual income of working adults aged 15–65 is R 23 539 ($3,483). Males have a median annual income of R 24 977 ($3,696) versus R 20 838 ($3,083) for females. According to the 2022 census , in Gauteng, the most spoken languages at home were: Zulu : 23.1% of residents, Sesotho : 13.1%, Sepedi : 12.6%, Setswana : 10.4%, English : 9.2%, Afrikaans : 7.7%, Xitsonga : 7.0%, IsiXhosa : 6.7%, IsiNdebele : 3.1%, Tshivenda : 2.4%, SiSwati : 0.9%, South African Sign Language : 0.02%, Other languages: 4.3%. Religion 86.1% of residents are Christian, 4.3% have no religion , 1.6% are Muslim, 0.1% are Jewish, and 0.7% are Hindu . 6.0% stated Traditional African religions as their faith. Educational Attainment 8.4% of residents aged 20 and over have received no schooling, 11.2% have had some primary, 5.5% have completed only primary school, 34.3% have had some high education, 28.0% have finished only high school, and 12.6% have an education higher than the high school level. Overall, 40.6% of residents have completed high school. Economic Status 56.1% of housing units have a telephone and/or mobile phone in the dwelling, 41.5% have access to a phone nearby, and 2.3% have access that is not nearby or no access. 82.8% of households have a flush or chemical toilet. 84.2% have refuse removed by the municipality at least once a week and 2.6% have no rubbish disposal. 47.2% have running water inside their dwelling, 83.6% have running water on their property, and 97.5% have access to running water. 73.2% of households use electricity for cooking, 70.4% for heating, and 80.8% for lighting. 77.4% of households have a radio, 65.7% have a television, 15.1% own a computer, 62.1% have a refrigerator , and 45.1% have a mobile phone. 25.8% of the population aged 15–65 is unemployed. The median annual income of working adults aged 15–65 is R 23 539 ($3,483). Males have a median annual income of R 24 977 ($3,696) versus R 20 838 ($3,083) for females. Life expectancy Life expectancy Gauteng is the province with the second highest life expectancy in the country in 2019 with females having a life expectancy of 69 years and males having a life expectancy of 64 years. Urban conurbation Historically described as the PWV complex, the urban conurbation of Gauteng, referred to as the Gauteng City Region, contains the major urban populations of Johannesburg (7,860,781 as of 2011), Pretoria (1,763,336), Vereeniging (377,922), Evaton (605,504) and Soshanguve (728,063), coming to an urban population of over 11 million. Thomas Brinkhoff lists a "Consolidated Urban Area" in Gauteng as having a population of 13.1 million as of January 2017. The future governmental plans for the region indicate the gradual urbanisation and consolidation towards the creation of a megalopolis that connects these metros. The GCRO is a collaboration between the Universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand, the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Provincial Government, and SALGA-Gauteng. The GCRO's purpose is to collect information and create a database on the Gauteng City Region to provide to government, lawmakers and civil society an informed understanding of the fastest urbanizing region in Southern Africa. Economy Main article: Economy of Gauteng Gauteng is considered the economic hub of South Africa and contributes heavily in the financial, manufacturing, transport, technology, and telecommunications sectors, among others. It also plays host to a large number of overseas companies requiring a commercial base in and gateway to Africa . Gauteng is home to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange , the largest stock exchange in Africa. Some of the largest companies in Africa and abroad are based in Gauteng, or have offices and branches there, such as Vodacom , MTN , Neotel , Microsoft South Africa and the largest Porsche Centre in the world. Although Gauteng is the smallest of South Africa's nine provinces—it covers a mere 1.5% of the country's total land area, the province is responsible for a third of South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP). Gauteng generates about 10% of the total GDP of sub-Saharan Africa and about 7% of total African GDP. Gauteng has the highest GDP and GDP per capita of all South Africa's provinces. Gauteng is also the province with the most taxpayers and the highest average taxable income per taxpayer according to the South African Revenue Service . Transport Sandton Gautrain Station in August 2010 SANRAL , a parastatal, is responsible for the maintenance, development and management of all national road networks in South Africa.. SANRAL is responsible for instituting the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project, which was met with a lot of opposition due to the tolling of Gauteng motorists. Many important national routes run through Gauteng such as the N1 , N3 , N4 , N12 , N14 and the N17 . Johannesburg is quite dependent on freeways for transport in and around the city. The R21 , R24 , R59 , M1 and M2 all run through Johannesburg while the R80 connects Pretoria Central to Soshanguve. The Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project led to a large decrease in traffic congestion when construction finished 2011–2012. Cape Town , for the first time in decades, is now the most congested city in South Africa. PUTCO , the largest commuter bus operator in South Africa, services the Gauteng area extensively. The bus rapid transit system Rea Vaya also serves to transport people from Johannesburg's southern neighbourhoods into and around the CBD . In an interview, Parks Tau stated that by 2040, Johannesburg will be dominated by pedestrians and public transport as opposed to the use of private transport or informal transport, such as minibus taxis. Gautrain and Metrorail both service the province's public transport sector where trains are concerned and Gautrain offers a bus service that transports commuters to and from various train stations and predetermined bus stops. Metrorail trains are considered one of the most cost-effective methods of transportation in and around Gauteng. The O. R. Tambo International Airport , Rand Airport , Lanseria International Airport , Wonderboom Airport and Grand Central Airport are located in Gauteng. There is a large informal transport sector in Gauteng, consisting of thousands of minibus taxis , which many of the urban and rural population makes use of. However, it is noted that taxis are often unsafe as their drivers ignore the rules of the road and the vehicles are often not roadworthy . The City of Johannesburg stated that: "major initiatives are under way to completely reform the taxi industry and provide more comfort and safety to customers." In March 2017, it is reported that Gauteng alone has 4,7 million registered vehicles under the "GP" abbreviation via the eNatis system. Education University of Pretoria 's Old Arts Building Gauteng is a large center of learning in South Africa, and it has many universities and educational institutions of higher learning. Universities Monash University South Africa Campus Tshwane University of Technology University of Johannesburg Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University University of Pretoria University of South Africa University of the Witwatersrand Vaal University of Technology Colleges African Leadership Academy CTI Education Group Damelin Lyceum College Midrand Graduate Institute Rabbinical College of Pretoria St Augustine College of South Africa Milpark Education Stadio In 2002, the Gauteng Department of Education founded an initiative called Gauteng Online in an attempt to get the entire province to utilize a wide assortment of electronic and telecommunications systems. In 2007, this initiative was handed over to the Gauteng Department of Finance. In the 2013 national budget speech, it was announced that the Gauteng Department of Education would be granted over R 700 million to improve education and to alleviate issues concerning the overcrowding in schools, a shortage in teaching staff and transport for poor pupils. In 2017/2018, the Gauteng Provincial government spent R 42.4 billion on education which accounted for 38% the province's total expenditure. Conservation Although Gauteng province is dominated by the urban areas of Johannesburg and Pretoria, it has several nature reserves. Gauteng is home to the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site which includes the Sterkfontein caves and the Wonder Cave Kromdraai . Johannesburg is home to the largest human-made urban forest in the world. Botanical gardens Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden Johannesburg Botanical Garden Pretoria National Botanical Garden Nature reserves Rietvlei Nature Reserve Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve Groenkloof Nature Reserve Dinokeng Game Reserve Private and municipal reserves Kromdraai Conservancy Krugersdorp Nature Reserve Rietvlei Nature Reserve Wonderboom Nature Reserve Provincial reserves The Maropeng visitors centre at the Cradle of Humankind Main article: Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs There are 5 provincial reserves managed by the Gauteng Department of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Land Affairs: Abe Bailey Nature Reserve Alice Glockner Nature Reserve Marievale Bird Sanctuary Roodeplaat Nature Reserve Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve Sport Loftus Versfeld Stadium, one of Gauteng's various stadia and venue for the 2010 FIFA World Cup Gauteng is home to many stadiums and sporting grounds, notably Soccer City , Ellis Park Stadium , Odi Stadium , Loftus Versfeld Stadium , Lucas Moripe Stadium , Giant Stadium , Orlando Stadium , Johannesburg Stadium , the Wanderers Stadium and SuperSport Park . Several teams from Gauteng play in the country's top-level association football (more commonly referred to as soccer) league, the Premier Soccer League (PSL), including Mamelodi Sundowns , SuperSport United , Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates . The national squad Bafana Bafana 's home stadium is Soccer City in Johannesburg. During the 2010 FIFA World Cup , the first ever world cup held by an African nation, Gauteng's stadia hosted many games. The first ever FIFA world cup match on African soil took place at Soccer City on 11 June 2010. Along with Soccer City, Loftus Versfeld Stadium and Ellis Park Stadium hosted matches in Gauteng. Rugby , or more accurately rugby union , is a popular sport in South Africa, and in Gauteng in particular. Two rugby teams from Gauteng participate in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby championship: the Pretoria -based Bulls , and the Johannesburg -based Lions (previously the Cats). Three Gauteng-based teams play in the country's domestic competition, the Currie Cup : the Blue Bulls from Pretoria, the Golden Lions from Johannesburg and the Falcons from the East Rand . In 1995, South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup and proceeded to win the tournament at Ellis Park Stadium on 24 June 1995. The events surrounding the world cup formed the basis of the story for the movie Invictus . Many South African universities take part in the Varsity Rugby league. Of these, the Gauteng universities include the University of Pretoria, the University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand. Cricket is also widely popular among all cultural groups in the country, and is the only sport to feature in the top two among all of South Africa's major ethnic/racial groups. The Highveld Lions represent both Gauteng and North West in the country's three domestic competitions—the first-class SuperSport Series , the List A one-day MTN Domestic Championship and the Twenty20 Standard Bank Pro 20 Series . Many marathons take place in Gauteng, such as the Gauteng Marathon, the Arwyp Medical Centre 15 km Nite Race and the Trisport Joburg City Triathlon. Gauteng's favourable weather conditions throughout the year make it an ideal hub for sports and other out door activities. This makes golf , horse racing and swimming very popular. The Vaal River facilitates water sports in the forms of jet skiing, water skiing and motor boating.[82] Adventure sports are also quite popular in Gauteng, particularly skydiving, paragliding and hang-gliding. The amusement park Gold Reef City is situated in Gauteng,as is the Johannesburg Zoo [84] and the Pretoria Zoo . Botanical gardens in the province include the Pretoria and Walter Sisulu national botanical gardens maintained by the South African National Botanical Institute as well as the Johannesburg and Manie van der Schijff botanical gardens. The Ticketpro Dome and the Gallagher Convention Centre , which are both popular events and expos venues, are also located within Gauteng. The province also has a Formula One racetrack, the Kyalami Circuit . The most recent F1 race at the venue was in 1993. BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

HISTORY & PLACES A history of the South African Constitution 1910-1996 … The New Constitution was negotiated between May 1994 and October 1996 in the country's first democratically elected … dispensation was not new, and was in fact as old as SouthAfrica itself. The Constitution was not a product solely of negotiation in the Constitutional Assembly. Experiences in other parts ofthe world played a role in its development, and many of its provisions are the realisation of years of struggle and are imbued with historical significance. Thehistoryof this constitutional development spans nine decades between two major milestones, both peace treaties that ended … Click Here uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) in exile … Introduction Following British victory in theSouth African War , the Union ofSouthAfrica was forged in 1910 under the British Commonwealth. The Union brought together the defeated independent Boer … handicaps”¦ Whilst Botswana accepts that we are part ofthe Southern African economic complex and that the harsh fact ofhistory and geography cannot be obliterated, for obvious reasons, we have to maintain normal friendly relations with South … A brief history on South African prisons and prisoners … Introduction In 1948 the National government was voted into power and instituted apartheid. This lead to an increase in the number of people being incarcerated due to petty and severe apartheid laws. Between the 1960s and the unbanning ofthe liberation … Act and other security legislation such as the Internal Security Act , the Sabotage Act and the Terrorism Act . Thehistoryofthe Pretoria Central Premises There are six prisons on one premise each built at different times. The first prison … The Trotskyist Groups in South Africa - A Retrospective View by Baruch Hirson (Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line: Revolutionary History: Volume 4, No. 4, 1993, South Africa) … THEHISTORYoftheSouth African Trotskyists during the 1930s and into the next decade was never made available or discussed with new recruits. … Deployment of Racism in South Africa by Rooha Variava … Contents Chapter 1: Theoretical Debates and Methodological Controversies Chapter 2: Questions Method Chapter 3: The Constitution of Black as ‘Other’ Chapter 4: The Black as Uncivilized Chapter 5: The Management of Blacks Chapter 6: The Blacks; Political … origin: racial attributes. In MacCrone's analysis, for example, racism is interpreted in psychologistic terms, and its history and practice are seen as the product ofthe irrational and tradition-bound psychology ofthe Afrikaner. Positing the … South African Defence Force (SADF) … Early years ThehistoryoftheSouth African Defence Force (SADF) can be traced to the 1660s. When Jan van Riebeeck landed at the Cape in 1652, he had with … Book 6: Negotiation, Transition and Freedom - Bibliography … From the book: Book 6: Negotiation, Transition and Freedom commissioned by The Department of Education African National Congress. Address to the Nation by ANC President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, on the Assassination of Martin Thembisile (Chris) Hani , 10 April 1993. Online: http:www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/history/mandela/1993/sp930410.html Alexander, N. An Ordinary Country. 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Convenor: Arianna Lissoni … Dawood Seedat: The Communist who insisted that there was 'no middle road to freedom’ by Goolam Vahed Department ofHistory University of KwaZulu-Natal - vahedg@ukzn.ac.za One ofthe most remarkable figures ofthe Communist Party of … Bibliographical note and further reading … From the book: A Documentary Historyof Indian South Africans edited by Surendra Bhana and Bridglal Pachai For the serious researcher investigating any aspect ofthe … Chapter 5 - The Indian Tobacco Workers Strike of 1920: A Socio-Historical Investigation by Evangelos A. Mantzaris … From: Labour Struggles in SouthAfricaThe Forgotten Pages 1903 - 1921 by Evangelos A. Mantzaris The struggle of tobacco workers in SouthAfrica is a topic much neglected by historians and social scientists alike. In Johannesburg and … in Cape Town in 1906, which resulted in the workers establishing the first socialist-oriented co-operative society in thehistoryofSouth African Labour is the best example of this militancy. 1 In this paper we will examine the struggles ofthe … Address on Accepting an Honarary Doctorate from the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow, 30 April 1999 … It is indeed a very special honour to receive not one Honorary Doctorate but two, and not from one prestigious institution of learning but two! I will always cherish this association with the great intellectuals of a renowned tradition of scientific endeavour. I will do so knowing that it is no personal … the imposed divisions of centuries to live out together the consequences ofthe profound but simple fact that, complex as history may have made our society, we are one people with one destiny. In doing so they are opening the way to knowledge in … THE FIRST SETTLERS 1497 - 1699 1497 24 December, A flotilla of three Portuguese ships under the command of Capt Vasco da Gama sailed up the eastern seaboard of southern Africa, and moored overnight in the lee of a … Stavenisse , reached the bay. The following day it managed to sail over the sand bar at its entrance, thereby becoming thefirst ship to moor in the Bay of Natal. Timeline: Durban 1700 - 1899 1736 A hunting party headed by Hermanus Hubner journeyed … hippo tusks, buffalo hides, cattle and grain. 7 August, At a meeting with Fynn and Farewell, Shaka granted the English settlers an area about Port Natal of about 6500 km² in extent. Upon his return, on 24 August, Farewell hoisted the Union … THE GREAT TREK Great Trek 1835-1846 … TheGreatTrek was a movement of Dutch-speaking colonists up into the interior of southern Africa in search of land where they could establish their own homeland, independent of British rule. … December 16 and the Construction of Afrikaner Nationalism … The date, December 16, holds a special significance in South African history. On this day in 1838, the Voortrekkers fought a … abolition of slavery that sparked a unique event that would transform the former Dutch colonists into a new ‘volk’ – theGreatTrek ). The British outlawed slavery in 1834. Without slaves, the burghers could not survive as farmers, and the Dutch Cape … BATTLE OF BLOOD RIVER December 16 and the Construction of Afrikaner Nationalism … The date, December 16, holds a special significance in South African history. On this day in 1838, the Voortrekkers fought a battle for survival against Dingaan’s Zulu army, and were victorious. Later, the day was commemorated as part ofthe Afrikaner nationalist project. This article traces some ofthe main events that make up the history ofthe Afrikaner … Dundee … TheBattleofBloodRiver Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal represents a unique way of Historic storytelling because there are 2 separate … Political changes from 1750 to 1820 … Britain takes control ofthe Cape Once revolutionary armies of France invaded Holland in 1795, the British feared that the French would take … Under the directive of Andries Hendrik Potgieter, the trekkers attacked the Ndebele group. The Voortrekkers won thebattle against the Ndebele warriors and the Ndebele moved north of Limpopo. A group of trekkers led by Piet Retief split from … ANGLO ZULU WAR The Prince Imperial of France dies in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 … Joseph Napoleon, who studied in England at the Royal Military Academy and joined the British forces, was killed in the Anglo-ZuluWar when he and a British reconnaissance party were attacked by about forty Zulus in the vicinity of Itelezi Mountain and … Prince Eugene Napoleon is killed during Anglo-Zulu War … Joseph Napoleon, who studied in England at the Royal Military Academy and joined the British forces, was killed in the Anglo-ZuluWar when he and a British reconnaissance party were attacked by about forty Zulus in the vicinity of Itelezi Mountain and … Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here ANGLO BOER WAR Small Title First Anglo Boer War … Causes of the War The First Anglo-Boer is also known as the First Transvaal War of Independence because the conflict arose between the … (ZAR). The Boers had some help from their neighbours in the Orange Free State. There were several causes of the First Anglo-BoerWar. The expansion of the British Empire. Problems within the Transvaal government. The British annexation of the … Second Anglo-Boer War - 1899 - 1902 … 'South African War ( a.k.a. the Anglo-BoerWar) remains the most terrible and destructive modern armed conflict in South Africa’s history. … both Black and White'. - Gilliomee and Mbenga (2007). The Causes A number of interrelated factors led to the Second Anglo-BoerWar. These include the conflicting political ideologies of imperialism and republicanism, the discovery of gold on … SIENER VAN RENSBURG Small Title … Jacobus Hercules de la Rey was the sixth child of Adrianus Johannes and Adriana (van Rooyen). He was born near Winburg on 22 October 1847. After the Battle of Boomplaats, the British confiscated their farm … War I and openly expressed his desire for the restoration of the Boer republic. On August 2nd many burghers congregated at SienervanRensburg's house where the seer told them he had seen a vision of a world on fire, bulls fighting, and blood pouring from a … GENERAL DE LA REY Small Title General De la Rey releases General Lord Methuen after his wounds are treated … Towards the end of the Second South African War (Anglo-Boer War 2), GeneralDeLaRey released General Lord Methuen after his wounds were treated. After only travelling 29 kilometres Methuen's party was … General De la Rey protests British mistreatment of women and children … diseases and in many instances, death. The scorched earth policy had been implemented by March 1901. On 16 August 1901, DelaRey, a Boer general, had protested against the inhumane conditions to which women and children in the camps were being exposed. This … THE VOORTREKKERS Small Title The Battle - Andries Pretorius and his men advance … After the fall of Port Natal Port Natal Andries Pretorius arrived from Graaff-Reinet. On 25 November 1838 Pretorius took over leadership as Commandant-General of theVoortrekkers in Natal. He immediately re-organised theVoortrekkers and started to prepare a retaliatory attack on the Zulu. … Timeline of Land Dispossession and Segregation in South Africa 1800-1899 … The nineteenth century was a period of several events whose socio-political and economic impact profoundly changed South Africa and the African continent. Colonial conquest and rapid land dispossession was accelerated during this period. Conversely, fierce resistance was launched by African people in response to their loss of land, livestock and political power. As voortrekkers moved away from the Cape Colony to escape British rule, they fought, seized and occupied land while … Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here VOORTREKKER MONUMENT The Voortrekker Monument is located just South of Pretoria, in South Africa. This massive granite Structure is prominently located on a Hilltop, and was Built to commemorate the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854. The idea to Build a Monument in Honour of God, was first discussed on 16 December 1888, when President Paul Kruger of the South African Republic attended the Day of the Covenant Celebrations at Blood River in Natal. However, the movement to actually Build such a Monument only started in 1931 when the Sentrale Volks Monument Komitee (SVK) (Central People's Monuments Committee), was formed to bring this idea to fruition. Construction started on 13 July 1937 with a sod turning Ceremony performed by Chairman of the SVK, Advocate Ernest George Jansen, on what later became known as Monument Hill. On 16 December 1938 the cornerstone was laid by three descendants of some of the Voortrekker leaders: Mrs. J.C. Muller (Granddaughter of Andries Pretorius), Mrs. K.F. Ackerman (Great-granddaughter of Hendrik Potgieter) and Mrs. J.C. Preller (Great-granddaughter of Piet Retief). The Monument was inaugurated on 16 December 1949 by the then-prime minister D. F. Malan. The total construction cost of the Monument was about £ 360,000, most of which was contributed by the South African Government. SOUTH AFRICAN FLAGS This article lists the flags of the various colonies and states that have existed in South Africa since 1652, as well as other flags pertaining to South Africa, including governmental, military, police and provincial flags. Historical flags (1652–1928) See also: South Africa Red Ensign Many flags were used in South Africa prior to political unification in 1910. The original Dutch East India Company colony at the Cape of Good Hope (1652–1795) flew the Dutch flag, with the VOC logo in the centre. This flag was also flown during the period of Batavian Republic rule (1803–06). The Boer Republics , i.e. the Orange Free State (1854–1902), the South African Republic (1857–1902), Stellaland (1882–85), Goshen (1883–85), the Nieuwe Republiek (1884–88), and the Klein Vrystaat (1886–1891) had their own flags. Several derived from the Dutch flag. The British colonies that existed in the 19th century flew the British flags, and from the early 1870s some, i.e. Natal , Cape Colony , and later the Orange River Colony and the Transvaal , added their own colonial flag badges. The Union of South Africa, formed in 1910, initially used a red ensign defaced with a badge depicting the Union coat of arms. The first South African national flag, introduced in 1928, superseded it. SOUTH AFRICAN CULTURE Guest Houses and Art Galleries. The spectacular Swartberg Pass , is one of the most dramatic and scenic Mountain Passes in SouthAfrica! (This Pass starts just outside Town.) HISTORY Founded in 1762, Prince Albert's History is deeply rooted in South … was voted the Western Cape winner in the prestigious: ' kykNET Kwêla & Rapport - ‘Town of the Year’ , competition. ART AND CULTURE The Town reflects a rich blend of cultures, including influences from the early Khoisan People , Dutch Settlers The culture of South Africa is one of the most diverse in the world. The country boasts of an impressive eleven official languages and other several recognized languages, with each of the group having its own vibrancy and culture. A substantial majority of the South Africans still live in the rural areas where cultural traditions have survived. However, urbanization and adoption of new technology across the country have led to the decline in the traditional cultures. English and other foreign languages are slowly replacing the native languages. SOUTH AFRICAN TRIBES South Africa is a diverse country with a rich cultural heritage. One of the fascinating aspects of this heritage is the presence of numerous tribes across the nation. These tribes have played a significant role in shaping the country’s history, culture, and social fabric. Let’s explore some of the notable tribes in South Africa: Zulu The Zulu tribe is one of the largest and most prominent ethnic groups in South Africa. With an estimated population of over 11 million, the Zulu people have a rich and powerful history. Known for their warrior culture and vibrant traditions, the Zulu tribe has a strong sense of identity and community. Click Here Click Here Click Here Click Here South Africa’s top 10 incredible attractions 1) Table Mountain Sitting at 1,085m above sea level, you’re guaranteed incredible sunset views of Cape Town and surrounds on the new 7 Wonders of the World – the magnificent Table Mountain. ... 2) Cradle of Mankind ... 3) Robben Island ... 4) The Cape Winelands ... 5) The Drakensberg Mountains ... 6) The Kruger National Park ... 7) Soweto ... 8) Blyde River Canyon ..

South African films This is a chronology of major films produced in South Africa or by the South African film industry . There may be an overlap, particularly between South African and foreign films which are sometimes co-produced; the list should attempt to document films which are either South African produced or strongly associated with South African culture. Please see the detailed A-Z of films currently covered on Wikipedia at Category:South African films . Afrikaans Movies Afrikaans Movies Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search videos Search video... Now Playing The Millennium Menace (1999) (HD 1080p) 01:22:41 Play Video Now Playing Klein Karoo 2 ( Movie ) #Tim Theron #Leandie du Randt #Nicole Fortuin #Bennie Fourie 01:37:37 Play Video Now Playing Platteland Full Movie 02:01:29 Play Video 1911 The Great Kimberley Diamond Robbery Adventure English South Africa's first dramatic feature. 1916 De Voortrekkers Harold Shaw Dick Cruickshanks , Goba Historical epic South Africa's Afrikaner The Birth of a Nation depicts Boer pioneers' northward expansion An Artist's Dream Denis Sanbry Dick Cruickshanks Romantic drama Animation 1919 Allan Quatermain Lisle Lucoque Ray Brown, George Taylor Adventure 1931 Sarie Marais Joseph Albrecht Billy Mathews Afrikaans First South African film with sound 1948 Die kaskenades van Dr. Kwak Pierre de Wet Pierre de Wet, Gert van den Bergh, Paula Styger ComedyAfrikaans 1949 African Jim Donald Swanson Daniel Adnewmah, Dolly Rathebe , The African Inkspots, Sam Maile, Dan Twala Kom saam, vanaand Afrikaans Sarie Marais Francis Coley Johann Nell, Helen Faul, Anna Cloete AfrikaansRemake of 1931 film of the same title 1950s Zonk! 1951 Alles sal Regkom Pierre de Wet Al Debbo Daar doer in die bosveld J amie Uys ComedyAfrikaans The Magic Garden Song of Africa 1952 Altyd in my drome Pierre de Wet Al Debbo Musical comedy Afrikaans 1955 Matieland! Pierre de WetSteyn de Jager, Wynona Cheyney, Frederik Burgers Romantic comedy Afrikaans 1956 Come Back, Africa Lionel Rogosin Bloke Modisane , Miriam Makeba DocumentaryEnglish, Fanakalo , Afrikaans , Zulu Die Wildeboere J.O.O. OlwagenRiaan Fouche, Valerie Ferreira Romantic comedy Afrikaans 1960s6 Doodkry is min Jamie Uys Jan Bruyns, Sann de Lange, Tommie Meyer Drama Afrikaans Written by Jamie Uys 1962 Lord Oom Piet Jamie Uys , Bob Courtney, Madeleine Usher Comedy English/Afrikaans 1963 The Anatomy of Apartheid Antony Thomas Documentary English Kimberley Jim Emil Nofal Jim Reeves , Madeleine Usher , Clive Parnell Musical comedy English Death Drums Along the River Lawrence Huntington Richard Todd , Marianne Koch , Albert Lieven Crime adventure English English-West German co-production by Harry Alan Towers 1965 Dingaka Jamie Uys Ken Gampu , Stanley Baker , Juliet Prowse , Bob Courtney Drama Afrikaans, English All the Way to Paris Jamie Uys Jamie Uys , Joe Stewardson , Emil Nofal ComedyEnglish Ride the High Wind / African Gold David Millin Darren McGavin , Maria Perschy Coast of Skeletons Robert Lynn Richard Todd , Dale Robertson , Heinz Drache Crime adventureEnglish-West German co-production by Harry Alan Towers Sandy the Seal Robert Lynn Marianne Koch , Heinz Drache Animal dramaEnglish-West German co-production by Harry Alan Towers The Second Sin David MillinGert van den Bergh , John Hayter, James WhiteActionEnglish The Naked Prey Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde, Ken Gampu , Patrick Mynhardt Adventure English, Afrikaans , Nguni languages Co-produced with U.S. 1966 1967 Kruger Miljoen eIvan Hall Ge Korsten, James White, Bob Courtney Action, War Afrikaans, English maybe a musical as well??? After You, Comrade Jamie Uys Seven Against the Sun David Millin Gert van den Bergh, John Hayter, Brian O'Shaughnessy Drama, WarEnglish The Cape Town Affair Robert D. Webb Claire Trevor , James Brolin , Jacqueline Bisset Drama, Thriller EnglishRemake of 1953 film Pickup on South Street The Jackals Robert D. WebbVincent Price , Diana Ivarson, Robert Gunner Adventure, Western English Remake of 1948 film Yellow Sky 1968 Oupa for Sale Richard Daneel Arthur Swemmer, Bill Brewer, Wena Naudé ComedyAfrikans, English Die Ruiter in die nag (Rider in the Night) Jan Perold Johan van Heerden, Brian O'Shaughnessy, Willie van Rensburg Drama, War English, Afrikaans Dr Kalie I van Hall Siegfried Mynhardt, Willie de Groot, Wena Naudé English, Afrikaans Majuba: Heuwel van Duiwe David Millin Anthony James, Kerry Jordan, Reinet Maasdorp War English, Afrikaans 1969 Dirkie (Lost in the Desert) Jamie Uys Wynand Uys, Jamie Uys, Pieter Haup fleisch Adventure Afrikaans, English Danie Bosman: Die verhaal van die Grootste Komponis Elmo De Witt Franz Marx, Min Shaw, Siegfried Mynhardt Drama Music Afrikaans Writer was Gilbert Gibson and producer Tommie Meyer Geheim van Nantes Dirk de Villiers Pieter Hauptfleisch, Nic de Jager, Leonie Ross Drama, Romance Afrikaans Producer was Tommie Meyer and writer was AP du Plessis Katrina Jans Rautenbach Katinka Heyns , Jill Kirkland , Don Leonard Drama, RomanceEnglish, Afrikaans 1970s Satan's Harvest George Montgomery, Tippi Hedren, Matt Monro Action Lost in the Desert Jamie Uys Wynand Uys , Jamie Uys, Pieter Hauptfleisch Adventure English, Afrikaans VickiI van Hall Sandra Britz , Leonie Ross , Johan Esterhuizen Romance Afrikaans Filmed in South Africa - Durban , Margate ; Rhodesia Shangani Patrol David Millin Brian O'Shaughnessy , Will Hutchins War Filmed in Rhodesia Stop Exchange Howard Rennie Arthur Swemmer, Charles Vernon, Ian Yule Comedy English 1972 Kaptein Caprivi Albie Venter Will Sealie, Norman C. Smith, Ken Hare Adventure, War Afrikaans, English Leatherlip Stuart Pringle Tim Hughes, Evon de Meistre, Bill Brewer, Tony Jay, Richard Loring, Eben Nel Adventure English Pikkie Sias Odendaal Leonora Nel, Pietie Meyer, Gabriel Bayman Drama Afrikaans Producer was Tommie Meyer and writer Beverley Peirce Those Naughty Angels Neil Hetherington Family Adventure English 1973 Aanslag op Kaprivi I van Hall Will Sealie, Ken Hare, Jannie Hanzen War Afrikaans Mr Kingstreet's War John Saxon , Tippi Hedren War Die Voortrekkers David Millin History, War Afrikaans Snip en Rissiepit Elmo de Witt Rod Alexander, Rika Sennett, Pieter Haupt fleisch Drama, Romance Afrikaans 1974 Animals Are Beautiful People Jamie Uys Paddy O'Byrne Comedy-documentary English Boesman and Lena Ross Devenish Athol Fugard Dans van die Flamink Ivan Hall Rod Alexander , Gaby Gertz , Anele Jonker , Sandra Britz Afrikaans Dooie Duikers deel nie Marius Wyers Funeral for an Assassin Ivan Hall Vic Morrow Crime English Ongewenste Vreemdeling Pens en Pootjies Dirk de Villiers , Joe Stewardson Al Debbo , Marié du Toit , Don Leonard , Joe Stewardson ComedyAfrikaans No Gold for a Dead Diver Harald Reinl Horst Janson , Monika Lundi , Hans Hass Jr, Marius Weyers , Sandra Prinsloo Adventure English West German co-production 1975 Dingetjie is Dynamite Tobie Cronje Eendag op 'n Reëndag Jans Rautenbach Katinka Heyns, Regardt van den Bergh, Mees Xteen, Mrga van Rooy, Jana Cilliers Drama, Romance Afrikaans My Liedjie van Verlange Will Roberts Will Roberts, Barry Trengove, Zuna Viljoen, Nerina Ferreira, Sann de Lange Drama, Music Afrikaans Based on the radio serial by C.F. Beyers-Boshoff Vreemde Wêreld Jürgen Goslar Sandra Prinsloo , Marius Weyers , Wolfgang Kieling Thriller Afrikaans West German co-production 1976 e'Lollipop Muntu Ndebele , Norman Knox Springbok Tommie Meyer Eckard Rabe , Percy Sieff, Sybel Coetzee Drama Afrikaans Jan Scholtz was the writer Albino Jürgen Goslar Trevor Howard , Christopher Lee , James Faulkner , Sybil Danning , Horst Frank Thriller , War English Filmed in Rhodesia during the Rhodesian Bush War Killer Force Val Guest Telly Savalas , Peter Fonda , Christopher Lee , Maud Adams , O. J. Simpson Thriller English 1977 Karate Olympiad / Kill or Be Killed I van Hall James Ryan (actor) Tigers Don't Cry Peter Collinson Anthony Quinn , Simon Sabela [fr ], John Phillip Law Forty Days Franz MarxPiero von Arnim, Ben Kruger, Annelisa Weiland Comedy, Drama Funeral for an Assassin Ivan HallVic Morrow, Peter van Dissel, Gaby Getz Drama English, Afrikaans Night of the Puppets Daan Retief Zoli Marki, Anna Cloete, Leonie Ross Plekkie in die Son William Faure Jana Cilliers, Regardt van den Bergh, Eckard Rabe Drama Afrikaans Grensbasis 13 Elmo De Witt Danie Joubert War Based on the opening skirmishes of the South African Border War 1980s The Gods Must Be Crazy Jamie Uys N!xau , Sandra Prinsloo , Marius Weyers , Louw Verwey Comedy English, Afrikaans, Juǀʼhoan , Ungwatsi Kiepie en Kandas Jan Scholtz Marigolds in August Ross Devenish Winston Ntshona , John Kani , Athol Fugard Drama English Entered in 30th Berlin International Film Festival 1981 Kill and Kill Again Ivan Hall James Ryan , Anneline Kriel Martial arts film My Country My Hat David Bensusan Regardt van den Bergh Nommer Asseblief Henk Hugo 1983 Siener in die Suburbs Francois Swart Marius Weyers , Louis van Niekerk, Sandra Prinsloo DramaAfrikaans Funny People II Jamie Uys Wolhaarstories Bromley Cawood Leon Schuster Geel Trui vir 'n Wenner Franz Marx Ben Kruger , Ray Storm , Claudia Turgas , Deon van Zyl , Dulsie van den Bergh 1984 Flashpoint Africa Francis Megahy Gayle Hunnicutt , Siegfried Rauch , James Faulkner Adventure English Boetie Gaan Border Toe Regardt van den Bergh Arnold Vosloo , Eric Nobbs, Frank Dankert Comedy, War Afrikaans You're in the Movies Emil Nofal Alain D. Woolf, Alan Field, Hal Orlandini Comedy English, Afrikaans 1985 Boetie Op Manoeuvres Regardt van den BerghArnold Vosloo, Janie du Plessis, Ian RobertsComedy, WarAfrikaans, English Jantjie Kom Huis Toe Dirk de VilliersCedwyn JoelWarAfrikaansFirst direct-to-television film released by SABC King Solomon's Mines J. Lee Thompson Richard Chamberlain , Sharon Stone , Herbert Lom , John Rhys-Davies Master Harold...and the Boys Michael Lindsay-Hogg Matthew Broderick , John Kani , Zakes Mokae DramaWritten by Athol Fugard , adapted from his 1982 play of the same title Nag van Vrees Jim Murray , Stanley Roup Skating on Thin UysPieter-Dirk Uys Pieter-Dirk UysComedy Vyfster: Die Slot Sias Odendaal Patrick Mynhardt Wie Die Laaste Lag Koos Roets You Gotta Be Crazy Emil Nofal Bill Flynn , Amanda Forrow 1986 Jock of the Bushveld Gray Hofmeyr Jocelyn Broderick , Michael Brunner Family film; based on the novel Liewe Hemel Genis William Egan Mountain of Hell David Bensusan Outlaw of Gor John Cardos Place of Weeping Darrell Roodt You Must Be Joking! Elmo De Witt Rina Hugo , Carike Keuzenkamp , Kallie Knoetze , Janine Pretorius , Leon Schuster , Mike Schutte Hidden Camera 1987 Across the Rubicon Lionel FriedbergPieter-Dirk Uys DocumentaryEnglish An African Dream John SmallcombeKitty Aldridge, John Kani , Dominic Jephcott DramaEnglish Kill Slade Bruce MacFarlane Murphy's Fault Robert Smawley No Hard FeelingsCharles Norton Nukie Sias Odendal , Michael Pakleppa Glynis Johns, Steve Railsback, Ronald FranceEnglish Operation Hit Squad Tonie van der Merwe Platoon Leader Aaron Norris Tony Pierce, Robert F. Lyons, Michael DudikoffVietnam War dramaEnglish Die Posman Anthony Wilson Skeleton Coast John Cardos Ernest Borgnine , Robert Vaughn , Arnold Vosloo Mercenary war dramaEnglish Tenth of A Second Darrell Roodt Tusks Tara Erica Moore 'n Wereld Sonder Grense Frans Nel Scot Scott WarAfrikaansGarnered controversy for its depiction of the South African Border War White Ghost Beau Davis Action, Adventure, WarEnglish You Must Be Joking! Too Leon Schuster , Lizz Meiring Hidden Camera Saturday Night at the PalaceRobert DaviesBill Flynn, John Kani , Paul SlabolepszyDramaEnglish Vengeance CopsIvan HallChris du Toit, Helga van Wyk, Dawid van der WaltAction, Crime Shaka Zulu 1988 Alien from L.A. Albert Pyun Accidents Gidi Amir Action/Thriller Act of Piracy John "Bud" CardosGary Busey , Belinda Bauer, Ray Sharkey Any Man's Death A Private Life (Jack & Stella) Francis Gerard Bill Flynn, Jana Cilliers Fiela se Kind Katinka Heyns Shaleen Surtie-Richards , Dalene Matthee Laser Mission Robbie Simpson Last Samurai Paul Mayersburg Let the Music Be Frans Nel Love Me Leave Me Alan Birkinshaw , Charles Marriott Lucky Strikes Back Joe Stewardson Lucky Dube The Most Dangerous Woman Alive Chris Marnham Mapantsula Oliver SchmitzThomas Mogotlane, Marcel van Heerden, Thembi MtshaliCrime, DramaScreened at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival Nightslave John Parr Lynda Marshall, Dominique Moser, Denis SmithHorrorEnglish Options Camilo Vila Out on Bail Brian Hessler , Gordon Hessler Paradise Road (Traitors) Jan Scholtz Quest for Love Helen Nogueira Jana Cilliers, Sandra Prinsloo Red Scorpion Joseph Zito Dolph Lundgren , T. P. McKenna , M. Emmet Walsh ActionEnglish Space Mutiny David Winters Cameron Mitchell Sci Fi Considered one of the best spoofs on Mystery Science Theater 3000 [1] [2] Terminal Bliss Jordan Alan Thrilled to Death Chuck Vincent Van der Merwe P.I. Regardt van den Bergh Anneline Kriel , Regardt van den Bergh Whispers Robert Bergman You're Famous Yehuda Barkan Hidden Camera Israeli co-production The Zambezi Kid Denis Scully 1989 A Dry White Season Euzhan Palcy Donald Sutherland , Janet Suzman , Zakes Mokae DramaEnglish Africa Express Bruce McFarlanePatrick Dollaghan, Karen Mayo-Chandler, Russel SavadierEnglish Passing Through: Woni Spotts, The First Black Woman to Travel to Every Country and Continent (1989 film)Nolan DavisWoni SpottsEnglish The Emissary Jan Scholtz[3] Ted Le Plat, Terry Norton, Robert Vaughn , André Jacobs , Patrick Mynhardt , Hans Strydom , Ken Gampu , Brian O'Shaughnessy , and Peter Krummeck [3] [4] [5] [6] ThrillerEnglishMade entirely in South Africa. Killer Instinct David Lister Joanna Weinberg Lambarene Gray Hofmeyr The Gods Must Be Crazy II Jamie Uys Have You Seen Drum Recently? Jürgen Schadeberg Miriam Makeba The Native Who Caused all the Trouble Manie van Rensburg Odd Ball Hall Jackson Hunsicker Oh Schucks.... It's Schuster! Leon Schuster Leon Schuster Okavango (Wild Country) Wayne Crawford , Danie Odendaal , Percival Rubens On the Wire Elaine Proctor Prey for the Hunter John Parr That Englishwoman Dirk de Villiers Veronica Lang Voices in the Dark Vincent Cox Lucky Dube Warriors from Hell Ronnie Isaacs Windprints David Wicht Marius Weyers 1990s TitleDirectorCastGenreLanguageNotes 1990 Agter Elke Man Franz MarxSteve Hofmeyr , Dulcie van den Bergh , Illse Roos, Annelize van der RystDramaAfrikaansA follow-up film to the South African TV series of the same name Circles in a Forest Regardt van den Bergh Ian Bannen , Brion James , Joe Stewardson Drama Nag van die 19de Oh Shucks! Here Comes UNTAG Leon Schuster Leon Schuster 1991 A.W.O.L. The Angel, the Bicycle and the Chinaman's Finger American Kickboxer Frans NelJohn Barrett, Keith Vitali , Brad Morris, Gavin Hood , Ted Le PlatAction, DramaEnglish 1992 Jock of the Bushveld Road to Mecca Sarafina! Darrell Roodt Leleti Khumalo , Whoopi Goldberg , Miriam Makeba , John Kani English Sweet 'n Short Leon Schuster Leon Schuster 1993 Friends Elaine Proctor Entered into the 1993 Cannes Film Festival There's a Zulu On My Stoep Leon SchusterLeon Schuster To the Death Darrell Roodt John Barrett, Michel Qissi, Robert Whitehead, Michelle BestbierActionEnglishSequel to American Kickboxer 1994 Ipi TombiTommie Meyer Jan-Michael Vincent , Henry Cele , O'Neil JohnsonDrama, MusicEnglishMovie of musical written by Bertha Egnos and Gail Lakier Redemption: Kickboxer 5 Kristine PetersonMark Dacascos , James Ryan, Geoff Meed, Greg LatterActionEnglishFinal installment of the original Kickboxer franchise. 1995 Cry, The Beloved Country Darrell Roodt James Earl Jones , Richard Harris , Charles S. Dutton EnglishBased on novel of the same name by Alan Paton Soweto Green: This is a 'Tree' Story David Lister John Kani , L. Scott Caldwell , Sandra Prinsloo , Casper de Vries Comedy, RomanceEnglish, Zulu, Afrikaans 1996 Anna 1997 Danger Zone Billy Zane , Robert Downey Jr. US and CAN Jump the Gun Panic Mechanic Leon Schuster 1998 African Violet Paljas Katinka Heyns 5 MNET All-Africa Film Awards, South African submission to 70th Academy Award for Best Foreign Film The Sexy GirlsRussell ThompsonJamie Bartlet, Tina Schouw, Ivan Lucas, Denise Newman, Peter Butler, Sylvia Esau, Nazley EssopThrillerEnglishApollo Film Festival 2001: Best Feature Film 1999 Aces Africa After the Rain Ross KettlePaul Bettany, Louise Lombard, Ariyon BakareDrama, Romance Millennium Menace Leon SchusterLeon Schuster, Desmond DubeComedyEnglish, Afrikaans The Man Who Would Kill Kitchener François Verster DocumentaryBiography of Fritz Joubert Duquesne . 1999 NTVA Silver Stone & Stone Craft Award A Reasonable Man Gavin Hood Gavin Hood, Nigel Hawthorne , Janine EserCrime drama thriller 2000s Angels in a Cage Jeremy Crutchley , Sylvaine Strike Apostles of Civilised Vice Zackie Achmat Hijack Stories Oliver Schmitz Tony Kgoroge , Rapulana Seiphemo Screened at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival Inside Out Long Night's Journey into Day: South Africa's Search for Truth & Reconciliation Glory Glory Paul Johannsen , Steven Bauer , Amanda Donohoe , Gideon Emery , Ana Alexander 2001 Mr Bones Leon Schuster Leon Schuster, David Ramsey , Faizon Love , Robert Whitehead , Jane Benney ComedyHighest-grossing film in South Africa on release. Diamond Cut Diamond Darrell Roodt Gary Daniels , Nick Boraine , Gideon Emery 2002 Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony Documentary Promised Land The Sorcerer's Apprentice David Lister Robert Davi , Kelly Le Brock , Gideon Emery A Lion's Trail François VersterDocumentary 2003 Adrenaline Amandla!: A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony God Is AfricanAkin OmotosoDramaEnglish Red Water Charles Robert Carner Lou Diamond Phillips , Kristy Sawnson , Gideon Emery Stander Bronwen HughesThomas Jane, David O'Hara, Dexter Fletcher, Ashley Taylor, Marius WeyersAction, Biography, CrimeEnglish State of Denial Wooden Camera 2004 Boy called Twist Kim Engelbrecht Cape of Good Hope Mark Bamford Debbie Brown , Eriq Ebouaney , Nthathi Moshesh , Gideon Emery Drum Taye Diggs A Case of Murder Clive Morris Steve Hofmeyr , Candice Hillebrand , Gideon Emery , Anthony Fridjhon , Ben Kruger , Nicky Rebello , Ramalao Makhene Forgiveness Zane Meas , Arnold Vosloo , Quanita Adams Gums and Noses Craig FreimondComedyEnglish Max and Mona Oh Shucks, I'm Gatvol! Leon Schuster Leon Schuster, Alfred Ntombela , Gerry the Clown , Bill Flynn The Story of an African Farm David Lister Yesterday Darrell Roodt , Leleti Khumalo Nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 77th Academy Awards Vadertjie Langbeen Hotel Rwanda Terry George Don Cheadle , Sophie Okonedo , Joaquin Phoenix History, DramaEnglish, French, KinyarwandaNominated for 3 Oscars, 18 wins & 38 nominations 2005 34 SouthMaganthrie PillayAz Abrahams, Rassol Hendriks, Ricardo Marnewick, LeeAnn Sayster, Marguerita Freeks, Stephan Roach, Oscar PetersenRoad MovieEnglish1st film to be directed by a black woman in South Africa. Opened at Pan African Film Festival, Sound Design by Albert Edmund Lord III EngagementCaroline Nicou Romantic comedy In My Country Mama Jack Leon Schuster Leon Schuster Red Dust Straight Outta BenoniTrevor ClarenceBrendan Jack, Gavin Williams, Colin Moss, Brett Goldin , Danny K ComedyEnglish The Flyer Revel FoxMarcel van Heerden, Ian Van Der Heyden, Craig Palm, Kim Engelbrecht Adventure, DramaEnglish Tsotsi Gavin Hood Presley Chweneyagae , Ian Roberts , Zola , Terry Pheto Afrikaans, English, Sotho, Tsotsitaal, Tswana, ZuluWon Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards U-Carmen eKhayelitsha Mark Dornford-May Won Golden Bear at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival 2006 Angels in the Dust Louise HogarthCon Cloete, Marion Cloete DocumentaryEnglish Bunny Chow J ohn Barker David Kibuuka, Kim Engelbrecht , Kagiso Lediga , Joey Yusef Rasdien, Jason Cope ComedyEnglishAlso billed as Bunny Chow Know Thyself and Bunny Chow: Know Thyself Don't Touch Number Ten Faith Like Potatoes Regardt van den Bergh Frank Rautenbach , Hamilton Dlamini Inspirational/Docu-Drama Son of Man Mark Dornford-May Running Riot Koos RoetsBill Flynn , Paul Slabolepszy Comedy Sekalli le Meokgo (Eng: Meokgo and the Stickfighter)Teboho MahlatsiMduduzi Mabaso, Terry PhetoDramaShort film 2007 Anner House Big Fellas Counting Headz: South Afrika's Sistaz in Hip Hop Vusi Magubane & Erin Offer Documentary Footskating 101 Ouma se Slim Kind Quinne Brown Poena is koning Tengers Michael Rix Animation 2008 50 Years! Of Love? Karin Slater , Steven Bartlo Documentary English Bakgat! Hansie Jerusalema Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past Gray Hofmeyer Leon SchusterComedyHighest-grossing film in South Africa on release. Skin Triomf Michael RaeburnLionel Newton, Vanessa Cooke, Eduan van Jaarsveldt, Paul LuckhoffDramaEnglish, AfrikaansBased on the novel by Marlene van Niekerk The World Unseen Shamim Sarif Lisa Ray , Sheetal Sheth Drama 2009 District 9 Neill Blomkamp Sharlto Copley Science fiction Nominated for Best Film at the 82nd Academy Awards Invictus Clint Eastwood Morgan Freeman , Matt Damon Drama non-fiction Jozi Shirley Adams Oliver Hermanus Denise Newman DramaEnglishReceived Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress Award at the South African Film and Television Awards The Chameleon 2010s Bakgat! 2 The Cradock Four David ForbesMatthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkonto, Sicelo MhlauliDocumentaryA France-South Africa coproduction about the Cradock Four ; winner of best South African documentary at the 2010 Durban International Film Festival Egoli: Afrikaners is PlesierigBromley CawoodDavid Rees, Darren Kelfkens, Leandie du Randt , Christine Basson, Shaleen Surtie-Richards DramaEnglish, AfrikaansAlso known as Egoli: The Movie; based on the long-running South African TV show, Egoli: Place of Gold Five Roads to Freedom: From Apartheid to the World Cup Robin Benger & Jane Thandi Lipman Documentary I now pronounce you Black and White Oliver RodgerTyrel Meyer, Tina Jaxa, Nik RabinowitzComedy, RomanceEnglish JakhalsdansDarrell Roodt Theuns Jordaan, Elizma Theron, Janke Bruwer DramaAfrikaans Schuks Tshabalala's Survival Guide to South Africa Gray HofmeyrLeon Schuster, Alfred Ntombela, Sean Higgs ComedyEnglish, Afrikaans The Unforgiving Al OrrRyan Macquet, Craig Hawks, Claire OppermanHorrorEnglish Long StreetRevel FoxSannie Fox, Roberta Fox, David Butler LieflingBrian WebberLika Berning, Bobby van Jaarsveld, Elize Cawood MusicalAfrikaans Eternity Life, Above All Oliver Schmitz Drama Northern SothoWinner of Best Feature Film at the 5th annual South African Film and Television Awards Spud Donovan MarshJohn Cleese , Troye Sivan Comedy, DramaEnglish Visa/Vie Elan GamakerMélodie Abad, David Isaacs, Keren Tahor Comedy, RomanceFrench, English, Xhosa 2011 Beauty (Skoonheid) Oliver Hermanus Deon Lotz , Charlie Keegan DramaAfrikaans, EnglishCompeted in the Un Certain Regard at Cannes ; awarded Queer Palm at the Cannes Film Festival and Best Film at the 2012 South African Film and Television Awards The Bang Bang Club Steven Silver Taylor Kitsch , Ryan Phillippe , Malin Åkerman DramaEnglishco-produced with Canada Getroud Met RugbyAfrikaans How To Steal 2 Million Charlie VundlaJohn Kani , Hlubi Mboya, Menzi Ngubane, Terry Pheto , Rapulana Seiphemo The Imam and I Khalid ShamisDocumentaryEnglishPartly animated documentary about the director's maternal grandfather and anti-apartheid activist Imam Abdullah Haron LuckyAvie Luthra Sihle Dlamini, Jayashree Basavaraj DramaEnglish, Hindi, Zulu Man on GroundAkin OmotosoDramaEnglish, Zulu, Southern Sotho, Yoruba Mad CowMichael Wright, Michael J. RixEnglish Paradise Stop Jann Turner Rapulana Seiphemo, Kenneth Nkosi, Vusi KuneneComedyEnglish, Northern Sotho Night Drive Platteland Sean ElseAfrikaans 'n Saak van Geloof Diony KempenRobbie Wessels, Lelia Etsebeth, Riana NelDramaAfrikaans Skeem Timothy Greene Wandile Molebatsi, Kurt Schoonraad, Lilani Prinsen Comedy, CrimeEnglish State of ViolenceKhalo MatabaneFana Mokoena, Presley Chweneyagae, Neo NtlatlengDrama TokoloshKevin SinghGerald Beddeker, Willem Stephanus Beyers, Andrew DevadasHorrorEnglish Viva Riva! Djo Tunda Wa Munga Patsha Bay , Manie Malone, Diplome AmekindraDrama, ThrillerFrench, Lingala 2012 Adventures in Zambezia Wayne ThornleyJeremy Suarez , Abigail Breslin , Jeff Goldblum , Leonard Nimoy , Samuel L. Jackson Animation, Adventure, FamilyEnglishWon the Best South African Feature Film at the Durban International Film Festival in 2012. Won Best Animation at the South African Film and Television Awards and Best Animation at the 9th Africa Movie Academy Awards . Nominated for Best Music Score at 2013 South African Film and Television Awards and nominated for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production and best Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production at the 2013 Annie Awards in California. Safe House Daniel Espinosa Denzel Washington , Ryan Reynolds Action thriller filmEnglishAmerican made film entirely filmed and set in Cape Town. Dredd 3D Pete Travis Karl Urban , Lena Headey , Olivia Thirlby Combat CoppositesOliver RodgerRob van Vuuren , Siv Ngesi ComedyEnglish Semi SoetJoshua RousAnel Alexander, Nico Panagiotopoulos, Sandra VaughnRomanceAfrikaans Mad BuddiesGray HofmeyrLeon Schuster, Kenneth Nkosi, Alfred NtombelaComedy Otelo Burning Sara Blecher Jafta Mamabolo Thomas Gumede, Sihle XabaDramaEnglish, Zulu Material Craig FreimondRiaad Moosa , Vincent Ebrahim Comedy, DramaEnglish Agter Die LigteNicholas Costaras, Joe Niemand Afrikaans Pretville Klein Karoo Regardt van den BerghTim Theron, DonnaLee Roberts , Hykie BergRomanceAfrikaans, English Sleeper's WakeBarry BerkDeon Lotz ThrillerEnglish Die Wonderwerker Katinka HeynsElize Cawood, Marius Weyers, Anneke Weidemann BiographyAfrikaans Verraaiers (Traitors)Paul EilersGys de Villiers, Viljie Maritz, Andrew Thompson WarAfrikaans Wolwedans in die skemer Jozua MalherbeRolanda Marais, David Louw, Gérard Rudolf, Desiré Gardner, Lelia Etsebeth, Jacques Bessenger ThrillerAfrikaans 2013 Angel of the Skies Christopher-lee dos Santos Nick van der Bijl, Ryan Dittmann, Jason Glanville, Brad Backhouse, Lillie Claire, Adam Boys,War, DramaEnglishNominated for Best Wardrobe and Makeup at 2014 SAFTA awards. As Jy Sing André OdendaalBobby van Jaarsveld , Leah van Niekirk, Bok van Blerk , Karlien van Jaarsveld, Katlego Maboe Comedy, Drama, MusicalAfrikaans Die Ballade van Robbie de Wee Darrell Roodt Neil Sandilands, Marno van der Merwe DramaAfrikaans Fanie Fourie's Lobola Henk PretoriusEduan van Jaarsveldt, Zethu Dlomo, Jerry Mofokeng Comedy, RomanceZulu, English, Afrikaans Four Corners Ian Gabriel Brendon Daniels , Jezriel Skei, Lindiwe Matshikiza Crime, ThrillerAfrikaans, EnglishAlso known as Die Vier Hoeke iNumber Number Donovan MarshSdumo Mtshali, Presley Chweneyagae, Israel Makoe , Owen Sejake Action, Crime, DramaReceived Best Director, Best Screenwriter and Best Editor Awards at the 2015 South African Film and Television Awards . Also known as Avenged Khumba Anthony SilverstonJake T. Austin , Steve Buscemi , Loretta Devine , Laurence Fishburne , Richard E. Grant Animation, Adventure, FamilyEnglishWon Best Animation at the Zanzibar International Film Festival and at the Africa Movie Academy Awards . Won Best Music Composition of a Feature Film and Best Animation at the 2014 South African Film and Television Awards . Won Best Feature at the Annecy Animation Festival 2013 A Lucky ManGordon ClarkLevi du Plooy, Jarrid Geduld, Keenan ArrisonDocumentary Drama Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Justin Chadwick Idris Elba , Naomie Harris , Tony Kgoroge History, DramaAfrikaans, English, XhosaNominated for Golden Globe Awards and Critics' Choice Awards Musiek vir die AgtergrondSalmon de JagerJohn-Henry Opperman, Lizelle de Klerk, Brümilda van Rensburg , Ian Roberts , Neil SandilandsDrama, Music, RomanceAfrikaans, English Of Good ReportJahmil X.T. QubekaMothusi Magano, Petronella TshumaThrillerAfrikaans[14] To the Power of AnneRobert Anthony HaynesAnne Power, Ryan Flynn, Wim VorsterEnglish Shotgun GarfunkelJohnny BarbuzanoBryan van Niekerk, Asher Mikkel Stoltz, Eduan van JaarsveldtEnglish Jimmy in PienkHanneke SchutteLouw Venter, Terence Bridget, Gys de Villiers, Tinarie van Wyk LootsComedyAfrikaans Spud 2: The Madness ContinuesDonovan MarshJohn Cleese , Troye Sivan Comedy, DramaEnglish Zulu Jérôme Salle Orlando Bloom , Forest Whitaker , Tanya van Graan CrimeEnglishco-produced with France 2014 Faan se TreinKoos RoetsWillie Esterhuizen, Deon Lotz , Marius Weyers , Cobus Rossouw, Anel Alexander DramaAfrikaans, English Hollywood in my HuisCorne van RooyenChristia Visser , Edwin van der Walt, Nicola HanekomComedy, Family, RomanceAfrikaans, English KonfettiZaheer Goodman-BhyatLouw Venter, Nico Panagio, Casey B. Dolan, Kim Engelbrecht, Casper de Vries Drama, ComedyAfrikaans, English Leading Lady Henk PretoriusKatie McGrath , Bok Van Blerk , Gil Bellows Romantic ComedyEnglish, Afrikaans Love the One You Love Jenna Cato Bass Francis Chouler , Nelson Das Neves, Chiedza Mhende Comedy, Drama, Mystery, RomanceEnglish, Xhosa Pad na jou hartJaco SmitIvan Botha , DonnaLee Roberts Adventure, RomanceAfrikaans Spud 3: Learning to FlyJohn BarkerJohn Cleese , Troye Sivan , Caspar Lee Comedy, DramaEnglish The Two of Us Ernest NkosiDramaZuluAlso known as Thina Sobabili: The Two of Us Die WindpompEtienne FourieRoland Reed, Leandie du Randt, Marga van Rooy, Ian Roberts , Etienne Fourie Drama, Fantasy, RomanceAfrikaans 2015 Abraham (2015 film) Jans RautenbachDJ Mouton, Chantel PhilipusDramaAfrikaansMusic Riku Lätti Assignment Laszlo BeneNick Boraine , Jonathan Pienaar, Sandi Schultz, David Dennis Drama, ThrillerEnglish AyandaSara BlecherFulu Mugovhani, Sihle Xaba DramaEnglish Bond of Blood Christopher-lee dos Santos Marno van der Merwe, Sarah Kozlowski, Damian BerryDrama, FaithEnglish Ballade vir 'n Enkeling Quentin KrogArmand Aucamp, Jacques Bessenger, Zak Hendrikz DramaAfrikaans Chappie Neill BlomkampHugh Jackman , Sigourney Weaver , Sharlto Copley , Dev Patel Action, Sci-Fi, ThrillerEnglish Dis ek, Anna Sara BlecherCharlene Brouwer, Marius Weyers , Nicola Hanekom, Izel Bezuidenhout, Morne VisserDramaAfrikaans Dis Koue Kos, SkatEtienne FourieSean Cameron Michael , Frank Opperman , Anna-Mart van der Merle, Deon Lotz Comedy, Drama, RomanceAfrikaans The Endless River Oliver Hermanus Nicolas Duvauchelle , Crystal-Donna Roberts , Darren Kelfkens, Denise NewmanDramaEnglishCo-produced with France Hear Me Move Scottnes L. SmithNyaniso Dzedze, Wandile Molebatsi, Makhaola Ndebele Drama The Jakes Are Missing Neal Sundstrom, Denny Y. Miller, FigjamMampho Brescia, Pop Jerrod, Mpho Sebeng, Jody Abrahams, Nomzamo Mbatha Comedy, RomanceEnglish Last Ones Out Howard FyvieGreg Kriek, Christia Visser, Tshamano SebeAdventure, Drama, ThrillerEnglish Necktie YouthSibs Shongwe-La MerBonko Cosmo Khoza, Sibs Shongwe-La Mer, Colleen Balchin DramaEnglish, Zulu, Afrikaans 'n Pawpaw Vir My Darling Koos RoetsDeon Lotz , Deirdre Wohlhuter, Jana Nortier ComedyAfrikaans Die Pro Andre VeltsEdwin van der Walt , Reine Swart DramaAfrikaansBased on a novel by Jeanne Goosen Somer SonClinton LubbeReynald Slabbert, Juanita de Villiers, Bok van Blerk, Hanna Grobert, Reine Swart Romantic ComedyAfrikaans Strikdas Stefan NieuwoudtLeandie du Randt, Gys de Villiers, Kaz McFadden ComedyAfrikaans Tell Me Sweet Something Akin OmotosoThomas Gumede, Maps Maponyane Romance, ComedyEnglish TreurgrondAndre FrauensteinSteve Hofmeyr , Erica Wessels , Shaleen Surtie-Richards DramaAfrikaans TrouvoeteDarrell Roodt Lika Berning, Bouwer Bosch, Charlie Bouguenon, Paul du Toit, Stefan Ludik RomanceAfrikaans While You Weren't LookingCatherine StewartTerence Bridgett, Tina Jaxa DramaEnglish, Xhosa, Afrikaans 2016 AlchemistDavid SikhosanaDramaEnglish Alison Uga Carlini Alison Botha, Christia Visser, Zak Hendrikz, Francois Maree, De Klerk Oelofse Documentary, DramaEnglish Blood and Glory Sean ElseCharlotte Salt, Andre Jacobs, Josh Myers, Nick Cornwall, Greg Kriek, Deon Lotz Drama, WarAfrikaans, EnglishAlso known as Modder en Bloed Dora's Peace Konstandino Kalarytis Khabonina Qubeka , Danny Keogh , Hlubi Mboya , Ronnie Nyakale, Paballo Koza Action, Crime, DramaEnglish, Zulu Free State Salmon de JagerNicola Breytenbach, Andrew Govender, Leleti Khumalo , Deon Lotz , Mangesh Desai, Paul Ellers Drama, Family, RomanceAfrikaans, English Happiness is a Four-Letter Word Thabang MoleyaRomance, DramaEnglishBased on the Commonwealth Prize -winning novel by Nozizwe Cynthia Jele Jonathan: Die MovieSalmon de JagerRikus de Beer, Beáte Opperman, Paul Eilers, Brümilda van Rensburg ComedyAfrikaans Jou Romeo Andre WeltsRuan Wessels, Elani Dekker, Christopher van der Westhuizen, Row-Lean, Ruan Blum RomanceAfrikaans Kalushi Mandla DubeThabo Rametsi, Thabo Malema, Welile Nzuza Biography, Drama, ThrillerEnglishAlso known as Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu Mignon "Mossie" van WykDarrell Roodt Erica Wessels, Paul du Toit, Deanre Reiners, Elzette Maarschalk, Tanika Fourie DramaAfrikaans Mrs. Right GuyAdze UgahDineo Moeketsi, Lehasa Moloi, Thapelo Mokoena, Tau Maserumule, Thando Thabethe RomanceEnglish My Father's War Craig GardnerEdwin van der Walt, Stian Bam, Erica Wessels, Fumani Shilubana DramaEnglish Nobody's Died Laughing Willem OelofsonPieter-Dirk Uys , Desmond Tutu , Vincent Ebrahim , Charlize Theron , F. W. de Klerk DocumentaryEnglishA documentary about the life of actor, comedian, and activist Pieter-Dirk Uys Noem My Skollie Daryne JoshuaDann-Jacques Mouton , Sandi SchultzDramaAfrikaansEnglish title: Call Me Thief Shepherds and Butchers Oliver Schmitz Steve Coogan , Andrea Riseborough , Robert Hobbs, Deon Lotz , Garion Dowds DramaEnglish, AfrikaansBased on the novel by Chris Marnewick Sink Brett Michael InnesAnel Alexander , Shoki Mokgapa, Jacques Bessenger, Amalia Uys , Asante Mabuza, Diaan Lawrenson DramaAfrikaansBased on the novel 'Rachel weeping' by Brett Michael Innes Sy Klink soos Lente Corne van RooyenAmalia Uys , Stiaan Smith, Bennie Fourie, James Cunningham, William Dunster, Bouwer BoschRomance, ComedyAfrikaans, English Twee Grade van Moord Gerrit SchoonhovenSandra Prinsloo , Marius Weyers , Shaleen Surtie-Richards DramaAfrikaans, English UitvluchtRegardt van den Bergh Albert Maritz, Carel Trichardt, Clara Joubert, Clyde Berning, Jill Levenberg , Stian Bam Drama, RomanceAfrikaans, English Vaya Akin Omotoso Warren Masemola, Harriet Manamela, Zimkhitha Nyoka, Phuti NakeneDramaZulu Verskietende Ster Darrell Roodt Hykie Berg, Deanre Reiners, Jana Strydom , Hannes van Wyk, Hanli Rolfes DramaAfrikaans Vir Altyd Jaco SmitLaré Birk, Ivan Botha , Elize Cawood, Nicky de Kock, Donnalee Roberts RomanceAfrikaans Vir die Voëls Quentin KrogSimoné Nortmann , Francois Jacobs, Lara Kinnear, Bennie Fourie, Elize Cawood, Neels van Jaarsveld, Nicola Hanekom RomanceAfrikaans The Whale CallerZola MasekoAmrainn Ismail-Essop, Sello Maake Ka-Ncube DramaEnglish Wonder Boy for President John Barker Kagiso Lediga , Ntosh Madlingzi, Tony Miyambo, Thishiwe Ziqubu ComedyEnglish Taking Earth Grant HumphreysRonan Quarmby, Brad Richards, Dick Sorenson, Marco Torlage and Barbara Harrison Sci FiEnglishProduced by Digital Forces, Grant Humphreys, Grant Knight , Michael Harrison 2017 AsinamaliMbongeni Ngena Drama, MusicalZuluAdapted from the play of the same name[16] Beyond the River Craig FreimondLemogang Tsipa, Grant Swanby, Israel Sipho Matseke Zulu , Emily Child DramaEnglish, Zulu BypassShane VermootenNatalie Becker , Hakeem Kae-Kazim , Greg Kriek, Deon Lotz ThrillerEnglish Catching FeelingsKagiso Lediga Kagiso Lediga , Pearl Thusi , Andrew Buckland, Akin Omotoso , Precious Makgaretsa Comedy, Drama, RomanceEnglish Finders KeepersMaynard KraakDalin Oliver, Neels Van Jaarsveld, Lise Slabber, Grant Swansby ComedyEnglish Five Fingers for Marseilles Michael MatthewsSesotho High Fantasy Jenna Bass Qondiswa James, Nala Khumalo, Francesca Varrie Michel, Liza Scholtz Comedy Hoener met die Rooi Skoene Koos RoetsLida Botha, Deon Lotz , Lizz Meiring, Dorette Potgieter Comedy, DramaAfrikaans Jagveld (English release title: Hunting Emma)Byron DavisLeandie du Randt, Neels van Jaarsveld, Tim TheronActionAfrikaans Johnny Is Nie Dood NieChristiaan Olwagen Rolanda Marais, Albert Pretorius, Ilana Cilliers, Ludwig Binge, Roelof Storm DramaAfrikaans Kalushi: The Story of Solomon MahlanguMandla DubeThabo Rametsi, Thabo Malema, Welile Ndzunza, Jafta Mamabolo, Louw Venter, Gcina Mhlophe, Fumani Shilubana, Pearl Thusi Biography, Drama, ThrillerEnglish Kampter reinLuhann JansenLouw Venter, Juanita de Villiers, Josias Moleele, Reine SwartComedyAfrikaans, English Keeping Up with the Kandasamys Jayan MoodleyJailoshini Naidoo , Maeshni Naicker, Mishqah Parthiephal , Madhushan Singh ComedyEnglishThe last film produced by Junaid Ahmed (together with Helena Spring) before his death in 2016. KrotoaRoberta DurrantCrystal-Donna Roberts , Armand Aucamp, Jacques Bessenger, Brendan Daniels, Deon Lotz DramaAfrikaans Liewe Kersfeesvader Etienne FourieMila Guy , Morné Visser, Adrienne Pearce , Milan Murray, Dean John Smith, Melt Sieberhagen, June van MerchDrama, ComedyAfrikaans The Little Kings Darrell James RoodtJustin Strydom, Jonathan Taylor, Lisa-Marie Schneider Drama, SportEnglish Meet the Radebes Simon MakwelaLuthuli Diamini, Mary Makhatho, Jolene Martin-Morgan, Nicholas NkunaDrama, ComedyEnglish Last Broken Darkness Christopher-lee dos Santos Sean Cameron Michael , Brandon Auret , Suraya Santos, Jonathan Pienaar , Brendan Murray, Ryan KrugerSci-fi, DramaEnglishWon best screenplay and best lead actor at Boston Sci Fi festival in 2017. Won best cinematography at South African Society of Cinematographers awards. ( SASC Visible spectrum gold award) in 2017. Nominated for best film, best sound design, best lead actress, best lead actor at 2020 South African indie film awards. Won best cinematography at 2020 South African indie film awards. Released theatrically in the USA in 2021 as 'Broken Darkness' by Vertical Entertainment . Oliver Tambo: Have You Heard from JohannesburgConnie Field DocumentaryEnglish Die Rebellie van Lafras VerweySimon BarnardTobie Cronjé, Chantell Phillipus, Cobus Visser, Albert Pretorius, Neels Van Jaarsveld, Lionel Newton DramaAfrikaansAlso known as Lafras Verwey She Is King Gersh KgamediKhabonina Qubeka, Aubrey Poo, Gugu Zulu, Khanyi Mbau, Mandisa Nduna MusicalEnglish Strike a Rock Aliki SaragasPrimose Sonti, Thumeka Magwangqana Documentary TessMeg RickardsChristia Visser, Nse Ikpe-Etim, Brendon Daniels , Dann-Jacques MoutonDramaAfrikaans Van Der MerweBruce LawleyRob van Vuuren , Chanelle de Jager, Reine Swart , Matthew Baldwin, Ian Roberts ComedyAfrikaans, English VaselinetjieCorné van RooyenMarguerite van Eeden , Nicole Bond, Shaleen Surtie-Richards , Royston Stoffels DramaAfrikaans, English Vuil WasgoedMorné du ToitBennie Fourie, Bouwer Bosch, Tim Theron, Nico Panagio, Stiaan SmithCrimeAfrikaans WinniePascale LamcheWinnie MandelaDocumentaryFor this film, Lamche won the Directing Award for World Cinema - Documentary at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival The Wound (Inxeba)John Trengove Nakhane Touré, Bongile Mantsai, Niza Jay Ncoyini, Thobani MseleniDramaXhosa, Afrikaans, English The Black Moses Moksh production (production company) | Trevor Shezi (director) TBADramaZulu, Afrikaans, English 2018 AyaKhalid EL-JelailatiDanica De La Rey, Richard Gau, Charlie Bouguenon, Keketso Montshiwa ThrillerEnglish Baby Mamas Stephina ZwaneSalamina Mosese, Kay Smith, Thembisa Mdoda, Dineo Ranaka ComedyEnglish Cut-Out Girls Nicola HanekomAtlanta Johnson, Keziah Gabriel, Cody Mountain, Meghan Oberholzer Drama, ThrillerEnglish Dominee TienieSalmon de JagerFrank Opperman, Henrietta Gryffenberg, Thapelo Makoena, Carel Nel, Deon Lotz Drama Ellen: The Ellen Pakkies Story Daryne JoshuaJill Levenberg , Jerrid Geduld, Elton Landrew, Clint BrinkDramaAfrikaans, EnglishAlso known as Ellen: The Story of Ellen Pakkies Farewell Ella Bella Lwazi Mvusi Jay Anstey, Sello Maake Ka-Ncube, Lionel Newton, Katlego Danke, Mary-Anne Barlow, Noluthando MejeDramaEnglish Frank & FearlessGray Hofmeyr Leon Schuster , Themba Ntuli, Kenneth Nkosi, Khanyi Mbau , Jennifer SteynComedy KanarieChristiaan OlwagenSchalk Bezuidenhout, Hannes Otto, Germandt Geldenhuys , Gérard Rudolf , Jacques Bessenger, Beer Adriaanse Drama, Musical, WarAfrikaansAlso known as Canary Mayfair Sara Blecher Ronak Patani, Rajesh Gopie, Wayne Van Rooyen, Jack Devnarain, Kelly-Eve Koopman, Ameera PatelAction, Crime, DramaEnglish Meerkat MaantuigHanneke SchutteAnchen du Plessis, Rika Sennett, Pierre van Pletzen, Themba Ntuli Drama, Science Fiction, FantasyAfrikaansAlso known as Meerkat Moonship Number 37 Nosipho DumisaIrshaad Ally, Monique Rockman, Ephraim Gordon, Danny Ross, Deon Lotz ThrillerAfrikaans RaaiselkindAndre VeltsDiaan Lawrenson, Deon Lotz , Anrich Herbst DramaAfrikaans The Recce Johannes Ferdinand Van ZylGreg Kriek, Christia Visser, Elsabé Daneel, Marius Weyers, Maurice Carpede Drama, WarAfrikaans, EnglishIdlewild International Film Festival 2019, Best Foreign Feature Drama, Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, Best Actor - Feature Sew the Winter to My Skin Jahmil X. T. QubekaEzra Mabengeza, Kandyse McClure , Peter Kurth, Zolisa Xaluva, Bok Van Blerk Action, AdventureAfrikaans, English, Xhosa StroomopIvan BothaDonnaLee Roberts , Simoné Nortmann, Ilse Klink , Chanelle de Jager, Carla Classen, Armand AucampAction, AdventureAfrikaans, English Table Manners Leli MakiDiaan Lawrenson, Renate Stuurman, Neels Van Jaarsveld, Thabo Malema, Fiona Ramsey Comedy, DramaEnglish Thys & TrixQuentin KrogLeandie du Randt , Bouwer Bosch, Brendon Daniels Action, Adventure, ComedyAfrikaans The Tokoloshe Jerome PikwanePetronella Tshuma , Kwande Nkosi, Dawid Minaar, Harriet Manamela , Mandla Shongwe, Yule MasitengHorror, ThrillerEnglish, Zulu When Babies Don't Come Molatelo Mainetje-BossmanMolatelo Mainetje-BossmanDocumentary FeatureKhelobedu, English WonderlusJohan CronjeBeer Adriaanse, Marvin-Lee Beukes, Mila Guy, Edwin Van Der Walt, Simoné Nortmann Comedy, Drama, RomanceAfrikaans 2019 An Act of Defiance Jean van de VeldePeter Paul Muller, Antoinette Louw, Sello Motloung DramaEnglish Ander MensQuentin KrogBennie Fourie, Marlee van der Merwe, Frank Opperman, James BorthwickComedyAfrikaans Back of the Moon Angus GibsonRichard Lunkunku, Moneoa Moshesh, Lemogang Tsipa DramaZulu Bhai's Cafe Maynard KraakMehboob Bawa, Suraya Rose Santos, Siv Ngesi Romantic comedy, MusicalEnglishIn the style of Bollywood Buddha in Africa Nicole Schafer Enock Alu BiographyEnglish, Chinese Mandarin Deep End Eubulus TimothyCarishma Basday, Greg Kriek, Suraya-Rose Santos, Mahendra Raghunath, Robin SinghDrama, Romance, SportEnglish Fiela se Kind (2019)Brett Michael InnesZenobia Kloppers, Luca Bornman, Wayne Smith, Wayne van Rooyen, Cindy Swanepoel, Drikus Volschenk DramaAfrikaans Flatland Jenna Cato Bass Faith Baloyi, Nicole Fortuin , Izel Bezuidenhout DramaEnglish, Afrikaans Griekwastad Jozua MalherbeArnold Vosloo , Alex van Dyk, Tim Theron, Jody Abrahams Crime, DramaAfrikaansDramatisation of a true story The Harvesters Etienne Kallos Brent Vermeulen , Alex Van Dyk, Juliana Venter, Morne Visser DramaAfrikaans, EnglishOriginal title: Die Stropers Kandasamys: The Wedding Jayan MoodleyJailoshini Naidoo, Maeshni Naicker, Madhushan Singh, Mishqah ParthiephalRomance Kings of Mulberry Street Judy NaidooAaqil Hoosen, Shaan Nathoo, Neville Pillay, Rizelle Januk, Thiru NaidooComedyEnglish Knuckle CityJahmil X. T. QubekaBongile Mantsai, Thembekile Komani, Patrick Ndlovu, Faniswa Yisa, Siv Ngesi Drama, CrimeXhosaSouth Africa's entry for the 92nd Academy Awards (2020) in Best International Feature Film category[18] The Last Victims Maynard KraakSean Cameron Michael, Kurt Egelhof, Marno van der Merwe, Ashish Gangapersad, Jacobus Van Heerden, Mark Mulder Drama, Mystery, ThrillerEnglishInspired by true events film, has won 18 awards and 8 nominations around the world from 12 film festivals. The world Premiere was at Pan African Film Festival , Hollywood in 2019. 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Qubeka Coming-of-age, road movieEnglish, XhosaAlso known as Valedictory 2023 The Honeymoon Bianca IsaacKajal Bagwandeen , Tumi Morake , Minnie Dlamini ComedyEnglish Kings of Mulberry Street: Let Love Reign Judy NaidooShaan Nathoo, Liam Dunpath, Hamish Kyd, Riyaad Nakooda, Kogie Naidoo, Kimberley Arthur FamilyEnglish 2024 Heart of the Hunter Mandla DubeBonko Khoza, Connie Ferguson , Tim Theron, Nicole Fortuin , Masasa Mbangeni, Sisanda Henna, Peter Butler, Deon Coetzee Netflix film See also List of Afrikaans-language films 1898 Pres. Paul Kruger filmed in front of his house in Pretoria, on his way to the council. 1916 De Voortrekkers (first Afrikaans film) 1931 Moedertjie (first full-length film with Afrikaans dialogue) Sarie Marais, musical (first South African film with sound) 1938 Bou van ’n Nasie, documentary (second film with Afrikaans dialogue) 1942 Lig van 'n Eeu, documentary 1944 Donker Spore, drama 1946 Geboortegrond, drama Die wildsboudjie, comedy Die Skerpioen, drama Pikkie se Erfenis, drama 1947 Pantoffelregering, comedy Simon Beyers, drama 1948 Die kaskenades van Dr. Kwak, comedy 1949 Sarie Marais, drama Kom saam, vanaand, musical (first musical in Afrikaans) 1950 Hier's ons weer, comedy 1951 Alles sal regkom, comedy Daar Doer in die Bosveld , comedy (first South African film in colour) 1952 Altyd in my drome, musical Hans-die-Skipper, drama Vyftig-vyftig, comedy Die Leeu van Punda Maria 1953 Inspan, adventure, drama 1954 ’n Plan is ’n Boerdery, romantic comedy Daar Doer in die Stad, drama, comedy 1955 Vadertjie

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Siener van Rensburg Nicolaas Pieter Johannes ("Niklaas" or "Siener") Janse van Rensburg (3 August 1864 – 11 March 1926) was a Boer from the South African Republic – also known as the Transvaal Republic – and later a citizen of South Africa who was considered by some to be a prophet of the Boers . Consequently, his nickname became "Siener" (Afrikaans for "seer "). Van Rensburg's visions were typically wrapped in a patriotic, religious format, and have been interpreted by believers as predictions of future events. During the Boer War he became a trusted companion, if not advisor to General de la Rey and President Steyn . The extent of his influence with these figures is disputed,[2] [3] though the devoutly religious de la Rey seemed to have considered him a prophet of God Early life Van Rensburg was born on the farm Palmietfontein in the Potchefstroom district, the son of Willem Jacobus Janse van Rensburg and Anna Catharina Janse van Rensburg. He only received 20 days of formal school training at the Rooipoort farm school, and spent much of his youth as a cattle herder. He could never write, but assisted by his mother, he learnt to read from the Bible. He never read anything else. At age 16, he participated in a government expedition against the rebellious tribal leader Mabhogo . He contracted and survived malaria on the expedition and afterwards settled near Wolmaranstad in the then western ZAR . At age 21 he was an elected elder for the Hervormde Kerk , perhaps due to his scriptural knowledge. He married Anna Sophia Kruger in 1884. Boer war Van Rensburg and his brother Pieter were commandeered to participate in the second Anglo-Boer War under General Sarel P. du Toit. Van Rensburg however remained unarmed and never fired a shot. His contribution was to be a stream of visions and prophesies for the duration of the war. As the seer would later explain, he believed that a nightly visitor woke him only a day before the outbreak of the war, with a message that his work was dedicated to God. Following this vision, van Rensburg was beset with a fear that would not dissipate. When this disturbed state continued into their sojourn in Kimberley, his superiors sent him home. Experiencing no relief, he returned to the Siege of Kimberley , where he believed a new vision had revealed to him the defeat and loss of life that the war would bring about. Shortly afterwards, possibly at Graspan , his disturbed state lifted permanently as a soldier was wounded on his side, as, according to van Rensburg, another vision had forewarned. Van Rensburg then travelled with general Piet Cronjé but escaped the encirclement by British forces at Paardeberg . Subsequently, he travelled with different commandos, where a number of apparently accurate predictions established his reputation. A report of his visions attracted the attention of General de la Rey, who recruited Van Rensburg for his On 7 December 1900, General de Wet found himself cornered against the Caledon River , which was in flood, while British forces were assailing his position. When his surrender appeared imminent, a message from De la Rey was delivered by a Boer scout. Van Rensburg had allegedly foreseen the situation and the message outlined an escape route, which was duly followed, leaving the pursuers to flounder in the torrent which De Wet had just traversed. De la Rey, also hard pressed by his enemy, dispatched Van Rensburg to accompany President Steyn to Roodewal, De Wet's safe retreat in the northern Free State. Here Van Rensburg advised them to wait upon two horsemen which he described, who arrived the next day with a message from acting President Schalk Burger . On 13 September 1901, van Rensburg found himself in the camp of Commandant Roux at Rietkuil near Vredefort . Sensing imminent danger, he advised those present, who had just retired for the day, to depart from the camp at once. Roux was slow to take heed, and his men even more so, as scouts had not observed enemy units. Van Rensburg, his wife and children escaped on a cart, shortly before the greater part of the camp was captured in a surprise attack. LIST OF PREDICTIONS Prophecies from 1899 until his death in 1926: Fulfilled: * The outcome of the Boer War. * The Great ‘Flu epidemic of 1918. * England’s loss of all her colonies. * Independence for Ireland. * The atomic disaster at Chernobyl on April 26 1986. * Lady Di’s death The divorce and tragic death of “a beautiful English Lady in a car accident who would be mourned by the whole world.” * Civil war in Bosnia. * Dr HF Verwoerd, former Prime Minister, will die at the hand of a close friend. * The release of Nelson Mandela by ex-President FW de Klerk. * The Necklace Murders by blacks against blacks * South Africa will be governed by a black government. Not fulfilled yet (scan the topics and read what you wish) * Japan will be destroyed by earthquakes. * Ethnical violence in Russia and Europe Actually, this does seem to be in formation. Muslims in Europe already are changing the population profile. They represent a different religion and a race (Arab) within Europe. Whatever they protest about, will affect the countries they are in. I expect them to turn Europe against Israel, which has been the object of their wrath for thousands of years. * Racial violence will explode worldwide at the turn of the century and start World War III, in which Germany and America will fight side by side. * Laser weapons?: It is a chilling experience to read about his predictions in 1920 of this coming Third and Final War at the beginning of the 21st century when the armies of the world will use what he called “terrible electrical rays that sow death and destruction from above and below, and soak the earth in blood”. *** This could be an EMP attack, which knocks out the electrical grid over countries. The old prophet described the events on the battlefields of the world in such detail as though he himself had been an eye-witness. In 1918 Rensburg prophesied: “I see there will be a time when the whole world will be ploughed under. This will be the beginning of the Third – and last – World War and everything will be in confusion. Then I saw a snake lying on the ploughed land. I could not see its head or tail. Flight from the enemy In January 1901 Van Rensburg had a vision indicating the flight of three Boer women, who were soon found and rescued by his host Willem Bosman. Days after rejoining De la Rey's commando he had visions of members of his own family being captured, and asked for leave to assist them.The Van Rensburg family fled from their farmhouse as British forces approached, but the wagon train carrying the elderly, women and neighbours was surprised and captured by traitors the following morning. Van Rensburg's parents, eldest daughter Hester and four younger children were subsequently interned at the Mafeking concentration camp. Van Rensburg, his wife, eldest son Willem and two daughters travelled with a group which managed to evade their pursuers, and Van Rensburg once again joined De la Rey's commando. Upon meeting his wife again in mid October 1901, they found their farmhouse destroyed. Van Rensburg's ominous premonition concerning their daughters, Anna and Maria, was confirmed when news arrived that they and two relatives had died during an outbreak of measles in the concentration camp. Closing stage of war Van Rensburg was present when Commandant Van Aardt's company returned from the action at Yzerspruit on 25 February 1902. Van Aardt was in a despondent state as his brother was missing in action . Van Rensburg however assured him that his brother was neither dead nor captured, but alive, though in great pain. The wounded soldier was returned to camp the same evening, carried on the horse of a burgher who found him. Before the Battle of Tweebosch , Van Rensburg gave a number of predictions indicating how the enemy would approach along the Harts River , and when he deemed them most vulnerable. He also envisaged how the victory would enhance De la Rey's reputation. Methuen 's force collapsed in the face of De la Rey's sudden attack on 7 March 1902, and Methuen was captured. On 17 March 1902, President Steyn, in the company of De Wet and Hertzog , arrived at Zendelingsfontein, De la Rey's headquarters near Klerksdorp, to consult De la Rey's physician about an eye ailment. Van Rensburg was once again dispatched to guard the president. Around the 23rd he had a vision of English troops arriving, but the president was unwilling to heed his warning, until De la Rey intervened urgently on Van Rensburg's behalf. The president departed for the safety of the Molopo River on the evening of the 24th. British troops arrived at Zendelingsfontein during the early hours of the 25th and captured two of De la Rey's adjutants. Gaining entry to General Kemp 's war council in the bushveld region, he soon warned them against attacking a retreating enemy, which would leave them vulnerable to encirclement. At the subsequent Battle of Hart's River on 31 March 1902, some British units did fall back, though some Canadians stood their ground until overpowered by burgher forces. Kemp, though partially or grudgingly heeding the seer's visions, was generally reluctant to give him credit. World War I rebellion When the Union of South Africa came out in support of the Allied Powers in World War I , Van Rensburg allied with the rebels . The rebellion received a fatal blow even before it started, when the influential general Koos de la Rey was killed at a police road block on 15 September 1914. De la Rey, when killed, was en route to General J. G. C. Kemp , who subsequently organised the rebellion in western Transvaal. On 2 November, Kemp addressed a public meeting at Vleeskraal, near Schweizer-Reneke , with the locally influential Van Rensburg at his side. Van Rensburg also addressed the assembly, and assured them that his visions indicated they had little to fear. 610 men then joined the rebel cause, and with conscription imminent, the number of rebel volunteers grew to 1,800. General Kemp decided on a company of 720 men, mostly farmers, which included Van Rensburg and his son. They departed immediately on a journey to join Manie Maritz in German South-West Africa . After a desert trek and much hardship they linked up with Maritz's company on 29 November. Rebels under De Wet and Beyers were rounded up by South African forces in the days that followed. Returning to South Africa, Maritz and Kemp engaged government forces at Nous, Lutzputs and finally at Upington , on 3 February 1915. Van Rensburg's son Willem was mortally wounded in the Upington clash, and the whole rebel force captured, with the exception of Maritz who fled via German South-West Africa to Angola, and thence to Portugal. Van Rensburg, like his comrades, received a prison sentence. He however served about a year, first in Boksburg, then in the Old Fort, Johannesburg . Post-war years After his release Nicolaas van Rensburg returned to his farm Rietkuil, near Wolmaranstad . Some of his visions were then recorded by reverend Dr Rossouw. Van Rensburg's daughter Anna Badenhorst also recorded a set of visions up to his death at age 61. The latter set is considered to be difficult to interpret and not very coherent. With the outbreak of World War II , the collections of visions were considered inflammatory. Distribution was prohibited and some copies seized on orders of prime minister Jan Smuts . Upon Anna's death her handwritten documents were transferred to Lichtenburg museum's archives, where they were rediscovered in 1991. The farm and van Rensburg family cemetery are located 11 km from Ottosdal , in the North West Province . Visions His mother commented on his visual hallucinations as a toddler, and said that these seemed to disturb him. General Hertzog described him as someone continuously distracted by a maze of imagery and symbolism. 700 visions have been documented. Van Rensburg interpreted his hallucinations as visions that were usually connected to the welfare of the Boere, the Netherlands and Germany. For example, a vision of the sisal plant was interpreted as a portent of an important meeting, assembly or parliament. Van Rensburg's visions have been described by some as predictions of local events, such as the death of general Koos de la Rey and the political transition of South Africa. Van Rensburg and his followers have also interpreted his visions as being connected to international events, such as the start of World War I and the rise of Communism . He did not interpret all of his visions, and some have been posthumously applied to more recent events as prophecies. Reitz's assessment Boer soldier Deneys Reitz 's account of the Boer War contains a colourful objective account of one of the seer's predictions (shortened):[4] ... a prophet, a strange character, with long flowing beard and wild fanatical eyes, who dreamed dreams and pretended to possess occult powers. I personally witnessed one of the lucky hits while we were congregated around the General's cart. Van Rensburg was expounding his latest vision to a hushed audience. It ran of a black bull and a red bull fighting, until at length the red bull sank defeated to its knees, referring to the British. Arms outstretched and eyes ablaze, he suddenly called out: See, who comes?; and, looking up, we made out a distant horseman spurring towards us. When he came up, he produced a letter from General Botha , hundreds of miles away. General de la Rey opened it and said: "Men, believe me, the proud enemy is humbled". The letter contained news that the English had proposed a peace conference. "Coming immediately upon the prophecy, it was a dramatic moment and I was impressed, even though I suspected that van Rensburg had stage-managed the scene. Of the general's sincerity there could be no doubt as he firmly believed in the seer's predictions." Contemporary relevance The Suidlanders , an ethnonationalist Afrikaner survivalist group, are heavily influenced by the prophecies of Van Rensburg Videos von siener van rensburg visions Siener van Rensburg Biography 11:40 Siener van Rensburg - The History of South Africa YouTubeJoshua Wolvaardt 8,4Tsd. Aufrufe7. Juli 2023 14:54 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part1: Who was Siener van Rensburg YouTubeStories from South Africa 28,4Tsd. Aufrufe4. März 2022 25:11 The Afrikaans Prophet, Siener Van Rensburg YouTubeWishpicker 69,8Tsd. Aufrufe24. Mai 2019 Beste Videos 15:06 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 6: Visions from January 1915 YouTubeStories from South Africa 3,8Tsd. Aufrufe18. Apr. 2022 16:48 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part4: Visions from March and July 1914 YouTubeStories from South Africa 7Tsd. Aufrufe23. März 2022 16:16 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 15: Visions from April 1916 YouTubeStories from South Africa 1,7Tsd. Aufrufe22. Aug. 2022 15:06 In Video von 0:00 suchenIntroduction to Visions Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 6: Visions from January 1915 3,8Tsd. Aufrufe18. Apr. 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 16:48 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part4: Visions from March and J… 7Tsd. Aufrufe23. März 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 16:16 In Video von 00:54 suchenVision 207 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 15: Visions from April 1916 1,7Tsd. Aufrufe22. Aug. 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 14:37 In Video von 00:10 suchenWho was Siener van Rensburg? Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part3: Visions of Siener by CP Ni… 10,7Tsd. Aufrufe15. März 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 40:04 Boer Prophet Siener van Rensburg - Visions recorded by Anna Badenh… 1,6Tsd. Aufrufe9. März 2023 YouTubeStories from South Africa 17:30 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 14: Visions from March 1916 1,8Tsd. Aufrufe30. Juli 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 1:46 The End of Siener van Rensburg Visions Translations 1,6Tsd. Aufrufe5. Jan. 2024 YouTubeStories from South Africa 26:14 In Video von 00:38 suchenVision 271 Boer Prophet Siener van Rensburg - Visions recorded by Anna Badenh… 2,1Tsd. Aufrufe11. Okt. 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 9:22 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 7: Visions from February til… 3,1Tsd. Aufrufe22. Apr. 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 11:40 In Video von 00:10 suchenIntroduction to Siener van Rensburg Siener van Rensburg - The History of South Africa 8,4Tsd. Aufrufe7. Juli 2023 YouTubeJoshua Wolvaardt 12:34 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 12: Visions from January 19… 1,8Tsd. Aufrufe19. Juli 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 14:54 In Video von 0:00 suchenIntroduction to Siener van Rensburg Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part1: Who was Siener van Rens… 28,4Tsd. Aufrufe4. März 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 10:26 Siener Nicolaas Van Rensburg's Visions about England 35,7Tsd. Aufrufe26. Juli 2018 YouTubeBen Hashem 25:11 In Video von 03:52 suchenThe Prophet's Visions The Afrikaans Prophet, Siener Van Rensburg 69,8Tsd. Aufrufe24. Mai 2019 YouTubeWishpicker 10:42 After WW3 - The State of the World //Siener van Rensburg 11,1Tsd. Aufrufe18. März 2020 YouTubeGentle Lion Bold Lamb 13:56 Siener van Rensburg in a Nutshell 5,8Tsd. AufrufeVor 4 Monaten YouTubeStories from South Africa 40:28 South Africa`s future....Same prophecy, different people 60,7Tsd. Aufrufe2. Feb. 2022 YouTubeKykso 6:17 In Video von 00:20 suchenIntroduction to Siener van Rensburg How World War 3 will Unfold //Siener Van Rensburg 66,2Tsd. Aufrufe10. Dez. 2019 YouTubeGentle Lion Bold Lamb 12:32 In Video von 00:08 suchenSiener van Rensburg's Life Siener van Rensburg 66,2Tsd. Aufrufe4. Nov. 2018 YouTubeUncle Nubby 2:33 Siener van Rensburg Prophecies and Predictions for 2024 65Tsd. Aufrufe5. Mai 2022 TikTokjacques_pieters1 17:28 In Video von 00:17 suchenThe Visions of Siener van Rensburg Boer Prophet Siener van Rensburg - Visions recorded by Anna Badenh… 2,2Tsd. Aufrufe15. Sept. 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 4:58 In Video von 02:08 suchenLack of Interest in Siener's Visions Boer Prophet Siener van Rensburg - What is Happening? 6,1Tsd. Aufrufe20. Jan. 2023 YouTubeStories from South Africa 12:03 Dr. Servaas Rossouw oor Siener van Rensburg 30Tsd. Aufrufe11. Mai 2020 YouTubeStories from South Africa 8:40 In Video von 00:42 suchenRecording Almost 400 Visions Boer Prophet Siener van Rensburg - Visions recorded by Anna Badenh… 3,6Tsd. Aufrufe7. Sept. 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 10:39 In Video von 00:49 suchenVision 228 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 16: Visions from May 1916 1,5Tsd. Aufrufe25. Aug. 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 10:53 In Video von 00:51 suchenVision 158 Boer Prophet: Siener van Rensburg - Part 13: Visions from February 1… 1,4Tsd. Aufrufe25. Juli 2022 YouTubeStories from South Africa 51:58 Siener van Rensburg en die Bybel 22,2Tsd. Aufrufe22. März 2018 YouTubeBoerierol 7:16 Duitsland kom help - Andre van den Berg 46,2Tsd. Aufrufe29. Apr. 2020 YouTubeStories from South Africa

ANGLO ZULU WAR Anglo-Zulu Wars 1879-1896 The destruction of the Zulu kingdom 1879 -1896 In the 1870s settler and colonial determination to bring Blacks under firm political control had undermined the hard-won security that many African societies had achieved. This was due to changes in economic conditions in South Africa's hinterland, and the consequent need to secure sufficient political authority over Africans- which would ensure security and access to labour. These societies attempted to resist the extension of colonial control over them, one of which was the Zulu kingdom. Sir Bartle Frere was appointed British high commissioner to South Africa in 1879 to realise the Policy of Confederation. This policy was set to bring the various British colonies, Boer republics and independent African groups under common control- with a view to implementing a policy of economic development. Sir Bartle Frere saw the self-reliant Zulu kingdom as a threat to this policy, a belief which was supported by Shepstone, the Secretary for Native Affairs. Shepstone averred that the Zulu people had revived their military power under Cetshwayo , which made them more of a threat to peace and prosperity in South Africa. On 11 December 1878, under the flimsy pretext of a few minor border incursions into Natal by Cetshwayo's followers, the Zulu were given an impossible ultimatum- that they should disarm and Cetshwayo should forsake his sovereignty. The inevitable invasion of Zululand began after the ultimatum had expired on *10 January 1879 (see insert note). Instead of fragmenting the Zulu as Shepstone predicted, this rallied the Zulu to their king's cause. Many historians mark the 10* January 1879 as the beginning of the Anglo-Zulu war, while others claim that the 12 January 1879 (first attack) or the 22 January 1879 (first decisive battle of Isandlwana) marked the beginning of the war. However, even the 10 January date is disputed as many sources say that the ultimatum actually expired on the 11 January 1879. Under the overall command of Lord Chelmsford, the British forces -many of them colonials (Whites) or members of the Natal Native Contingent (Blacks) – began carrying out the general plan put in place for the invasion of Zululand. The main objective was to occupy the Zulu royal kraal at Ulundi by advancing on it from three directions. This operation was similar to the Zulu tactic of attacking from three sides by means of the main force or chest in the centre, and an extended left and right ‘horn’ on each side. The right or Number I Column, commanded by Colonel C.K. Pearson, was to cross the lower Tugela River and advance towards Ulundi by way of Eshowe. The centre or main force, the Number III Column, advanced from Pietermaritzburg via Greytown to Helpmekaar, under the leadership of Lord Chelmsford himself. From Helpmekaar the centre force was to enter Zululand at Rorke's Drift and move eastwards to the royal kraal. The left or Number IV Column, commanded by Brevet Col Sir H. Evelyn Wood, concentrated at Utrecht with the object of reaching Ulundi from the north-west. In addition, two minor forces guarded the borders. The first of these forces was the Number II Column at Krantzkop, under Brevet Col A.W. Durnford to prevent the Zulus crossing the Tugela. The second was the Number V Column at Luneberg to safeguard the Transvaal, which had been annexed by the British in 1877 (see map). The first attack of the war took place on 12 January 1879, when the position of Sihayo's kraal, situated in the Batshe valley, threatened the successful advancement of the British column. Under Chelmsford’s orders, the attacking force moved across the Batshe to attack a rocky gorge into which Sihayo's men had retreated, driving their cattle before them. The Natal Native Contingent showed reluctance to face the Zulus, some of whom were armed with rifles. In an attempt to thwart the attack, stones were also rolled down onto the attackers and after sharp action, the Zulus retreated, with 30 dead, 4 wounded and 10 captured. The British however, suffered only 2 casualties, with 15 wounded. The Battle of Isandlwana The main Zulu army left Nodwengu on 17 January to defend Zululand from the centre column. These forces were under the command of chiefs Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza and Mavu-mengwana kaNdlela Ntuli. Cetshwayo had promised his men that the British would be defeated in a 'single day'. On the 17 January Chelmsford and his forces rode to Isandlwana, which he had selected as the site for his next camp. On 20 January Chelmsford’s men arrived and set up camp at Isandlwana hill. Chelmsford encountered some local resistance and mistakenly assumed it to be the main Zulu force. This divided his column, half of which he took to support an engagement some fifteen kilometres away. Colonel Henry Pulleine was left in charge of the remaining forces, but did not organise his troops into a defensive circular ‘laager’ formation, as the wagons would be needed shortly to transport supplies. Colonel A.W. Durnford arrived the next day with a detachment to reinforce the camp and take over command. Durnford, described as being 'as plucky as a lion but as imprudent as a child', impetuously pursued a Zulu foraging party. As he proceeded over the ridge of the Mabaso heights he encountered, to his horror, the Zulu army, a mass of 20 000 strong below. The Zulu had not intended to attack then, as it was a new moon and it was considered unwise to fight on a 'dark day'. However, once discovered, they had no choice but to go on the offensive. Pulleine was therefore forced to spread his firepower over a long distance, instead of concentrating his men in a tight formation. The Zulu steadily advanced in the horn formation, their centre, or chest, pitted against Puileine's left flank. They suffered huge losses as the British concentrated fire on the chest, and the attack was temporarily stalled. The Zulu’s left horn outflanked Durnford's infantry and descended onto the British camp from behind. Realising he was surrounded, Pulleine tried to retreat in order to save the endangered camp. This allowed the Zulu centre to advance again, and while raising the national cry of 'uSuthu' the Zulu interposed themselves between the retreating British and their camp. Hand to hand combat ensued and the Zulu carried the day. A detachment of British troops tried to mount a final stand at a stream two miles away, but most retreated to Rorke's Drift or fled down the Mzinyathi River with the Zulu in pursuit. The British lost 52 officers, 727 white soldiers and 471 black men of the Native Contingent - a third of Chelmsford's men. The Zulu, ‘as was their custom, took no prisoners at Isandlwana, and spared no lives, despite pleas for mercy'’. Everything else left behind was carried off as booty. The Battle of Rorke’s Drift and the Aftermath The Charge of the 17th Lancers at the Battle of Ulundi. Source: http://www.britishbattles.com/ One day later, a depot at Rorke's Drift was attacked against the orders of Cetshwayo, who favoured a defensive strategy. After the overwhelming victory over the British at Isandlwana, Zulu reserve forces who were not involved in the previous day’s battle retaliated with an attack on the “hastily erected fort” at the small garrison of Rorke’s Drift. Here the British fought with ‘rifle fire and bayonets’ and the Zulu force, led by Prince Dabulamanzi, suffered 500 casualties in this fruitless engagement. This provided the British with “much needed propaganda to counter the Zulu success at Isandlwana”. On the coast, the right column brushed aside Zulu resistance at the Nyezane river, before advancing to occupy the deserted mission station at Eshowe. The left column was also involved in heavy skirmishing around the Hlobane mountain. When the central British collapsed at Isandlwana, however, the left and right flanking columns were left exposed. The Zulus managed to cut Colonel C.K. Pearson’s right column off from the border, and Pearson's men were besieged for three months at Eshowe. The left flank column, however, managed to remain operative. Chelmsford swiftly made his way back to Natal. The might of the British army had suffered a severe repulse and any thoughts of a quick British victory were put to rest. On the other hand, the Zulu themselves suffered terrible casualties, and worse was to follow. After the defeat at Isandlwana British pride had to be restored, and reinforcements were sent for. Chelmsford's army advanced again into Zululand, inflicting heavy defeats on the Zulu in April at Gingindlovu, relieving Pearson's column, and at Khambula. The Zulu were now on the back foot. In July Chelmsford moved in on oNdini, and in a final onslaught known as the Battle of Ulundi, they secured an overwhelming military success. More than 1 000 Zulu were killed and Cetshwayo was forced to flee for safety, until he was captured in the Ngome forest in August and exiled to the Cape. The Zulu were then instructed to return to their homesteads and resume productive activities. The British, nonetheless, were at pains to explain that the war was against the Zulu royal house. The Division of Zululand The war itself had not destroyed the kingdom, but subsequent events served to divide the Zulu and undermine their economic and social cohesion. Taking a leaf out of Shepstone’s 'native policy', Sir Garnet Wolseley, the new British commander in Natal, divided the kingdom into thirteen territories under appointed chiefs. They were meant to represent the chiefly lineages of pre-Shakan times, which was a shaky argument at best, especially since one of them was John Dunn who had joined the British when hostilities began. Others had either been outrightly opposed to Cetshwayo or had shown little loyalty to him during the war. The chiefs’ allegiance was to those who had appointed them, and Britain thus effectively began to administer indirect rule over Zululand. Melmoth Osborn, who enthusiastically supported Shepstone's views, was appointed as British Resident in Zululand. Unsurprisingly Zululand suffered civil strife as a result of this arrangement. Those who continued to espouse the old Zulu order were known as the uSuthu, and were led by Ndabuko kaMpande, Cetshwayo's brother. They were to come into conflict with the appointed chiefs and by 1887 had 'fought themselves to a standstill'. In addition, a hut tax was imposed, not only on each hut but on every wife regardless of whether she occupied a hut. Wolseley's infamous settlement of Zululand had not destroyed the Zulu homestead-the basic productive unit in the kingdom's economy- nor had the Zulu been deprived of their land. The hut tax, however, served to divert some of the surplus accruing to an individual homestead head to the British government. Subsequently over 70% of the annual cost of administering Zululand was derived from this tax. As the civil war intensified, the British realised that this settlement was simply not workable. Cetshwayo, encouraged by Bishop Colenso and his daughter Harriette- who both visited him in Cape Town-petitioned the British government and was granted permission to visit England to put forward his case for the restoration of the Zulu monarchy. In Zululand similar petitions were presented to the British Resident by the uSuthu. Early in 1883 Cetshwayo was reinstalled as king, but his powers had been severely reduced. He was confined to a smaller area, surrounded by enemies, and his every move was watched by a Resident. Those who wished to show their loyalty to Cetshwayo were obliged to move into his central district of the kingdom. Zibhebhu, an arch opponent of Cetshwayo, whose allegiance was more to the colonial order than the royal house, occupied a large tract of territory to Cetshwayo's north, and forced uSuthu loyalists resident in his portion to return to Cetshwayo's area. A pre-emptive strike by the uSuthu against Zibhebhu failed. Later Zibhebhu and Hamu, another of the appointed chiefs, invaded the uSuthu. Cetshwayo was soundly defeated at his newly built capital at oNdini in 1883, with the level of bloodshed exceeding anything the Zulu had experienced during Cetshwayo's reign. Matters worsened for the uSuthu when Cetshwayo died in late 1883- as the balance of power in Zululand had now shifted decisively to the Imperial administration, and its supporters in Zululand. In a last-ditch measure to regain power, Cetshwayo's son, Dinuzulu, entered into a treaty with the Transvaal. In military terms, the alliance proved successful and Zibhebhu's army was forced out of the loyalists' territory. But this agreement came at a huge cost. In return for their assistance, the Boers were promised vast tracts of territory on Zululand's western margin, which they called The New Republic, with its 'capital' at Vryheid. When the Transvaalers tried to claim even more land than what was agreed upon, the uSuthu refused. Having realised the extent of the chaos in Zululand, the British intervened. Dinuzulu was allowed to retain control of his portion of central Zululand, but the Boers were also acknowledged as owners of the New Republic. This lead to a Reserve area being set aside for those opposed to the loyalists. In Natal, pressure mounted for the annexation of Zululand, and almost inevitably it was annexed to the Crown in 1887. The promulgation of a Code of Laws placed Zululand under a similar 'Native Policy' to that in Natal. Once more the uSuthu mounted resistance to the annexation, and again Zibhebhus services were called upon. The revolt was spectacularly successful for a short period, as the uSuthu under Dinuzulu made good use of the mountainous terrain to repulse a police contingent sent to arrest their leaders. Zibhebhus followers were attacked by Dinuzulu and forced to flee hastily from the Ndwandwe district. Finally reinforcements arrived, the uSuthu were driven from their hideouts, leading Dinuzulu to surrender. In 1889, he and his leading adherents were tried for treason, found guilty and sentenced to prison terms on St Helena. In 1894 Dinuzulu was pardoned and allowed to return to Zululand, but as a mere induna, or state official, with no chiefly powers or privileges. To appease colonial interests, his return was coupled with the annexation of Zululand by Natal in 1897. After eighteen years, settler interests had prevailed in the land of the Zulu, and the plans Shepstone initially envisaged for the kingdom could be put into place. White settlers and traders entered Zululand in increasing numbers, and Zululand was thus 'reconstructed'. The territory was divided among compliant chiefs who ruled with limited authority, and the governor of Natal became the supreme chief over Zululand. The situation was worsened further by several natural disasters between 1894 and 1897. These disasters included a plague of locusts, drought and the devastating rinderpest epidemic of 1897- which led to a massive decline in homestead production. Already under stress from the imposition of the hut tax, many more Zulu men were forced into the Witwatersrand labour market to make ends meet and pay taxes. The gradual emergence of a permanent labouring class alongside a traditional economy, based on homestead production and cattle-keeping, led to new social divisions in Zulu society. The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 was a significant conflict in South African history. It was fought between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom, in a British victory and the annexation of Zululand. The war had a profound impact on the region, shaping its political and social landscape for years to come. The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom . Two famous battles of the war were the Zulu victory at Isandlwana and the British defence at Rorke's Drift . Following the passing of the British North America Act of 1867 forming a federation in Canada, Lord Carnarvon thought that a similar political effort, coupled with military campaigns, might lead to a ruling white minority over a black majority, which would provide a large pool of cheap labour for the British sugar plantations and mines, encompassing the African Kingdoms, tribal areas and Boer republics into South Africa . In 1874, Sir Bartle Frere was sent to South Africa as High Commissioner for the British Empire to effect such plans. Among the obstacles were the armed independent states of the South African Republic and the Kingdom of Zululand . Frere, on his own initiative, sent a provocative ultimatum on 11 December 1878 to the Zulu king Cetshwayo and upon its rejection sent Lord Chelmsford to invade Zululand. The war had several particularly bloody battles, including an opening victory of the Zulu at the Battle of Isandlwana , followed by the defence of Rorke's Drift by a small British Garrison from an attack by a large Zulu force. The British eventually won the war, ending Zulu dominance of the region. The Zulu Kingdom was then made a protectorate and later annexed by the British Empire in 1887. British Empire By the 1850s, the British Empire had colonies in southern Africa bordering on various Boer settlements, native African kingdoms such as the Zulus and the Basotho and numerous indigenous tribal areas and states. Various interactions with those groups followed an expansionist policy. Cape Colony was formed after the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1814 had permanently ceded the Dutch colony of Cape Town to Britain, and its territory expanded very substantially in the 19th century. Natal , in south-eastern Africa, was claimed by the British as a colony on 4 May 1843, after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia . Matters were brought to a head when three sons (led by Mehlokazulu kaSihayo) and a brother of the Zulu inkosi Sihayo organized a raid into Natal and carried off two women who were under British protection. The discovery of diamonds in 1867 near the Vaal River , some 550 mi (890 km) northeast of Cape Town , ended the isolation of the Boers in the interior and had a significant effect on events. The discovery triggered a diamond rush that attracted people from all over the world, which turned Kimberley into a town of 50,000 within five years and drew the attention of British imperial interests. In the 1870s, the British annexed West Griqualand , site of the Kimberley diamond discoveries. In 1874 Lord Carnarvon , Secretary of State for the Colonies , who had brought about federation in Canada in 1867, thought that a similar scheme might work in South Africa, The South African plan called for a ruling white minority over a black majority, which would provide a large pool of cheap labour for the British sugar plantations and mines, Carnarvon, in an attempt to extend British influence in 1875, approached the Boer states of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic and tried to organize a federation of the British and Boer territories but the Boer leaders turned him down. In 1877, Sir Bartle Frere was made High Commissioner for Southern Africa by Lord Carnarvon. Carnarvon appointed Frere to the position on the understanding that he would work to enforce Carnarvon's confederation plan and Frere could then become the first British governor of a federated southern African dominion . Frere was sent to South Africa as High Commissioner to bring this plan about. One of the obstacles to such a scheme was the presence of the independent Boer states of the South African Republic , informally known as the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State, and the Kingdom of Zululand . Bartle Frere wasted no time in putting the scheme forward and manufacturing a casus belli against the Zulu by exaggerating the significance of a number of recent incidents. By 1877, Sir Theophilus Shepstone , the British Secretary for Native Affairs in Natal, annexed the Transvaal Republic for Britain using a special warrant. The Transvaal Boers objected but as long as the Zulu threat remained, found themselves between two threats; they feared that if they took up arms to resist the British annexation, King Cetshwayo and the Zulus would take the opportunity to attack. The successive British annexations and in particular the annexation of West Griqualand caused a climate of simmering unease for the Boer republics. Shepstone railed against the disruptive effect of allowing Cetshwayo's regime to remain. "Zulu power", he said, "is the root and real strength of all native difficulties in South Africa". In December 1877, he wrote to Carnarvon "Cetshwayo is the secret hope of every petty independent chief hundreds of miles from him who feels a desire that his colour shall prevail, and it will not be until this hope is destroyed that they will make up their minds to submit to the rule of civilisation". Earlier in October 1877, Shepstone had attended a meeting with Zulu leaders near the Blood River to resolve the land dispute between the Zulus and the Boers. He suggested a compromise with the Boers and the meeting broke up without clear resolutions. He turned against the Zulus with vengeance, saying he had come into possession of "the most incontrovertible, overwhelming and clear evidence" never previously disclosed, for supporting the claims of the Boers. He rejected Zulu claims as "characterised by lying and treachery to an extent that I could not have believed even savages are capable of". Shepstone, in his capacity as British governor of Natal, had expressed concerns about the Zulu army under King Cetshwayo and the potential threat to Natal – especially given the adoption by some of the Zulus of old muskets and other out-of-date firearms. In his new role of Administrator of the Transvaal, he was now responsible for protecting the Transvaal and had direct involvement in the Zulu border dispute from the side of the Transvaal. Persistent Boer representations and Paul Kruger 's diplomatic manoeuvres added to the pressure. There were incidents involving Zulu paramilitary actions on either side of the Transvaal/Natal border, and Shepstone increasingly began to regard King Cetshwayo, as having permitted such "outrages", and to be in a "defiant mood". King Cetshwayo now found no defender in Natal save the bishop of Natal, John Colenso . Colenso advocated for native Africans in Natal and Zululand who had been unjustly treated by the colonial regime in Natal. In 1874 he took up the cause of Langalibalele and the Hlubi and Ngwe tribes in representations to the Colonial Secretary, Lord Carnarvon. Langalibalele had been falsely accused of rebellion in 1873 and, following a charade of a trial, was found guilty and imprisoned on Robben Island . In taking the side of Langalibalele against the colonial regime in Natal and Theophilus Shepstone, the Secretary for Native Affairs, Colenso found himself even further estranged from colonial society in Natal. Bishop Colenso's concern about the misleading information that was being provided to the Colonial Secretary in London by Shepstone and the Governor of Natal prompted him to champion the cause of the Zulus against Boer oppression and official encroachments. He was a prominent critic of Frere's efforts to depict the Zulu kingdom as a threat to Natal. Colenso's campaigns revealed the racialist foundation underpinning the colonial regime in Natal and made him enemies among the colonists. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli 's Tory administration in London did not want a war with the Zulus. "The fact is," wrote Sir Michael Hicks Beach , who was to replace Carnarvon as Secretary of State for the Colonies, in November 1878, "that matters in Eastern Europe and India ... wore so serious an aspect that we cannot have a Zulu war in addition to other greater and too possible troubles." However, Sir Bartle Frere had already been into the Cape Colony as governor and High Commissioner since 1877 with the brief of creating a Confederation of South Africa from the various British colonies, Boer Republics and native states and his plans were well advanced. He had concluded that the powerful Zulu kingdom stood in the way of this, and so was receptive to Shepstone's arguments that King Cetshwayo and his Zulu army posed a threat to the peace of the region. Preparations for a British invasion of the Zulu kingdom had been underway for months. In December 1878, notwithstanding the reluctance of the British government to start yet another colonial war, Frere presented Cetshwayo with an ultimatum that the Zulu army be disbanded and the Zulus accept a British resident. This was unacceptable to the Zulus as it effectively meant that Cetshwayo, had he agreed, would have lost his throne. Zulu Kingdom Photograph of Cetshwayo kaMpande , c. 1875 Shaka Zulu , the first Zulu king, had through war and conquest built the small Zulu tribe into the Zulu Kingdom , which by 1825 encompassed an area of around 11,500 square miles (30,000 km2). In 1828 he was assassinated at Dukuza by one of his inDunas and two of his half-brothers, one of whom, Dinggh kaSenzangakhona , succeeded him as king. By the 1830s migrating Boers came into conflict with the Zulu Kingdom, then ruled by Dingane. Dingane suffered a crushing defeat on 16 December 1838, when he attacked a group of 470 Voortrekker settlers led by Pretorius at the Battle of Blood River . Dingane's half brother, Mpande kaSenzangakhona , then defected with some 17,000 followers and allied with the Boers against Dingane. Dingane was assassinated and Mpande became king of the Zulu empire. In 1839, the Boer Voortrekkers , under Pretorius, formed the Boer Republic of Natalia , south of the Tugela, and west of the British settlement of Port Natal (now Durban). Mpande and Pretorius maintained peaceful relations. However, in 1842, war broke out between the British and the Boers, resulting in the British annexation of Natalia. Mpande shifted his allegiance to the British, and remained on good terms with them. King Mpande In 1843, Mpande ordered a purge of perceived dissidents within his kingdom. This resulted in numerous deaths, and the fleeing of thousands of refugees into neighbouring areas, including the British-controlled Natal. Many of these refugees fled with cattle, the main measure of the Zulu wealth. Mpande began raiding the surrounding areas, culminating in the invasion of Swaziland in 1852. However, the British pressured him into withdrawing, which he did shortly afterwards. At this time, a battle for the succession broke out between two of Mpande's sons, Cetshwayo and Mbuyazi. This culminated in 1856 with the Battle of Ndondakusuka , which left Mbuyazi dead. Cetshwayo then set about usurping his father's authority. When Mpande died of old age in 1872, Cetshwayo took over as ruler. In 1861, Umtonga, another son of Mpande , fled to the Utrecht district, prompting Cetshwayo to assemble an army on the nearby frontier. According to claims later brought forward by the Boers , Cetshwayo offered the farmers a strip of land along the border if they would surrender his brother. The Boers complied on the condition that Umtonga's life was spared, and in 1861 Mpande signed a deed transferring this land to the Boers. The south boundary of the land added to Utrecht ran from Rorke's Drift on the Buffalo to a point on the Pongola River . Zulu village, c. 1849 The boundary was beaconed in 1864, but when in 1865 Umtonga again fled from Zululand to Natal , Cetshwayo, seeing that he had lost his part of the bargain (for he feared that the still living Umtonga might be used to supplant him, as Mpande had been used to supplant Dingane ), removed the beacon and claimed the land ceded by the Swazis to Lydenburg . The Zulus asserted that the Swazis were their vassals and therefore had no right to part with this territory. For a year, a Boer commando unit , under Paul Kruger and an army under Cetshwayo were posted to defend the newly acquired Utrecht border. The Zulu forces took back their land north of the Pongola. Questions were also raised as to the validity of the documents signed by the Zulus concerning the Utrecht strip; in 1869 the services of the lieutenant-governor of Natal, then Robert William Keate , were accepted by both parties as arbitrator, but the attempt then made to settle disagreements proved unsuccessful. In spite of his dislike for their activities, Cetshwayo permitted European missionaries in Zululand. Though he did not harm or persecute the missionaries themselves, several converts were killed. The missionaries, for their part, were a source of hostile reports. While numerous Zulus of rival factions fled into Natal and some of the surrounding areas, Cetshwayo continued and maintained the peaceful relations with the Natal colonists that had prevailed for decades. Such was the political background when Cetshwayo became absolute ruler of the Zulus upon his father's death in 1873. As ruler, Cetshwayo set about reviving the military methods of his uncle Shaka as far as possible. He formed new age-set regiments and even succeeded in equipping his regiments with a few antiquated muskets and other outdated firearms. Most Zulu warriors were armed with an iklwa (the Zulu refinement of the assegai thrusting spear) and a shield made of cowhide. The Zulu army drilled in the personal and tactical use and coordination of this weapons system. While some Zulus also had firearms, their marksmanship training was poor and the quality and supply of their powder and shot was dreadful. The Zulu attitude towards firearms was summarized: "The generality of Zulu warriors, however, would not have firearms – the arms of a coward, as they said, for they enable the poltroon to kill the brave without awaiting his attack." History Boundary Commission and ultimatum This section contains too many or overly lengthy quotations . Please help summarize the quotations . Consider transferring direct quotations to Wikiquote or excerpts to Wikisource . (February 2020) The tension between Cetshwayo and the Transvaal over border disputes continued. Sir Theophilus Shepstone , whom Cetshwayo regarded as his friend, had supported him in the border dispute, but in 1877 he led a small force into the Transvaal and persuaded the Boers to give up their independence. Shepstone became administrator of the Transvaal, and in that role saw the border dispute from the other side. Shepstone claimed to have evidence supporting the Boer position but, ultimately, he failed to provide any. In a meeting with Zulu notables at Blood River in October 1877, Shepstone attempted to placate the Zulu with paternal speeches, however they were unconvinced and accused Shepstone of betraying them. Shepstone's subsequent reports to Carnarvon then began to paint the Zulu as an aggressive threat where he had previously presented Cetshwayo in a most favourable light. In February 1878 a commission was appointed by Henry Bulwer , the lieutenant-governor of Natal since 1875, to report on the boundary question. The commission reported in July and found almost entirely in favour of the contention of the Zulu. However, Sir Henry Bartle Frere , then high commissioner and still pressing forward with Carnarvon's federation plan, characterized the award as "one-sided and unfair to the Boers" stipulated that on the land being given to the Zulu, the Boers living on it should be compensated if they left or protected if they remained. In addition, Frere planned to use the meeting on the boundary commission report with the Zulu representatives to also present a surprise ultimatum he had devised that would allow British forces under Lord Chelmsford, which he had previously been instructed to use only in defense against a Zulu invasion of Natal, to instead invade Zululand. Three incidents occurred in late July, August and September which Frere seized upon as his casus belli and were the basis for the ultimatum with which Frere knew Cetshwayo could not comply, giving Frere a pretext to attack the Zulu kingdom. The first two incidents related to the flight into Natal of two wives of Sihayo kaXongo and their subsequent seizure and execution by his brother and sons and were described thus: A wife of the chief Sihayo had left him and escaped into Natal. She was followed [on 28 July 1878] by a party of Zulus, under Mehlokazulu, the chief son of Sihayo, and his brother, seized at the kraal where she had taken refuge, and carried back to Zululand, where she was put to death, in accordance with Zulu law... A week later the same young men, with two other brothers and an uncle, captured in like manner another refugee wife of Sihayo, in the company of the young man with whom she had fled. This woman was also carried back, and is supposed to have been put to death likewise; the young man with her although guilty in Zulu eyes of a most heinous crime, punishable with death, was safe from them on English soil; they did not touch him.[19] The third incident occurred in September when two men were detained while on a sandbank of the Thukela River near the Middle Drift. Sir Bartle Frere described this matter in a despatch to Sir Michael Hicks Beach , who had replaced Carnarvon as Secretary of State for the Colonies: Mr. Smith, a surveyor in the Colonial Engineer Department, was on duty inspecting the road down to the Tugela, near Fort Buckingham, which had been made a few years ago by order of Sir Garnet Wolseley, and accompanied by Mr. Deighton, a trader, resident at Fort Buckingham, went down to the ford across the Tugela. The stream was very low, and ran under the Zulu bank, but they were on this side of it, and had not crossed when they were surrounded by a body of 15 or 20 armed Zulus, made prisoners, and taken off with their horses, which were on the Natal side of the river, and roughly treated and threatened for some time; though, ultimately, at the instance of a headman who came up, they were released and allowed to depart. By themselves, these incidents were flimsy grounds upon which to found an invasion of Zululand. Bulwer did not initially hold Cetshwayo responsible for what was clearly not a political act in the seizure and murder of the two women. I have sent a message to the Zulu King to inform him of this act of violence and outrage by his subjects in Natal territory, and to request him to deliver Up to this Government to be tried for their offence, under the laws of the Colony, the persons of Mehlokazulu and Bekuzulu the two sons of Sirayo who were the leaders of the party. Cetshwayo also treated the complaint rather lightly, responding Cetywayo is sorry to have to acknowledge that the message brought by Umlungi is true, but he begs his Excellency will not take it in the light he sees the Natal Government seem to do, as what Sirayo's sons did he can only attribute to a rash act of boys who in the zeal for their father's house did not think of what they were doing. Cetywayo acknowledges that they deserve punishing, and he sends some of his izinduna , who will follow Umlungi with his words. Cetywayo states that no acts of his subjects will make him quarrel with his fathers of the house of Shaka. The original complaint carried to Cetshwayo from the lieutenant-governor was in the form of a request for the surrender of the culprits. The request was subsequently transformed by Sir Bartle Frere into a "demand". Frere wrote to Hicks Beach, 30 September 1878: Apart from whatever may be the general wish of the Zulu nation, it seems to me that the seizure of the two refugee women in British territory by an armed force crossing an unmistakable and well known boundary line, and carrying them off and murdering them with contemptuous disregard for the remonstrances of the Natal policemen, is itself an insult and a violation of British territory which cannot be passed over, and unless apologised and atoned for by compliance with the Lieutenant Governor's demands, that the leaders of the murderous gangs shall be given up to justice, it will be necessary to send to the Zulu King an ultimatum which must put an end to pacific relations with our neighbours.[ In reply, in at least three dispatches, 17 October, 21 November and 18 December, Hicks Beach emphatically states that war is to be avoided and a British invasion of Zululand prohibited. From 21 November dispatch: ... Her Majesty's Government have arrived, it is my duty to impress upon you that in supplying these reinforcements it is the desire of Her Majesty's Government not to furnish means for a campaign of invasion and conquest, but to afford such protection as may be necessary at this juncture to the lives and property of the colonists. Though the present aspect of affairs is menacing in a high degree, I can by no means arrive at the conclusion that war with the Zulus should be unavoidable, and I am confident that you, in concert with Sir H. Bulwer, will use every effort to overcome the existing difficulties by judgment and forbearance, and to avoid an evil so much to be deprecated as a Zulu war. Hicks Beach After considerable discussion and exchanges of views between Sir Bartle Frere and Sir Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer , it was decided to arrange a meeting with representatives of the Zulu king. The ostensible reason for this indaba was to present the findings of the long-awaited Boundary Commission to the Zulu people. The occasion was also to be used to present the king with an ultimatum. When the ultimatum was presented, the two infractions by Sihayo's sons and the roughing up of Smith and Deighton had become only part of the justification that was used, as several matters had arisen in the meantime. One of them was Cetshwayo's apparent breaking of promises to Mr Theophilus Shepstone at the king's "coronation" in 1872. That farcical piece of theatre had been agreed to by Cetshwayo simply to satisfy the wishes of Shepstone and meant nothing to the Zulu people. Indeed, his real Zulu installation had taken place several weeks earlier when he had been acclaimed by his izinduna.[25] A second addition to the ultimatum, which seems almost like an afterthought, required the surrender of Mbelini kaMswati. Mbelini was the son of a Swazi king who unsuccessfully disputed the succession with his brother, resulting in his exile from the kingdom. He took refuge with Cetshwayo and was granted land in the region of the Intombe River in western Zululand. (It is entirely possible that Cetshwayo regarded him as a useful buffer between him and the Boers of the Transvaal.) Here, he took up residence on the Tafelberg, a flat-topped mountain overlooking the river. Something of a brigand, Mbelini made raids on anyone in his area, Boer and Zulu alike, accruing cattle and prisoners in the process. With the annexation of the Transvaal, Britain had also to deal with Mbelini and because Frere was convinced that the bandit chief was in the pay of the Zulu king, his surrender was included in the ultimatum. The light in which Mbelini was regarded is shown in a paragraph from a memorandum written by Sir Henry Bulwer: The King disowned Umbilini's acts by saying that Umbilini had been giving him trouble, that he had left the Zulu country in order to wrest the Swazi chieftainship from his brother, the reigning Chief, and that if he returned he should kill him. But there is nothing to show that he has in any way punished him, and, on the contrary, it is quite certain that even if Umbilini did not act with the express orders of Cetywayo, he did so with the knowledge that what he was doing would be agreeable to the King. Frere has been accused of chicanery by taking deliberate advantage of the length of time it took for correspondence to pass between South Africa and London to conceal his intentions from his political masters or at least defer giving them the necessary information until it was too late for them to act. The first intimation to the British government of his intention to make 'demands' on the Zulu was in a private letter to Hicks Beach written on 14 October 1878. The letter only arrived in London on 16 November and by then messengers had already been despatched from Natal to the Zulu king to request the presence of a delegation at the Lower Tugela on 11 December for the purpose of receiving the Boundary Commission's findings. Had Hicks Beach then sent off a telegraph forbidding any action other than the announcement of the boundary award, it might have arrived in South Africa just in time to prevent the ultimatum being presented. No prohibition was sent and could hardly be expected to have been, for Hicks Beach had no means of knowing the urgency of the events that were in train. Nowhere in Frere's letter was there anything to indicate how soon he intended to act, nor was there anything to suggest how stringent his demands would be. In January 1879, Hicks Beach wrote to Bartle Frere: I may observe that the communications which had previously been received from you had not entirely prepared them (Her Majesty's Government) "for the course which you have deemed it necessary to take. The representations made by Lord Chelmsford and yourself last autumn as to the urgent need of strengthening Her Majesty's forces in South Africa were based upon the imminent danger of an invasion of Natal by the Zulus, and the inadequate means at that time at your disposal for meeting it. In order to afford protection to the lives and property of the colonists, the reinforcements asked for were supplied, and, in informing you of the decision of Her Majesty's Government, I took the opportunity of impressing upon you the importance of using every effort to avoid war. But the terms which you have dictated to the Zulu king, however necessary to relieve the colony in future from an impending and increasing danger, are evidently such as he may not improbably refuse, even at the risk of war; and I regret that the necessity for immediate action should have appeared to you so imperative as to preclude you from incurring the delay which would have been involved in consulting Her Majesty's Government upon a subject of so much importance as the terms which Cetywayo should be required to accept before those terms were actually presented to the Zulu king. Hicks Beach had earlier admitted his helplessness with regard to the Frere's actions in a telling note to his Prime Minister: I have impressed this [non-aggressive] view upon Sir B. Frere, both officially and privately, to the best of my power. But I cannot really control him without a telegraph (I don't know that I could with one) I feel it is as likely as not that he is at war with the Zulus at the present moment. Frere wanted to provoke a conflict with the Zulus and in that goal he succeeded. Cetshwayo rejected the demands of 11 December, by not responding by the end of the year. A concession was granted by Bartle Frere until 11 January 1879, after which Bartle Frere deemed a state of war to exist. The British forces intended for the defense of Natal had already been on the march with the intention to attack the Zulu kingdom. On 10 January they were poised on the border. On 11 January, they crossed the border and invaded Zululand. Terms The terms included in the ultimatum were delivered to the representatives of King Cetshwayo on the banks of the Thukela river at the Ultimatum Tree on 11 December 1878. No time was specified for compliance with item 4, twenty days were allowed for compliance with items 1–3, that is, until 31 December inclusive; ten days more were allowed for compliance with the remaining demands, items 5–13. The earlier time limits were subsequently altered so that all expired on 10 January 1879. Surrender of Sihayo's three sons and brother to be tried by the Natal courts. Payment of a fine of 500 head of cattle for the outrages committed by the above and for Cetshwayo's delay in complying with the request of the Natal Government for the surrender of the offenders. Payment of 100 head of cattle for the offence committed against Messrs. Smith and Deighton. Surrender of the Swazi chief Umbilini and others to be named hereafter, to be tried by the Transvaal courts. Observance of the coronation promises. That the Zulu army be disbanded and the men allowed to go home. That the Zulu military system be discontinued and other military regulations adopted, to be decided upon after consultation with the Great Council and British Representatives. That every man, when he comes to man's estate, shall be free to marry. All missionaries and their converts, who until 1877 lived in Zululand, shall be allowed to return and reoccupy their stations. All such missionaries shall be allowed to teach and any Zulu, if he chooses, shall be free to listen to their teaching. A British Agent shall be allowed to reside in Zululand, who will see that the above provisions are carried out. All disputes in which a missionary or European is concerned, shall be heard by the king in public and in presence of the Resident. No sentence of expulsion from Zululand shall be carried out until it has been approved by the Resident. To ensure that there was no interference from London, Frere delayed informing the Colonial Office about his ultimatum until it was too late for it to be countermanded. The full text of his demands did not reach London until 2 January 1879. By then, Chelmsford had assembled an army of 18,000 men- redcoats, colonial volunteers and Natal African auxiliaries – along the Zululand border ready for the invasion. For his part, Cetshwayo strenuously attempted to avoid war with the British and, should it occur, to limit its scope and effects. He ordered his troops to defend their country only if attacked and not to carry the war beyond its borders. He directed them to avoid killing any of the invaders other than the regular British soldiers in their red coats. First invasion The pretext for the war had its origins in border disputes between the Zulu leader, Cetshwayo , and the Boers in the Transvaal region. Following a commission inquiry on the border dispute which reported in favour of the Zulu nation in July 1878, Sir Henry Bartle Frere , acting on his own, added an ultimatum to the commission meeting, much to the surprise of the Zulu representatives who then relayed it to Cetshwayo. Cetshwayo had not responded by the end of the year, so an extension was granted by Bartle Frere until 11 January 1879. Cetshwayo returned no answer to the demands of Bartle Frere, and in January 1879 a British force under Lieutenant General Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford invaded Zululand, without authorization by the British Government. The exact date of the invasion was 11 January 1879. Chelmsford crossed the Buffalo River at Rorke's Drift , an old Irish trader's post that had become a mission station, in command of 4,700 men of the , which included 1,900 White troops and 2,400 African auxiliaries. Lord Chelmsford, the Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the war, initially planned a five-pronged invasion of Zululand composed of over 16,500 troops in five columns and designed to encircle the Zulu army and force it to fight as he was concerned that the Zulus would avoid battle. The Zulu capital, Ulundi, was about 80 miles inside Zulu territory. In the event, Chelmsford settled on three invading columns with the main centre column, now consisting of some 7,800 men comprising Richard Thomas Glyn 's and Anthony Durnford 's under his direct command. He moved his troops from Pietermaritzburg to a forward camp at Helpmekaar, past Greytown . On 9 January 1879 they moved to Rorke's Drift , and early on 11 January commenced crossing the Buffalo River into Zululand . Three columns were to invade Zululand, from the Lower Drift of the Tugela River (No. 1 Column under Col. Charles Pearson ), Rorke's Drift under Lord Chelmsford), and Utrecht under Col. Evelyn Wood ) respectively, their objective being Ulundi , the royal capital. Durnford's was ordered to stay on the defensive near the Middle Drift of the Tugela River. While Cetshwayo's army numbered perhaps 35,000 men, it was essentially a militia force which could be called out in time of national danger. It had a very limited logistical capacity and could only stay in the field a few weeks before the troops would be obliged to return to their civilian duties.[34] Zulu warriors were armed primarily with Assegai thrusting spears, known in Zulu as iklwa , clubs, some throwing spears and shields made of cowhide. The Battle of Rorke's Drift by Alphonse de Neuville . The British defense of the small hospital station was a morale boost for the British Empire. The initial entry of all three columns was unopposed. On 22 January the centre column, which had advanced from Rorke's Drift, was encamped near Isandlwana ; on the morning of that day Lord Chelmsford split his forces and moved out to support a reconnoitering party, leaving the remaining 1,300 men of the under the command of Colonel Pulleine . Colonel Durnford would arrive later in the morning with 500 men of the No. 2 Column to reinforce the camp. The British were outmanoeuvred by the main Zulu army nearly 20,000 strong led by Ntshingwayo Khoza . Chelmsford was lured eastward with much of his centre column by a Zulu diversionary force while the main Impi attacked his camp. Chelmsford's decision not to set up the British camp defensively, contrary to established doctrine, and ignoring information that the Zulus were close at hand were decisions that the British were soon to regret. The ensuing Battle of Isandlwana was the greatest victory that the Zulu kingdom would enjoy during the war. The British centre column was wrecked and its camp annihilated with heavy casualties as well as the loss of all its supplies, ammunition and transport. The defeat left Chelmsford no choice but to hastily retreat out of Zululand. In the battle's aftermath, a party of some 4,000 Zulu reserves mounted an unauthorised raid on the nearby British Army border post of Rorke's Drift and were driven off after 10 hours of ferocious fighting on 23 January. Zulu warriors, 1879 (Charles Edwin Fripp ) While the British central column under Chelmsford's command was thus engaged, the right flank column on the coast, under Colonel Charles Pearson , crossed the Tugela River, skirmished with a Zulu impi that was attempting to set up an ambush at the Inyezane River , and advanced as far as the deserted missionary station of Eshowe, which he set about fortifying. On learning of the disaster at Isandlwana, Pearson made plans to withdraw back beyond the Tugela River. However, before he had decided whether or not to put these plans into effect, the Zulu army managed to cut off his supply lines, and the Siege of Eshowe had begun. Meanwhile, the left flank column at Utrecht, under Colonel Evelyn Wood , had originally been charged with occupying the Zulu tribes of north-west Zululand and preventing them from interfering with the British central column's advance on Ulundi. To this end Wood set up camp at Tinta's Kraal, just 10 miles south of Hlobane Mountain , where a force of 4,000 Zulus had been spotted. He planned to attack them on 24 January, but on learning of the disaster at Isandlwana, he decided to withdraw back to the Kraal. Thus one month after the British invasion, only their left flank column remained militarily effective, and it was too weak to conduct a campaign alone. The first invasion of Zululand had been a failure. Battle of the Intombe river It had never been Cetshwayo's intention to invade Natal, but to simply fight within the boundaries of the Zulu kingdom. Chelmsford used the next two months to regroup and build a fresh invading force with the initial intention of relieving Pearson at Eshowe. The British government rushed seven regiments of reinforcements to Natal, along with two artillery batteries. On 12 March, an armed escort of stores marching to Luneberg, was defeated by about 500 Zulus at the Battle of Intombe ; the British force suffered 80 killed[l] and all the stores were lost. The first troops arrived at Durban on 7 March. On the 29th a column under Lord Chelmsford consisting of a total of 5,670 men (3,390 Europeans and 2,280 Africans) marched to the relief of Eshowe , with entrenched camps being formed each night. Chelmsford ordered Sir Evelyn Wood's troops to attack the abaQulusi Zulu stronghold in Hlobane. Lieutenant Colonel Redvers Buller , led the attack on Hlobane on 28 March. However, as the Zulu main army of 20,000 men approached to help their besieged tribesmen, the British force began a retreat which turned into a rout and were pursued by 1,000 Zulus of the abaQulusi who inflicted some 225 casualties on the British force. The next day 20,000 Zulu warriors attacked Wood's 2,068 men in a well-fortified camp at Kambula, apparently without Cetshwayo's permission. The British held them off in the Battle of Kambula and after five hours of heavy attacks the Zulus withdrew with heavy losses but were pursued by British mounted troops, who killed many more fleeing and wounded warriors. British losses amounted to 83 (28 killed and 55 wounded), while the Zulus lost up to 2,000 killed.[n] The effect of the battle of Kambula on the Zulu army was severe. Their commander Mnyamana Buthelezi tried to get the regiments to return to Ulund but many demoralised warriors simply went home. The burning of Ulundi While Woods was thus engaged, Chelmsford's column was marching on Eshowe. On 2 April this force was attacked en route at Gingindlovu , the Zulu being repulsed. Their losses were heavy, estimated at 1,200, but the British suffered only two dead and 52 wounded and the next day they relieved Pearson's men. They evacuated Eshowe on 5 April after which the Zulu forces burned it down. Second invasion The new start of the larger, heavily reinforced second invasion[o] was not promising for the British. Despite their successes at Kambula, Gingindlovu and Eshowe, they were right back where they had started from at the beginning of January. Nevertheless, Chelmsford had a pressing reason to proceed with haste – Sir Garnet Wolseley was being sent to replace him, and he wanted to inflict a decisive defeat on Cetshwayo's forces before then. With yet more reinforcements arriving, soon to total 16,000 British and 7,000 Native troops, Chelmsford reorganised his forces and again advanced into Zululand in June, this time with extreme caution building fortified camps all along the way to prevent any repeat of Isandlwana. One of the early British casualties was the exiled pretender to the French throne, Prince Imperial Eugene Bonaparte , who had volunteered to serve in the British Army and was killed on 1 June while out with a reconnoitering party. Cetshwayo, knowing that the newly reinforced British would be a formidable opponent, attempted to negotiate a peace treaty. Chelmsford was not open to negotiations, as he wished to restore his reputation before Wolseley relieved him of command, and he proceeded to the royal kraal of Ulundi, intending to defeat the main Zulu army. On 4 July, the armies clashed at the Battle of Ulundi , and Cetshwayo's forces were decisively defeated. Aftermath Main article: Military history of South Africa After the battle of Ulundi, the Zulu army dispersed, most of the leading chiefs tendered their submission, and Cetshwayo became a fugitive. Wolseley, having relieved Chelmsford after Ulundi, took over the final operations. On 28 August the king was captured and sent to Cape Town . It is said that scouts spotted the water-carriers of the king, distinctive because the water was carried above, not upon, their heads. His deposition was formally announced to the Zulu. Wolseley wasted no time in discarding Bartle Frere's confederation scheme and drew up a new scheme which divided Zululand into thirteen chiefdoms headed by compliant chiefs which ensured that the Zulus would no longer unite under a single king and made internal divisions and civil wars inevitable. The dynasty of Shaka was deposed, and the Zulu country portioned among eleven Zulu chiefs, including Zibhebhu , John Robert Dunn , a white adventurer, and Hlubi, a Basuto chief allied to the British in the war. Chelmsford received a Knight Grand Cross of Bath, largely because of Ulundi. However, he was severely criticized by the Horse Guards investigation[39] and would never serve in the field again.[40] Bartle Frere was relegated to a minor post in Cape Town . Following the conclusion of the Anglo-Zulu War, Bishop Colenso interceded on behalf of Cetshwayo with the British government and succeeded in getting him released from Robben Island and returned to Zululand in 1883. A Resident (Melmoth Osborn ) was appointed to be the channel of communication between the chiefs and the British government. This arrangement led to much bloodshed and disturbance, and in 1882 the British government determined to restore Cetshwayo to power. In the meantime, however, blood feuds had been engendered between the chiefs Usibepu (Zibebu) and Hamu on the one side and the tribes who supported the ex-king and his family on the other. Cetshwayo's party (who now became known as the Usuthu) suffered severely at the hands of the two chiefs, who were aided by a band of white freebooters . When Cetshwayo was restored Usibepu was left in possession of his territory, while Dunn's land and that of the Basuto chief (the country between the Tugela River and the Umhlatuzi, i.e., adjoining Natal) was constituted a reserve, in which locations were to be provided for Zulu unwilling to serve the restored king. This new arrangement proved as futile as had Wolseley's. Usibepu, having created a formidable force of well-armed and trained warriors, and being left in independence on the borders of Cetshwayo's territory, viewed with displeasure the re-installation of his former king, and Cetshwayo was desirous of humbling his relative. A collision very soon took place; Usibepu's forces were victorious, and on 22 July 1883, led by a troop of mounted Boer mercenary troops, he made a sudden descent upon Cetshwayo's kraal at Ulundi, which he destroyed, massacring such of the inmates of both sexes as could not save themselves by flight. The king escaped, though wounded, into Nkandla forest. After appeals to Melmoth Osborn he moved to Eshowe , where he died soon after. Because of the unusually high amount of casualties the British suffered as a result of combat, especially given that they were facing a preindustrial enemy that was considered racially inferior, the British war effort was widely seen as a poor showing.[citation needed ] British casualties resulting from combat were three times higher than those from disease, which was generally a larger killer in British colonial conflicts. Film adaptations Zulu (1964), the Battle at Rorke's Drift. Zulu Dawn (1979), the Battle of Isandlwana. See also Victorian era portal Bambatha Rebellion Colony of Natal First Boer War Military history of South Africa Shaka Zulu Scramble for Africa Kingdom of Zululand The Prince Imperial of France dies in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 The 22-year-old Prince Imperial of France, Eugene Louis Jean Joseph Napoleon, who studied in England at the Royal Military Academy and joined the British forces, was killed in the Anglo-Zulu War when he and a British reconnaissance party were attacked by about forty Zulus in the vicinity of Itelezi Mountain and Ityotyozi River in Zululand . The prince's horse, "Fate", bolted and the prince, in attempting to mount his fleeing horse tripped and fell and was speared to death. A memorial, now a historical monument, was erected to him by Queen Victoria at the place where he had been killed. Beginning of the Anglo-Zulu War, 10 January 1879 Muller, C.F.J. (ed)(1981). Five Hundred years: a history of South Africa; 3rd rev. ed., Pretoria: Academica, p. 223.| Giliomee, H & Mbenga, B (2007). New History of South Africa. Tafelberg Publishers, Cape Town, pg 165. Sir Bartle Frere was appointed British high commissioner to South Africa in 1879 to realise the policy of confederation (policy to bring the various British colonies, Boer republics and independent African groups under common control, with a view to implementing a policy of economic development). Sir Bartle Frere saw the self-reliant Zulu kingdom as a threat to this policy, a belief supported by Shepstone (Secretary for Native Affairs), who averred that the Zulu people had revived their military power under Cetshwayo , making them more of a threat to peace and prosperity in South Africa. On 11 December 1878, under the flimsy pretext of a few minor border incursions into Natal by Cetshwayo's followers, the Zulu were given an impossible ultimatum that they should disarm and Cetshwayo should forsake his sovereignty. The inevitable invasion of Zululand began after the ultimatum had expired on 10 January 1879. Instead of fragmenting the Zulu as Shepstone predicted, this made the Zulu rally to their king's cause. Many historians mark the 10 January 1879 as the beginning of the Anglo-Zulu War , while others claim that the 12 January 1879 (first attack) or the 22 January 1879 (first decisive battle of Isandlwana) marked the beginning of the war. Related links:SAHO feature on the Anglo-Zulu War William Henry Beaumont Synopsis Chairman of the Natives Land Commission, member of the, South African National Party and Judge at the Natal Supreme Court. First name William Last name Beaumont Date of birth 24 February 1851 Location of birth India Date of death c. 1930 William Henry Beaumont was born in India on 24 February 1851. His father was a Lieutenant Colonel of the 23rd Madras Light Infantry. Beaumont attended Sherbourne and Sandhurst Military College and after completing his studies joined the 75th (Stirlingshire) Regiment. He was commissioned to the rank of Ensign in 1870 and promoted to Lieutenant in 1871. Later that year he arrived in Natal with his regiment. In 1873 he served as a private secretary to the Administrator of Natal, Lt. Col. Thomas Milles. That same year Beaumont became the clerk for the Executive Council and also accompanied the Langalibalele expedition. In 1874 William served as acting magistrate for the uMlazi division, as well as sitting in on the Commission to report on the Civil Service in Pietermaritzburg. However, it was not until 1878 that William began his judicial career in earnest serving as magistrate for the Newcastle division. He left the army in 1875 and briefly went to Ireland before returning to Natal to take up a position as the clerk to the Governor's office and the Executive Council. During the Anglo-Zulu War Beaumont served as District Commandant of the Division of Klip River, and was in charge of an African contingent and a corps of mounted of mounted infantry to defend the border. He was subsequently decorated and thanked for his efforts during the war in January 1879. Around this period he was also leader of the United Rifle Association in Pietermaritzburg. In 1882 Beaumont was appointed to the Sub-Commission in charge of settling claims for compensation after the war. He conducted an investigation into the Umsinga Magistracy in 1884 and the Stanger Magistracy in 1890. That same year he sat on the board of Magistrate Court Rules, followed by the Board to frame Rules and Regulations for the Inferior Courts in 1894. As a result of his work in justice system Beaumont was added as an Advocate of the Supreme Court in 1894, and two years later (1898) acted as a Puisne Judge. His work particularly in the 1890s spanned to other spheres serving on various boards such as the Board to frame Rules and Regulations for Licensing Board in 1896, the Civil Service Board also in 1896 and the Board of Inquiry into Grievances of Railway Employees three years later in 1909. During the South African War Beaumont was a leader of the United Rifle Association in Pietermaritzburg and arranged for the training and organisation of 1 000 men for defence and was once again thanked and awarded on 25 June 1900. He was also commended for organising the Pietermaritzburg Reserves under the Militia Act. In 1902 he was appointed as a judge for the Natal Supreme Court. He gave testimony before the South African Native Affairs Commission chaired by Godfrey Lagden (subsequently know as the Lagden Commission) in May 1904. When asked whether the amount of land the Africans had was satisfactory, he replied,’ if they began agricultural farming instead of simply subsistence farming it would be.’ William was appointed to hold an inquiry into charges made by the Bishop of Zululand against Royston’s Horse in connection with the shooting of five African people in 1906. The Bishop alleged that soldiers under Col. Royston shot and killed five African people in cold blood while Royston claimed those who were shot were prisoners trying to escape and therefore the shooting was justified. The following year in 1907, Beaumont was acted as Administrator of Natal. On 11 February, 1907, he was commended for having organized the Pietermaritzburg Reserves under the Militia Act. William also performed duties as acting chief justice and magistrate of Natal in 1909. After the formation of the Union of South Africa, Beaumont became part of the Delimitation Commission to delimit the electoral constituencies of the first union parliament. He retired from bench in 1910 but still remained in prominent in public affairs matters and was an ardent supporter of General Botha. When Botha contested the 1910 elections, he had done so without forming a nationwide political party to placate English-speaking South Africans. After winning the elections Botha worked on forming a political party and looked to Natal for support. Beaumont became active in canvassing support for Botha arguing that Botha would be able to close the divide between English and Afrikaans speaking South Africans. He became one of the representatives from Natal to be invited to attend the Congress in Bloemfontein which resulted in the formation of the South African National Party (SANP). During the Congress in Bloemfontein Beaumont was elected to a Sub-Committee tasked with drafting the South African Nationalist Party’s constitution. After the Congress he became chairman of a provisional committee which was established by the party in Natal. In September 1912 he presided over a meeting that resulted in the formation of two branches of the SANP in, one for Pietermaritzburg North and other for Pietermaritzburg South. A few days later he addressed the electorate in the Umvoti Country Division on issues related to the constitution of the party. He also played a major role in the formation of the party in Durban in 1913. Beaumont was appointed as chairman of the Natives Land Commission (which subsequently became known as the Beaumont Commission) by General Botha. The commission was tasked with finding land and defining boundaries for territorial segregation between black and white people. In March 1916 the Commission submitted its report outlining boundaries and recommending which areas were to be allocated to white people and which ones were to be allocated to black people. King Dinuzulu Synopsis King of the Zulu. First name Dinuzulu Last name Dinuzulu Date of birth 1868 Date of death 18 October 1913 Dinuzulu kaCetshwayo succeeded Cetshwayo as king of the Zulu nation in 1884. At the time, Zululand was experiencing a process of national disintegration. After the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879, Sir Garnet Wolseley, British administrator of Natal, had imposed a different political arrangement on the Zulu people. He banished Cetshwayo and divided Zululand into thirteen separate territories, each under an appointed chief. uSuthu royalists opposed the appointed chiefs. They deeply resented that the royal household had been placed under the authority of Cetshwayo's greatest enemy, Chief Zibhebhu of the Mandlakazi. These events deeply divided the country, and many view it as the origins of the Zulu civil war. Cetshwayo's brothers, who acted as councillors in the king's absence, complained about Zibhebhu's endeavours to increase his wealth and status and pleaded for Cetshwayo's return to Zululand. Civil war continued after Cetshwayo returned from exile in 1879 with Cetshwayo's supporters raiding the homesteads of their opponents. On 30 March and again on 21 July 1883, Zibhebhu mustered his regiments. They utterly defeated Cetshwayo, who fled into the Nkandla forest, and then to Eshowe. On 8 February 1884, Cetshwayo died suddenly, possibly of poisoning. Thereafter, Zibhebhu's supporters dominated the northern districts, attacking those they suspected of royalist sympathies. The lawful successor, Dinuzulu, was only fifteen and so too young to assume political responsibilities. Moreover, his uncles feared for his life, so they took him to a safe place in the Transvaal. Early in 1884, they turned to a group of Boers on the Transvaal border to aid them in ensuring the succession and survival of the royal lineage. On 5 July 1884, the uSuthu, supported by a hundred mounted Boers, defeated Zibhebhu at Entshaneni in the Lebombo Mountains. In return for their assistance, the Boers received 800 farms, comprising 1,355,000 morgen (more than 4,000 square miles). However, Britain intervened, blocking the Boers from the sea and reducing their territory. Dinuzulu appealed to the British for intervention but he was reluctant to resign himself to annexation. On 14 May 1887, the British annexed Zululand and the Zulu Reserve, extending the Native Law of Natal to the whole country. The Governor of Natal was to rule by proclamation; but it is clear that Dinuzulu regarded his status under the protectorate as unchanged. The Zulu people continued to look to the royal house for assistance, inspiration, and leadership. White magistrates made every effort to reduce the authority of the royal house but the uSuthu leaders were not submissive. Dinuzulu ignored the magistrates who summoned him and fined him for continuing to administer the affairs of the nation as if his authority was supreme. The Governor allowed Zibhebhu to return to his old lands because he hoped that this would throw the balance of power into the hands of the Natal Government. Zibhebhu immediately drove the uSuthu supporters in his territory to flight. With this Dinuzulu openly rebelled. In June 1888, he led an attack on the Mandlakazi and defeated them at Nongoma. Pursued by British troops, he escaped to the Transvaal where he evaded capture for three months. In 1889, a court ”” the impartiality of which was in doubt ”” found Dinuzulu and his two uncles, Ndabuko and Shingana, guilty of high treason and exiled them to the island of St Helena. In 1897, Zululand was formally incorporated into Natal and in the next few years, much of it was opened to white settlement. Dinuzulu was released and installed as 'Government Induna' in 1898. During 1906, Dinuzulu became implicated in the rebellion of a minor chief, Bambatha, who refused to pay the poll tax introduced by the Natal Government. The Zulus, who continued to regard Dinuzulu as king, turned to him for support, as did the Natal Government, expecting him as ‘Government Induna' to deal severely with the disturbances. When Dinuzulu did not, he was arrested in 1909, and accused of harbouring rebels. In spite of the famous defence by former Cape premier, W P Schreiner, Dinuzulu was sentenced to four years imprisonment. Seven years of internecine strife sapped the Zulu nation of its strength and self-sufficiency and European encroachment on every side deprived them of much of their land. By 1894, Zululand had become one of the main sources of labour supply on the Witwatersrand. General Louis Botha believed that Dinuzulu did not have a fair trial. When he became Prime Minister of South Africa in 1910, one of the first things he did was to order Dinuzulu's release. He granted him a farm near Middelburg, Transvaal, to which the King of the Zulus retired. He died in 1913. Dinuzulu's son, Mshiyeni, succeeded to the paramountcy and although the white authorities viewed this as an honorific title, nonetheless, the House of Shaka remained deeply revered as paramount in Natal and Zululand. Rorke's Drift, Museum Rorke's Drift, situated 46 km South East of Dundee; on the Battlefields Route. Is the site of one of the most famous battles of the Anglo-Zulu War! In 1847, an Irishman named; Jim Rorke, bought some Land alongside a Fjord, in the Buffalo River. This was the boundary between what Britain controlled the Natal Province and the Zulu Kingdom- (a State which was founded by King Shaka Zulu). Just up from the Fjord, Rorke built a typical frontier home, comprising of two long single-storey stone Buildings with thatched roofs. These original Buildings at Rorke’s Drift were destroyed after the Anglo Zulu War. A Museum stands there today, modest though it is. Fascinating artifacts are presented, which record of the events of the War where; 140 British 'Redcoats' fought off an attack from about 4,000 Zulu warriors! From here, he hunted and traded with the locals, both the white settlers and native Zulus. He became a popular figure. colonists would buy from his stores or take a drink in his simple café. With the Zulus he would trade blankets, beads, gin, and the occasional illegal rifle, usually bartering them, for cattle. To the Zulus. His trading centre became; 'kwaJim'- (Jim’s Place) but to the settlers, it was known simply as Rorke’s Drift. Jim Rorke died in the mid-1870s; Otto de Witt, a Swedish missionary acquired the property in what was now becoming a tense border Region. It was from the adjacent fjord that British forces, under Lord Chelmsford, launched their invasion of Zululand on 11 January 1879. The Trading Post became a temporary Field Hospital and was itself the site of a battle on the late afternoon and evening of 22 January. A few hours earlier, Zulu warriors had massacred 1,400 British and native troops, at nearby Isandlwana. References https://the-past.com/review/museum/rorkes-drift-museum/ https://www.tripsavvy.com/rorkes-drift-south-africa-the-complete-guide-4770762 https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Zulu_Kingdom https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/fjord https://www.places.co.za/info/tourist-attraction/rorkesdrift.html Further Reading https://www.tripsavvy.com/rorkes-drift-south-africa-the-complete-guide-4770762 https://the-past.com/review/museum/rorkes-drift-museum/ Cetshwayo, travels to London to request that he should be restored as a king of the Zulu Kingdom 14 August 1882 References Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.| South African History Online, Anglo- Zulu Wars 1879-1896 , [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za , [Accessed: 16 August 2013]| South African History Online, Chief Cetshwayo , [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za , [Accessed: 16 August 2013]| Ladysmith History, Ladysmith History & the Boer War , [online], Available at www.ladysmithhistory.com , [Accessed: 16 August 2013] On 14 August 1882 Cetewayo (Cetshwayo), king of Zululand, visited Queen Victoria of Britain. Prior to his visit to Britain, he was exiled to the Cape after losing the crucial Battle of Ulundi, during the Anglo Zulu War against Sir Frere and his men. Cetshwayo undertook the trip to request that he should be restored as a king of the Zulu Kingdom. He also vowed not to go to war with the British again. The Queen granted him his request and allowed him to return to South Africa to be a ruler of a small portion of the Zulu Kingdom. However, on his return, a Civil War had erupted in the Zulu Kingdom and he was forced to flee to Eshowe, where he died in 1884. Read more about the Anglo-Zulu Wars The Battle of Ulundi begins 4 July 1879 References Wallis, F. (2000). Nuusdagboek: feite en fratse oor 1000 jaar, Kaapstad: Human & Rousseau.|Pakenham, T. (1991). The Scramble for Africa 1879-1912, Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball.|Hermann Giliomee and Bernard Mbenga (2007). New History of South Africa. Tafelberg Publishers, Cape Town, pg 165.|The Battle of Ulundi. Website: britishbattles.com https://www.southafricaholiday.org.uk/history/hist_ulundi.htm The Battle of Ulundi was the decisive battle during the Anglo-Zulu War. It took place on the 4th July 1879 and marked the end of the Anglo-Zulu War, as well as the breakup of the Zulu nation. In July, Lord Chelmsford (British Commander) moved on Ndini, and in a final onslaught, known as the battle of Ulundi, secured military success against the Zulu nation. More than 1 000 Zulu were killed and King Cetshwayo (King of the Zulus) was forced to flee for safety. He was captured in the Ngome forest in August and exiled to Robben Island next to Cape Town. The British casualties were said to be 3 officers and 79 men. Read more on the Zulu community. Zulu army defeat British Army at the Isandlwana Mountain Boddy-Evans, A., (2011), ‘This Day in African History’ , from African History Guide, [online], Available at www.africanhistory.about.com [Accessed: 07 December 2011]|Drakensberg Tourism, ‘Isandlwana - To brave men on both sides’ , from Drakensberg Tourism, [online], Available at www.drakensberg-tourism.com [Accessed: 07 December 2011] On 22 January 1879, the British Army suffered its greatest defeat in Africa when 24,000 Zulu soldiers overran a British camp of 1 800 near Isandlwana Mountain. Over 1 300 of the British force were killed with over 1 000 Zulu casualties.The battle, which lasted for almost four hours, began around 11:h00 am and was a decisive victory for the Zulu kingdom, led by King Cetshwayo The Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 ended on July 4 at the last ritual battle of Ulundi where the old Zulu order was dismantled forever and King Cetshwayo sent into exile. Conflict continued until 1896 between the fragments of the Zulu kingdom, the Transvaal and the British. The battlefield of Isandlwana became a site of commeration in later years. Related events: 17 January 1879 - Battle of Isandlwana 20 January 1879 - British troops establish their camp at Isandlwana 23 January 1879 - The British successfully thwart the Zulu attack at Rorke's Drift. Old Court House, Victoria Embankment, Durban The building was designed by architect Stanley Hudson and was erected in 1911 as the Old Court House, and is the oldest public building in the central business district. It was loop-holed during the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. It bore witness to both the South African Wars and the Bhambatha Uprising. More recently, it also served as a canteen and recruitment centre during the two World Wars and then later as a library, before being converted into Durban’s biggest history museum. It boasts two floors of exhibition space depicting aspects of the region’s early history. Visit the Old Court House Museum, just a stone’s throw from the City Hall, where the background and development of Natal’s multi-cultural heritage converge. The exhibitions are both conventional and exploratory while the exhibits are arranged thematically. This is the resource centre for the Local History Museums. Should you be seeking a more in-depth perspective of Durban’s history you are invited to visit the enquiry section to view photographs and documents in the comfort of our study area. Our archives are open to learners, academics and the general public for research purposes. It was declared a National Monument under old NMC legislation on the 22 August 1980! References https://durbanhistorymuseums.org.za/old-court-house-museum/ Further Reading https://unimelb.libguides.com/c.php?g=929734&p=6718215#:~:text=The%20Republic%20of%20South%20Africa,law%20and%20religious%20personal%20law. Melmoth, Gateway to Zululand Melmoth, known as the gateway to the Zulu Highlands, is a picturesque, little Town just 200 km North East of Durban and 90 km from the Coastal Town of Mtunzini. Referred to, in the SA edition of Trivial Pursuit, as having the cleanest air in the country, Melmoth was a ‘gold rush ’ town, founded in 1888 and named after Sir Melmoth Osborn, the resident commissioner of Zululand at the time. Melmoth is essentially regarded as a good base for travelers wanting to visit places of interest close to the Town, all with an hour’s drive. uMgungundlovu is the historic royal homestead of Dingaan and where Piet Retief and his party of Boer commandos were executed and Ulundi, the Capital of Zululand , is the Site of the last battle of the Anglo Zulu War. The Matatane Crocodile Ranch, on the banks of the White Umfolozi River , is a popular place for hikers and those wanting to experience crocodiles first hand, particularly as lion cubs have recently been introduced. Interestingly, Ntingwe Tea Plantations produce some of South Africa’s finest teas, solely for export, but the plantation is found in this remote corner of KwaZulu Natal . Regarded as lighter than other African teas, such as those produced in Kenya, Ntingwe has gained an excellent reputation in the international market and is retailed as a breakfast or afternoon refreshment. It was established in 1987 and is the single biggest employer and source of financial stability in the Region. Nkandla Forest is about 68 km from Melmoth. Throughout Zulu History it has been regarded as a place of mystery and the supernatural and the Chube, iron-workers associated with the Nkandla area, were never conquered by Shaka . The forest is a rare example of high wet rain forest, one of very few surviving examples and remnants of a time when the climate was wetter and colder. It is also one of the best examples of surviving mist belt forest in South Africa. Steams that rise in the Forest form deep gorges leading into the Nsuze River, running along the base of the ridge. To visit the Forest one needs permission from the Officer in Charge, as there are no visitor facilities available yet. References https://www.sa-venues.com/attractionskzn/melmoth.php Further Reading https://www.sa-venues.com/things-to-do/mpumalanga/rainbow-route/ https://www.zulu.org.za/destinations/zululand/melmoth https://www.afristay.com/a/melmoth/ https://www.places.co.za/accommodation/golf-view-lodge-melmoth.html http://www.zululand.org.za/home.aspx https://www.zulu.org.za/places-to-go/zululand/nyezane-battlefield-P55533 Britain proclaims Natal a British colonial territory South African History Online, ‘Anglo-Zulu Wars 1879-1896’ , [online], available at www.sahistory.org.za (Accessed: 4 September 2013)| Dinge & Goete, ‘This Day in History: Sep 28, 1843: Britain proclaims Natal a British colonial territory’ , [online], available at https://dingeengoete.blogspot.com (Accessed: 4 September 2013)| Everything, (2003), ‘British empire’ , 23 May [online], available at https://everything2.com (Accessed: 4 September 2013) British forces under Governor Sir George Napier took over Natal and proclaimed it a British Colony. A year later the colony was put under the Cape Colony administration. However, it was not until the end of 1845 that an effective administration was installed with Mr Martin West as lieutenant-governor that the power of the volksraad finally came to an end. In the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 the British defeated the Zulus under the command of chief Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza and Mavu-mengwana kaNdlela Ntuli. The Zululand was annexed to Natal in 1897. BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

WILDLIFE PROJECTS Securing Community Land Tenure in Eastern Congo as a Means to Save the Critically Endangered Grauer’s Gorilla Since the 1990s, Grauer’s gorillas (Gorilla beringei graueri) have lost 52% of their suitable habitat, mainly in the eastern part of their home range. The population has decreased from an estimated 16,900 individuals to as few as 4,000. This project from the Dian Fossey Fund manages local communities’ land for conservation. It includes providing jobs, food security, livelihood programs, and supporting their children’s education, all while ensuring the health of the forest and protecting the Grauer’s gorillas. Revitalizing Lynx Management for the Western United State’s New Wildfire Reality Fewer than 100 Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) remain in the North Cascades Ecosystem. To sustain a viable population of lynx in the region into the future, up-to-date information is needed to help guide and coordinate land management decisions in ways that support their habitat and ecosystem connectivity over time. This project from RESOLVE will develop and deliver TerrAdapt. This spatial planning tool will revolutionize conservation by automating analysis data for habitat and connectivity modeling. Canada lynx and other at-risk species will benefit as they will be better protected in real-time and in the future. Empowering Indigenous Community-led Manatee Conservation in Quintana Roo, Mexico Manatees help keep water ecosystems thriving by pruning marine vegetation. However, Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus) found throughout the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico are threatened due to unregulated fishing and tourist sightseeing, leading to noise pollution and collisions with motorboats. This project from the International Foundation for Nature and Sustainability (FINS) seeks to build and implement a local participatory monitoring system for Antillean manatees to enhance the involvement of people in conservation efforts in the Mexican Caribbean. Its goal is to see the population of healthy manatee mothers and calves duplicate in the next decade. Protecting Habitat for Four Species of Endangered Pangolin in Uganda Pangolins are the most trafficked mammal on Earth. The white-bellied pangolin (Manis tricuspis), giant ground pangolin (Manis gigantea), black-bellied pangolin (Manis tetradactyla), and Temminck’s pangolin (Smutsia temminckii) are all classified as either endangered or vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This project from The Quick Response Fund for Nature protects 800 acres of pangolin habitat. Located in the Pakwach district of Uganda, it also positively impacts the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in the region. A single pangolin consumes up to 70 million insects annually and helps aerate soils as they dig for ants and termites. Revitalizing Wetlands for Endangered Hammerhead Sharks in Costa Rica Due to human actions such as pollution, habitat degradation, and overfishing, the scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) population has declined by 45%. Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica’s southern province of Puntarenas is a vital nursery for the species and must be protected. This project from Misión Tiburón aims to empower local women and youth to help revitalize the mangrove forests in Golfo Dulce. By doing so, both the sharks and the surrounding community can thrive together. Rebalancing the Snow Leopard Ecosystem in Eastern Eurasia Snow leopards (Panthera uncia) are majestic apex predators that indicate the health and sustainability of Asia’s high mountain ecosystems. However, human-wildlife conflict arises when the big cats prey upon local agropastoralists' valued livestock. This project from the Wildlife Conservation Network will work with locals in Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and two regions of Russia to promote peaceful coexistence with snow leopards. Using artificially intelligent camera traps to identify snow leopards and alert herders is one of the many techniques that can help protect the species. Protecting Wild Sumatran Rhinos in West Leuser, Indonesia Sumatran rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) are classified as critically endangered and are close to extinction, with only approximately 80 individuals remaining. This project from the Wildlife Conservation Network supports conservation work in the Leuser Ecosystem in the hope of increasing the Sumatran rhino population. It will recruit and train more rangers, monitor local biodiversity, plant seedlings, and create educational materials for surrounding communities. Protecting Imperiled Wolves in the Northern Rockies Region Through Compassionate Conservation Wolves (Canis lupus) in the US are scrambling to survive . States like Montana and Idaho have created legislation that paves the way for the near extermination of the packs living in the Northern Rockies. This project from Project Coyote focuses on immediate wolf protection efforts in strategic regions most threatened by proposed trophy hunting and political ill will. As apex predators that play vital ecological roles in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem health, wolves need federal protections and a national recovery plan. Each of these projects directly protects one particular species, but the benefits of doing so expand to all the plants, animals, and communities in their ecosystem. Even the smallest act of support can have an impact that helps the entire planet. Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund WWF’s Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund supports the testing of new ideas that have the potential to reduce the vulnerability of wildlife to changes in climate through on-the-ground projects. Successes and lessons learned from these pilot projects provide useful guidance that move conservation beyond business-as-usual approaches and successful efforts can be replicated or taken to scale to help wildlife endure under conditions of rapid change. Projects piloted through this fund must meet the following criteria: Address climate vulnerability of one or more target species through interventions that directly support those species or help communities adapt to change and therefore reduce pressure on target species. Be implemented in one year or less with plans to monitor results in following years. Focus on on-the-ground implementation of a project rather than research. Protecting Asian Elephants and Improving Sustainable Livelihoods in the Forests of Cambodia In Cambodia, Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) have been part of Khmer culture for millennia, yet fewer than 600 remain. They are endangered due to habitat loss, poaching, and human-elephant conflict. This project led by Wild Earth Allies is working to protect 1.7 million acres of Asian elephant habitat across two of Cambodia’s globally significant forests — Prey Lang and the Phnom Samkos Wildlife Sanctuary in the Cardamom Mountains. In addition, at least five communities will benefit from human-elephant conflict mitigation strategies and improved agricultural practices. Preserving Cheetahs By Elevating Pastoral Women’s Livelihoods in Somaliland The world’s fastest land animal, the cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), is losing its race for survival. Today, cheetahs inhabit just 9% of their historical range, and their population is drastically declining because of habitat loss, the illegal wildlife trade, and human-wildlife conflict. This project from the Cheetah Conservation Fund will educate pastoral women in Somaliland on predator management so that humans, their livestock, and cheetahs can coexist peacefully.

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK Kruger National Park is a South African National Park and one of the largest game reserves in Africa. It covers an area of 19,623 km2 (7,576 sq mi) in the provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga in northeastern South Africa, and extends 360 km (220 mi) from north to south and 65 km (40 mi) from east to west. The administrative headquarters are in Skukuza. Areas of the park were first protected by the government of the South African Republic in 1898, and it became South Africa's first national park in 1926. To the west and south of the Kruger National Park are the two South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, respectively. To the north is Zimbabwe and to the east is Mozambique. It is now part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, a peace park that links Kruger National Park with the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique. The park is part of the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, an area designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve. History Sabi Game Reserve (1898–1926) Sabi Game Reserve was initially created to control hunting and to protect the diminishing number of animals in the area. The reserve was located in the southern one-third of the modern park. James Stevenson-Hamilton became the first warden of the reserve in 1902. Singwitsi Reserve, named after the Shingwedzi River and now in northern Kruger National Park, was proclaimed in 1903. During thefollowing decades all the native tribes were removed from the reserve and during the 1960s the last were removed at Makuleke in the Pafuri triangle. In 1926, Sabi Game Reserve, the adjacent Shingwedzi Game Reserve, and farms were combined to create Kruger National Park. During 1923, the first large groups of tourists started visiting the Sabi Game Reserve, but only as part of the South African Railways' popular "Round in Nine" tours. The tourist trains travelled the Selati railway line between Komatipoort on the Mozambican border and Tzaneen in the then northern Transvaal. Kruger National Park Kruger National Park was proclaimed in 1918 and a commission established to pursue its planning and development. The first secretary of the commission was Johannes Andries (Dries) de Ridder, a civil servant. Warden James Stevenson-Hamilton retired on 30 April 1946, after 44 years as warden of the Kruger Park. He was replaced by Colonel J. A. B. Sandenbergh of the South African Air Force. In 1959, work commenced to completely fence the park's boundaries. Work started on the southern boundary along the Crocodile River and in 1960 the western and northern boundaries were fenced, followed by the eastern boundary with Mozambique. The purpose of the fence was to curb the spread of diseases, facilitate border patrolling and inhibit the movement of poachers. The Makuleke area in the northern part of the park was forcibly taken from the Makuleke people by the government in 1969 and about 1500 of them were relocated to land to the south so that their original tribal areas could be integrated into the greater Kruger National Park. Pride of lions on a tourist road In 1996 the Makuleke tribe submitted a land claim for 198.42 km2 (19,842 ha), namely the Pafuri or Makuleke region in the northernmost part of the park. The land was given back to the Makuleke people, however, they chose not to resettle on the land but to engage with the private sector to invest in tourism. This resulted in the building of several game lodges from which they earn royalties. In the late 1990s, the fences between the Kruger Park and Klaserie Game Reserve, Olifants Game Reserve, and Balule Game Reserve were dropped and incorporated into the Greater Kruger Park with 400,000 ha (4,000 km2) added to the Reserve. In 2002, Kruger National Park, Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, and Limpopo National Park in Mozambique were incorporated into a peace park, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Gate Registration & Indemnity Forms Download, print and complete the Gate Registration & Indemnity Form before you arrive at the park. To be handed to the gate official with a form of identification for all SA, SADC and International visitors (eg. ID or Passport). All drivers must present a valid South African or International Driver’s License with a Passport. |Ai-|Ais/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park Addo Elephant National Park Augrabies Falls National Park Bontebok National Park Camdeboo National Park Garden Route National Park (Tsitsikamma Section) Garden Route National Park (Wilderness Section) Golden Gate National Park Karoo National Park Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Kruger National Park Mapungubwe National Park Marakele National Park Mokala National Park Mountain Zebra National Park Namaqua National Park Tankwa Karoo National Park West Coast National Park Location and geography The park lies in the northeast of South Africa, in the eastern parts of Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. Phalaborwa, Limpopo is the only town in South Africa that borders the Kruger National Park. It is one of the largest national parks in the world, with an area of 19,485 km2 (7,523 sq mi). The park is approximately 360 km (220 mi) long, and has an average width of 65 km (40 mi). At its widest point, the park is 90 km (56 mi) wide from east to west.To the north and south of the park two rivers, the Limpopo River and the Crocodile respectively, act as their natural boundaries. To the east, the Lebombo Mountains separate it from Mozambique. Its western boundary runs parallel with this range, roughly 65 km (40 mi) distant. The park varies in altitude between 200 m (660 ft) in the east and 840 m (2,760 ft) in the south-west near Berg-en-Dal. The highest point in the park is here, a hill called Khandzalive. Several rivers run through the park from west to east, including the Sabie, Olifants, Crocodile, Letaba, Luvuvhu and Limpopo Rivers. Climate The climate of the Kruger National Park and lowveld is subtropical/tropical, specifically a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Summer days are humid and hot. The rainy season is from September until May. The Kruger National Park website lists September and October as the driest periods, culminating at the beginning of the rainy season late in October. Because the park spans 360 kilometres or 220 miles from north to south, climate can vary throughout the park. Skukuza in the southern part of the park is about 2 to 3 °C (3.6 to 5.4 °F) cooler throughout the year than Pafuri in the north, with significantly more rainfall. Vegetation Plant life consists of four main areas, which correspond roughly to the four quadrants of the park. The main veld types are determined by the rainfall gradient (400 to 750 mm per annum) and geological substrates. Shrub mopane veld Shrub mopane covers almost the entire northeastern part of the park. Red bush-willow and mopane veld This area lies in the park's western half, north of the Olifants River. The two most prominent species here are the red bush-willow (Combretum apiculatum) and the mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane). Thorn trees and red bush-willow veld This area lies between the western boundary and roughly the centre of the park south of the Olifants River. Combretums, such as the red bush-willow (Combretum apiculatum), and Acacia species predominate while there are a great number of marula trees (Sclerocarya caffra). The Acacias are dominant along the rivers and streams, the very dense Nwatimhiri bush along the Sabie River between Skukuza and Lower Sabie being a very good example. Knob-thorn and marula veld South of the Olifants River in the park's eastern half, this area provides the most important grazing land. Species such as red grass (Themeda triandra) and buffalo grass (Panicum maximum) predominate while the knob-thorn (Acacia nigrescens), leadwood (Combretum imberbe) and marula (Sclerocarya caffra) are the main tree species. Local vegetation communities Several smaller areas in the park carry distinctive vegetation. The Pretoriuskop sourveld and Malelane mountain bushveld receive relatively high rainfall. Here sickle bush and silver cluster-leaf (Terminalia sericea) are prominent. The sandveld communities northeast of Punda Maria are equally distinctive, with a wide variety of unique plant species. The bush-clad hills along the Levuvhu River also shelter an interesting floral diversity and some near-endemic species. Mammals Mammals Male lion Leopard Cheetah African bush elephant crossing a road A pair of white rhinoceros Hippopotamus in Kruger NationalPark, December 1995 All the big five game animals are found at Kruger National Park, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve (at 147 species). There are webcams set up to observe the wildlife. Kruger supports packs of the endangered African wild dog, of which there are thought to be only about 400 in the whole of South Africa. Birds Harlequin quails (C. delegorguei) are irruptive migrants and late summer breeders in the grassy plains. They are plentiful nomads after good rains, but almost absent during dry years. Yellow-billed oxpeckers (B. africanus) are obligatory symbionts of large mammal herbivores. After an absence of over 80 years, they made an unaided comeback starting in 1979. A fairly uniform aggregate of bird species is present from the southern to central areas of the park, but a decline in diversity is noticeable in the mopane-dominated flats northwards of the Olifants. Most species breed in summer when rains sustain most vegetable and animal food, but the larger birds of prey conversely breed during the dry winter, when their prey is most exposed. Out of the 507 species of birds found at Kruger, 253 are residents, 117 non-breeding migrants, and 147 are nomads. Constituting the southern lowveld, the park's avifaunal affinities are mainly with the tropical north. Some representatives of this group are the African openbill, hooded vulture, Dickinson's kestrel, white-crowned lapwing, brown-necked parrot, Senegal coucal, broad-billed roller, trumpeter hornbill, Böhm's spinetail, tropical boubou, Meves's starling and scarlet-chested sunbird. Some 30 waterbird and wader species are dependent on the rivers or associated dams, including the African finfoot, white-backed night heron, white-crowned lapwing and water thick-knee. Other species are limited to riparian thicket or forest, including African goshawk, crested guineafowl, Natal spurfowl, Narina trogon, Pel's fishing owl, bearded scrub robin, terrestrial brownbul and black-throated wattle-eye. This habitat is often reduced by drought or floods or the understorey is opened up by elephant. Some of the larger birds require large territories or are sensitive to habitat degradation. Six of these birds, which are by and large restricted to Kruger and other extensive conservation areas, have been assigned to a fanciful grouping called the "Big Six Birds". They are the lappet-faced vulture, martial eagle, saddle-billed stork, kori bustard, ground hornbill and the reclusive Pel's fishing owl, which is localized and seldom seen. The 2011 aerial survey found 22 martial eagle nest sites, the 2015 survey an additional 17, while the 2020 survey found 70 nest locations in all, though the activity of these has yet to be determined. There are 25 to 30 breeding pairs of saddle-billed storks in the park, besides a handful of non-breeding individuals. In 2012 178 family groups of ground hornbills roamed the park and 78 nests were known, of which 50% were active. A 2013 study estimated that 904 pairs of white-backed vulture, 78 pairs of lappet-faced vulture and 60 pairs of white-headed vulture breed in the park. Other vertebrates Kruger is inhabited by 114 species of reptile, including black mambas, African rock pythons, and 3,000 Nile crocodiles. As yet, knowledge of the densities and distributions of the reptiles, especially on smaller spatial scales, is limited by sampling bias and a strong dependence on the park's public infrastructure is evident. 34 species of amphibians are found in the park, as well as 49 fish species. A Zambezi shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull shark, was caught at the confluence of the Limpopo and Luvuvhu Rivers in July 1950. Zambezi sharks tolerate fresh water and can travel far up rivers like the Limpopo. Invertebrates A seasonally fluctuating biomass of arthropods is observed in response to the summer rainfall regime and the mostly deciduous vegetation, as shown by sampling during 11 months in grassland near Satara Camp. 219 species of butterfly and skipper are native to the park.The fastest and most robust of these belong to the genus Charaxes, of which 12 species have been recorded. Genera Papilio and Acraea are also well-represented, with about 10 and 15 species respectively The total number of Lepidoptera species in the park is unknown but could be in the order of 7,000, many of which range widely in African savanna. The mopane moth in the northern half of the park is one of the best known, and communities outside the park have at times been given permits to harvest their caterpillars. The park has a high diversity of termites and 22 genera are known to occur, including the mound-building genera Macrotermes, Cubitermes, Amitermes, Odontotermes and Trinervitermes. A new species of woodlouse, Ctenorillo meyeri, has been discovered inside termite nests, east of Phalaborwa and near Mopani Rest Camp. It is the first instance of a termitophilous species from the family Armadillidae. Many species of mosquito occur in the park, including the Culex, Aedes and Anopheles genera which target mammals. A. arabiensis is the most prevalent of the 9 or more Anopheles species in the park, and their females transmit malaria. As of 2018, 350 species of arachnids, excluding ticks and mites, are known from Kruger. These are mostly true spiders, including 7 species of baboon spider, but also 9 scorpion and 7 pseudoscorpion species, 18 solifugid species (sun and roman spiders), 2 species of harvestmen and 1 species of tailless whip scorpion. Road Conditions Please take care when travelling to/from our Parks. Below are links to websites and Twitter feeds that will provide you with information regarding national road conditions, for your convenience. Websites Trans African Concessions (TRAC) N4 – For visitors travelling to the Kruger National Park via the N4 Toll Route AA – Road Conditions & Distance Calculator SANRAL – The South African National Roads Agency Twitter @netstartraffic – Provides traffic information on Gauteng, Durban and Cape Town. @TomTom_SA – Road/traffic information and updates, provided by TomTom SA. @N3Route – The N3 Toll Route from Cedara (Hilton) to Heidelberg, SA. Traffic updates, road safety and more. @TRACN4route – TRAC operates the N4 toll route between Pretoria in SA and Maputo in Mozambique. For help, info and traffic updates. @EWNTraffic – Eyewitness News’ traffic feed (Gauteng). @itrafficgp – SANRAL traffic updates (Gauteng) SANParks takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information/updates provided on the websites or Twitter feeds listed on this page. Threats Threats The park's ecosystem is subject to several threats, including intensive poaching, urban development at its borders,[45] global warming and droughts, animal overpopulation. and mining projects. Light pollution produced by rest camps and nearby towns affects the biodiversity of Kruger National Park. In particular, it alters the composition of nocturnal wildlife and the hunting behaviour of predators. In 2022 it was announced that Nkosi City, an R8 billion development is planned near the western border of the park. Floods or raising of the walls of the Massingir and Corumana dams in Mozambique could potentially damage, by silting, the pristine gorges of the Olifants and Sabie rivers respectively. The Olifants River Gorge has a deep, single thread, pool-rapid structure which is home to many crocodiles, besides hippos and fish. The fish population of the Olifants has already been diminished by hundreds of dams in its upper reaches. Anti-poaching measures Rhinoceros poaching in Southern Africa Kruger is not exempt from the threat of poaching that many other African countries have faced. Many poachers are in search of ivory from elephant tusks or rhino horns, which are similar in composition to human fingernails. The park's anti-poaching unit consists of 650 SANParks game rangers, assisted by the SAPS and the SANDF (including the SAAF). As of 2013, the park is equipped with two drones borrowed from Denel and two Aérospatiale Gazelle helicopters, donated by the RAF to augment its air space presence.Automated movement sensors relay intrusions along the Mozambique border to a control center, and a specialist dog unit has been introduced Buffer zones have been established along the border with Mozambique, from where many poachers have infiltrated the park, as an alternative to costly new fences. The original 150 km long fences were dropped in 2002 to establish the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. The national anti-poaching committee oversees all activities and coordinates interested parties. Poachers Kruger's big game poachers operate with night vision instruments and large caliber rifles, fitted with suppressors and sophisticated telescopic sights. They are mostly Mozambique citizens who initiate their carefully planned incursions from the border region of South Africa and Mozambique. In 2012, about 200 poachers were apprehended, while about 30 were killed in skirmishes. In July 2012, a Kruger game ranger and policeman were the first to die in an anti-poaching operation, while other employees reported intimidation by poachers. A Kruger personnel strike affected some anti-poaching operations, and some employees have been directly implicated.Rangers in and around the park have been pressured or blackmailed by poaching syndicates to provide intelligence on the whereabouts o rhinos and anti-poaching operations. In December 2012, Kruger started using a Seeker II drone against rhino poachers, which was loaned to the South African National Parks authority by its manufacturer Denel Dynamics, South Africa. In June 2019, a Helix surveillance aircraft system was deployed on night missions in the park, and apprehended half a dozen suspected poachers. Other threats to poachers include the dangerous nature of the park itself. In February 2018, a poacher was believed to have been trampled by elephants and then eaten by lions, leaving rangers to later find only a human skull and a pair of trousers, alongside a loaded hunting rifle. In December 2021, two accused poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park's Skukuza after they were discovered in possession of unauthorized rifles and ammunition. Rhino Poachers make no distinction between white and black rhinos, but losses of black rhinos are low due to their reclusive and aggressive nature.Rhino horn fetches between $66,000 and $82,000 per kilogram, and the CITES ban has proved largely ineffectual against the trade in rhino horn.The second horn is sometimes also hacked from the skull to obtain about 100 ml of moisture that is sold locally as traditional medicine Muti. Poaching rhino horn escalated in the 21st century, with 949 rhinos killed in Kruger in the first 12 years, and more than 520 in 2013 alone. A memorandum of agreement is seen as a necessary milestone in stemming the tide between South Africa and Vietnam, in addition to the one with China . while negotiations have not yet started with Thailand. The amount of rhino horn held in storage is not publicly known. Since 2009, some Kruger rhinos have been fitted with invisible tracing devices in their bodies and horns which enable officials to locate their carcasses and to track the smuggled horns by satellite. Kruger experienced significant elephant poaching in the 1980s .Due to international and national efforts, including a worldwide ban on ivory sales beginning in 1989, the poaching was abated for many years, but a sharp rise in 2014 has continued and the numbers of elephants poached per year in the park is growing at an alarming rate. Following approval by CITES, 47 tonnes of stockpiled ivory from Kruger were auctioned on 6 November 2008. The sale fetched approximately US$6.7 million which was allocated to increased anti-poaching measures. The intention was to flood the market, crash prices and make poaching less profitable. But instead, the legal sale was followed by "an abrupt, significant, permanent, robust and geographically widespread increase" in elephant poaching, as subsequent research showed. The latest Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), summit voted down proposals for further one-off ivory sales from stockpiles for having led to increases in poaching across the continent. Across the continent the African elephant population decreased 30% in the period between 2007 and 2014. Other It is foreseen that the placement of wire traps to procure meat would eventually become the most challenging form of poaching. A scheme has been proposed to reward adjacent communities with the proceeds of game sales in return for their cooperation in game preservation. The larger communities include Bosbokrand, Acornhoek, Hazyview, Hoedspruit, Komatipoort, Malelane, Marloth Park, Nelspruit and Phalaborwa. Communities along the northern boundary have complained about a number of issues that affect them, including livestock killed by escaped predators. In 2021 and 2022 there were cases of poisoning of carcasses near Punda Maria, evidently to obtain the body parts of scavengers. See also South Africa portal Abel Chapman Battle at Kruger Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Hemmersbach Rhino Force Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Kruger National Park in the 1960s (a timeline of events) List of protected areas of South Africa Makuleke Sabi Sand Game Reserve SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary Skukuza External links Kruger National Park at Wikipedia's sister projects Media from Commons Travel information from Wikivoyage Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap Download coordinates as: Kruger National Park official website Webcams in the Kruger

Brief history of the Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape was carved up into black and white territories under apartheid in a more consolidated way than anywhere else in the country. The stark contrasts between wealth and poverty were forged in the nineteenth century when the British drew the Cape colonial frontier along the Great Fish River, a thousand kilometres east of Cape Town, and fought over half a dozen campaigns (known as the Frontier Wars) to keep the Xhosa at bay on its east bank. In the 1820s, the British shipped in thousands of settlers to bolster white numbers and reinforce the line. Even for a country where everything is suffused with politics, the Eastern Cape’s identity is excessively political. South Africa’s black trade unions have deep roots in its soil, which also produced many anti-apartheid African leaders, including former president Nelson Mandela, his successor Thabo Mbeki, and Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko, who died in 1977 at the hands of Port Elizabeth security police. The Transkei or Wild Coast region, wedged between the Kei and KwaZulu-Natal, was the testing ground for grand apartheid when it became the prototype in 1963 for the Bantustan system of racial segregation. In 1976 the South African government gave it notional “independence”, in the hope that several million Xhosa-speaking South Africans, surplus to industry’s needs, could be dumped in the territory and thereby become foreigners in “white South Africa”. When the Transkei was reincorporated into South Africa in 1994 it became part of the new Eastern Cape, a province struggling for economic survival under the weight of its apartheid-era legacy and the added burden of widespread corruption. Port Elizabeth and the western region Port Elizabeth is the industrial centre of the Eastern Cape. In 1820 it was the arrival point for four thousand British settlers, who doubled the English-speaking population of South Africa and have left their trace on the architecture in the town centre. The port’s industrial feel is mitigated by some outstanding city beaches and, should you end up killing time here, you’ll find diversion in beautiful coastal walks a few kilometres from town and in the small historical centre. However, the main reason most people wash up here is to start or finish a tour of the Garden Route – or head further up the highway to Addo Elephant National Park , the most significant game reserve in the southern half of the country. Also within easy striking distance are several other smaller, and utterly luxurious, private game reserves. East of Port Elizabeth , a handful of resorts punctuate the R72 East London coast road, where the roaring surf meets enormously wide sandy beaches, backed by mountainous dunes. The inland route to East London deviates away from the coast to pass through Grahamstown , a handsome university town, worth at least a night, and several during the National Arts Festival every July. A couple of hundred kilometres north from Port Elizabeth , an area of flat-topped hills and treeless plains opens out to the Karoo, the semi-desert that extends across a third of South Africa. The oldest and best known of the settlements here is the picture-postcard town of Graaff-Reinet, a solid fixture on bus tours. Just a few kilometres away is the awesome Valley of Desolation, and the village of Nieu Bethesda, best known for its eccentric Owl House museum. Nearly as pretty as Graaff-Reinet, though not as architecturally rich, the town of Cradock, to its east, has the added attraction of the rugged Mountain Zebra National Park. Jeffrey's Bay Some 75km west of Port Elizabeth , off the N2, JEFFREY’S BAY (known locally as J Bay) is jammed during the holiday seasons, when thousands of visitors throng the beaches, surfing shops and fast-food outlets, giving the place a really tacky seaside resort feel. For surfing aficionados, however, this is a trifling detail; J Bay is said by some to be one of the world’s top three surfing spots. If you’ve come to surf, head for the break at Super Tubes, east of the main bathing beach, which produces an impressive and consistent swirling tube of whitewater, attracting surfers from all over the world throughout the year. Riding inside the vortex of a wave is considered the ultimate experience by surf buffs, but should only be attempted if you’re an expert. Other key spots are at Kitchen Windows, Magna Tubes, the Point and Albatross. Surfing gear, including wet suits, can be rented from the multitude of surfing shops along Da Gama Road. Dolphins regularly surf the waves here, and whales can sometimes be seen between June and October. The main bathing areas are Main Beach (in town) and Kabeljous-on-Sea (a few kilometres north), with some wonderful seashells to be found between Main and Surfer’s Point. The Eastern Cape Karoo Travelling between Grahamstown and the towns of Cradock and Graaff-Reinet (the Eastern Cape’s two most-visited Karoo towns), you’ll be heading into sheep-farming country, with the occasional dorp rising against the horizon, offering the experience of an archetypal Eastern Cape one-horse outpost. The roads through this vast emptiness are quiet, and lined with rhythmically spaced telephone poles. Dun-coloured sheep, angora goats and the occasional springbok graze on brown stubble, and you’ll often see groups of charcoal-and-grey ostriches in the veld. Staying on a farm in this region is a highlight. Cradock, 240km north of Port Elizabeth , lies in the Karoo proper, and makes a great stopover on the Port Elizabeth to Johannesburg run, because of its excellent accommodation and its proximity to the beautiful Mountain Zebra National Park. Some 100km due west of Cradock, Graaff-Reinet is one of the oldest towns in South Africa, and much of its historical centre is intact. Surrounding the town is the Camdeboo National Park. For more of a sense of the Karoo’s dry timelessness, head to Nieu Bethesda, 50km to the north of town. Mountain Zebra National Park When the Mountain Zebra National Park was created in 1937, there were only five Cape mountain zebras left on its 65 square kilometres – and four were male. Miraculously, conservationists managed to cobble together a breeding herd from the few survivors on surrounding farms, and the park now supports several hundred. For game viewing, the park has a couple of good part-tar, part-gravel loop roads forming a rough figure of eight. As well as zebra, keep an eye out for springbok, blesbok and black wildebeest. The introduction of buffalo in 1998 and plans to bring in cheetahs and rhinos add to the wildlife interest, but mean that hiking across the park isn’t possible, since buffalo have a reputation for extreme aggression. There are, however, two waymarked walks near the camp. Graaff-Reinet It’s little wonder that tour buses pull in to GRAAFF-REINET in their numbers; this is a beautiful town and one of the few places in the Eastern Cape where you’d want to wander freely day and night, taking in historical buildings and the occasional little museum, and having a meal or a drink before strolling back to your accommodation. Graaff-Reinet has a large population of Afrikaans-speaking coloured people, mostly living on the south side of town, some of slave origin, others the descendants of indigenous Khoi and San who were forced to work on frontier farms. The dry mountains surrounding the town are part of the Camdeboo National Park whose main attraction is the Valley of Desolation, a B-movie name for an impressive site. The rocky canyon, echoing bird calls and expansive skies of the valley shouldn’t be missed. Robert Sobukwe and the Africanists One of Graaff-Reinet’s most brilliant but often-forgotten sons is Robert Managaliso Sobukwe, founder of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). Born in 1923, Sobukwe went to Healdtown, a boarding school, then Fort Hare University, where he joined the African National Congress Youth League. After graduating in 1947, he became a schoolteacher and then a lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand. A charismatic member of the Africanist wing of the ANC – even the ultra-apartheid prime minister B.J. Vorster acknowledged him as "a man of magnetic personality" – Sobukwe questioned the organization’s strategy of cooperating with whites, and formed the breakaway PAC in 1959. The following year he launched the nationwide anti-pass protests, which ended in the Sharpeville massacre and his imprisonment on Robben Island for nine years. In 1969, Sobukwe was released under a banning order to Kimberley, where he died in 1978. Five thousand people attended his funeral in Graaff-Reinet. EASTERN CAPE Sandwiched between the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa’s two most popular coastal provinces, the Eastern Cape tends to be bypassed by visitors – and for all the wrong reasons. The relative neglect it has suffered as a tourist destination and at the hands of the government is precisely where its charm lies. You can still find traditional African villages here, and the region’s 1000km of undeveloped coastline alone justifies a visit, sweeping back inland in immense undulations of vegetated dunefields. For anyone wanting to get off the beaten track, the province is, in fact, one of the most rewarding regions in South Africa. Brief history of the Eastern Cape Port Elizabeth and the western region The Central Eastern Cape and East London The Eastern Cape Drakensberg The Wild Coast region Addo Elephant National Park East London Grahamstown The Grahamstown Festival Port Elizabeth Port St Johns Qunu and the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre Nelson Mandela and the Qunu connection Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape Province is the second-largest province in South Africa at 168,966 km2. The languages spoken here include Xhosa, Afrikaans and English. Addo Elephant National Park – an Eastern Cape Tourist Attraction The Eastern Cape Province borders the Western Cape , Northern Cape , KwaZulu-Natal and Free State Provinces of South Africa. Read more about the 9 provinces of South Africa . Eastern Cape Towns and Cities Sealpoint Lighthouse in St Francis Bay The capital city of the Eastern Cape Province is Bisho, but the largest cities in this province are Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) and East London. Towns in this province are: Aliwal North Barkly East Burgersdorp Coffee Bay Cradock Graaff-Reinet is one of the oldest towns in South Africa . Grahamstown Hogsback Jeffrey’s Bay King Williams Town Maclear & Ugie Mazeppa Bay Middelburg Mthatha Nieu Bethesda Rhodes Somerset East St Francis Bay Graaff-Reinet Graaff-Reinet The VOC, or Dutch East India Company, established Graaff-Reinet in 1786. The town’s name is named after the then-governor of the Cape, Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, and his wife, Reinet. The VOC established the town to encourage trade between the Cape and the rural areas. Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park Graaff-Reinet is South Africa’s 6th oldest town and the oldest town in the Eastern Cape Province Graaff-Reinet is known as the “Gem of the Karoo.” It is the town with the most national monuments in South Africa. It features over 200 historic buildings and pre-Victorian homes. Furthermore, it is an agricultural town with mohair, sheep and ostrich farms. If you love history, find out more about the historical sites in Cape Town, including the Castle of Good Hope. Where is Graaff-Reinet? Getting to Graaff-Reinet takes a long time but is worth doing as part of a road trip through South Africa. The town is almost 3 hours by car from Port Elizabeth or Gqeberha (262 km). Another road trip that is worth doing is driving from Johannesburg to Cape Town. Find out about the best halfway stops on this route. Things to do in Graaff-Reinet Dutch Reformed Church Groot Kerk on Graaff-Reinet Because of its age, Graaff-Reinet has a lot to offer to visitors. Some of the best sights include: The Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park Dutch Reformed Church, Groot Kerk The Reinet House, also known as the Graaff-Reinet Museum GRT Brewery Hester Rupert Art Museum Graaff-Reinet The War Memorial Old Residency St James the Great Anglican Church Urquhart House Museum The Recollection Village and Museum Anglo-Boer War Memorial Gideon Scheepers Memorial Old Library Museum Andries Pretorius Monument Monument to the Independent Colony of Graaff-Reinet The Monument to Jewish Pedlars Krugersdorp Monument The Union Monument John Rupert Theatre The Huguenot Monument Karoo Ballooning The Camdeboo National Park is one of South Africa’s many national parks – read more about them here. The Eastern Cape offers many other attractions. Learn About 15 Old Towns in South Africa This post contains affiliate links. If you click on any of these links to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. South Africa’s colonial history started in 1652 when the Dutch arrived at the Cape of Good Hope to establish a trade station for ships sailing to the Far East. If you love history, you may want to know more about the oldest towns in South Africa. In this article, we consider the towns established after the colonisation of South Africa only. We explore the oldest towns of South Africa by considering their date of establishment and a brief history of each. Map of The Oldest Towns in South Africa Click on the map to zoom in and see more detail. You can find most of these towns in the coastal provinces of South Africa, especially in the Western Cape Province and the Eastern Cape Province. List of The Oldest Towns in South Africa Here is an ordered list of the 15 oldest towns in South Africa with their date of establishment, starting with the oldest town. NumberCity or TownDate of establishment 1Cape Town1652 2Stellenbosch1679 3Simon’s Town1680 4Paarl1687 5Swellendam1746 6Graaff Reinet1786 7Tulbagh1795 8Uitenhage1804 9George1811 10Caledon1811 11Griquatown1812 12Grahamstown1812 13Cradock1816 14Port Elizabeth1820 15Fort Beaufort1822 List of the 15 oldest towns in South Africa Now, let’s explore the 15 oldest towns in South Africa! The Oldest Town in South Africa: Cape Town (1652) Cape Town is South Africa’s oldest city and hosts many of the country’s oldest buildings and places. Lions Head in Cape Town – one of the oldest towns in South Africa While working for the Dutch East India Company (VOC), Jan van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape of Storms in 1652 to set up a halfway station for travellers from the Netherlands to the East. There was a shortage of labour resulting in the slow growth of the settlement. The Dutch imported slaves from Indonesia and Madagascar. Van Riebeeck and his successors introduced many valuable plants to the Cape, completely changing the natural environment. These plants included grapes, ground nuts, cereals, potatoes, citrus, and apples. Since then, Cape Town has become the second-largest city in South Africa. Locals and foreigners love the city as it offers many exciting sights, old buildings and beautiful natural scenery. The top sights in Cape Town include: Table Mountain aerial cableway The V&A Waterfront Lion’s Head The Castle of Good Hope Cape Town also has the oldest township in South Africa, Langa. The second-oldest town in South Africa: Stellenbosch (1679) Governor Simon van der Stel established Stellenbosh in 1679 to decentralise the administration in South Africa. He appointed a Landdrost and a drostdy established. This was followed by a local court and a local government. Locals know Stellenbosch as the City of Oaks because of the many oak trees planted by Governor van der Stel to beautify the homesteads and streets. The residents started stock farming instead of cultivation, resulting in the rapid expansion of the colony and even further decentralisation. Stellenbosch – the second oldest town in South Africa During the 1690s, Huguenot refugees settled in Stellenbosch and planted grapes. Soon, Stellenbosch became the midpoint of the South African wine industry, which it still is today. Some of the best-known sights in Stellenbosch include: Waterford Estate Spier Wine Farm Stellenbosch University Botanical Gardens Simon’s Town (1680) Penguins at Boulders Beach in Simons Town Simonstown was established as a naval station and harbour. The town is named after Simon van der Stel, a governor of the Cape Colony. Simon’s town was established as the second harbour for Cape Town, the other being Table Bay. Many ships were wrecked when travelling to Table Bay, but the location of Simon’s Town is protected from the violent northwest gales that caused the shipwrecks. Some of the best-known sights in Simon’s Town include: Boulders Beach Penguin Colony The Naval Museum Jubilee Square Paarl (1687) The VOC had meat-trading relationships with the Khoikhoi people on the Table Bay coastline. In 1657, they searched for new trade relationships inland and found a giant glistening granite rock called “de Diamondt en de Peerlberg” (the Diamond and Pearl Mountain). This is where the name is from. Paarl means “pearl” in Dutch. In 1687, Governor van der Stel gave the title to the first farms in the area. The following year the French Huguenots arrived and settled on farms here. Paarl’s soil and climate are perfect for farming. The settlers planted vegetable gardens, vineyards and orchards to start Paarl’s history as a wine- and fruit-producing region. Paarl is the largest town in the Cape’s infamous Wineland region. Paarl received a lot of international media attention when Nelson Mandela, on 11 February 1990, walked out of the Drakenstein Correctional Centre in Paarl to end his 27 years of imprisonment. Afrikaans Language Monument in Paarl This was the beginning of post-apartheid in South Africa. Mandela spent three years in the correctional centre in a private house. There is a bronze statue of Mandela outside of the prison. The well-known sites in Paarl are: Nederburg Wines Afrikaans Language Monument Ashia Swellendam (1746) The next town in South Africa was Swellendam in October 1746. The establishment of Cape Town resulted in inland trade to where Swellendam is. Swellendam was named after Governor Hendrik Swellengrebel, the first South African-born Governor, and his wife, Helena Ten Damme. NG Kerk Swellendam Swellendam became the gateway to the interior of South Africa. Many well-known explorers visited the town, including François Le Vaillant (1781), Lady Anne Barnard (1798), William John Burchell (1815), and Thomas William Bowler (1860). Swellendam became the last outpost of the Dutch civilisation, and the services offered by its residents were critical. Well-known sites and attractions in Swellendam include: Drostdy Museum NG Kerk Swellendam Marloth Nature Reserve Graaff-Reinet (1786) The VOC established Graaff-Reinet in 1786. The town’s name is from the then-governor of the Cape Colony, Cornelis Jacob van de Graaff, and his wife. The town’s establishment was meant to facilitate the expansion of inland trade from the Cape Colony. Graaff-Reinet has more national monuments than any other South African city or town. You can find over 200 historic buildings and restored pre-Victorian homes in Graaff-Reinet. The town produces agricultural products, such as mohair, and has many sheep and ostrich farms. Camdeboo National Park in Graaff-Reinet For the best view of Graaff-Reinet, visit the Camdeboo National Park, where you can see how the town is tucked into a curve of the river. Some of the must-sees in Graaff-Reinet include: The Valley of Desolation in the Camdeboo National Park Dutch Reformed Church, Groot Kerk The Reinet House Tulbagh (1795) Tulbagh was established in 179 when the Dutch government gifted the area to Dutch and Huguenot settlers. The name is from Governor Ryk Tulbagh. The town still has many examples of Cape Dutch architecture and Victorian and Edwardian houses. Some of the sites to see in Tulbagh include: Saronsberg Cellar Old Town Tulbagh Earthquake Museum Uitenhage (1804) During the time of Governor Janssens, Captain Alberti had to select a site for a new town. He selected the Zwartkops River. They laid the town out in 1804. The town was called Uitenhage, and Captain Alberti became its first Landdrost. Uitenhage’s name changed in 2021 to Kariega. Uitenhage is known for the Volkswagen factory located there. This factory is the largest car factory on the African continent. Some of the best places to visit in Uitenhage include: Volkswagen Autopavillian The Railway Museum The Cuyler Manor Museum George (1811) The growing demand for wood and timber for transport, buildings and furniture caused George‘s establishment. The government chose George because of its access to water. The government declared George a separate district in 1811. Adrian van Kervel became the first Landdrost. The Earl of Caledon claimed the town on St George’s Day, 23 April 1811. He names the town after the reigning British monarch, King George III. The Transport Museum in George, South Africa George is the second-largest city in the Western Cape after Cape Town. It is the gateway to South Africa’s Garden Route. It is the halfway point between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. The town offers many sights, such as the Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe train, the Slave Tree and the King Edward VII Library. These are the best attractions you can visit in George: Redberry Farm Outeniqua Transport Museum Victoria Bay Caledon (1811) Caledon was established as a church town in 1811. It is about 113 kilometres east of Cape Town, near a mineral-rich hot spring. The Caledon region focuses on agriculture, such as grain production. Some stock farming also takes place in Caledon. Old towns in South Africa- Caledon You can visit these places in Caledon: The Holy Trinity Museum Caledon Museum Boschriver Griquatown (1812) Griquatown began as a mission station in 1812. You can find the town in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. It was the first town in the country north of the Orange River. The town is now known for its semi-precious stones, including the tiger’s eye and jasper. There are some sheep farming with dorpers, a South African breed. Grahamstown (1812) Grahamstown was established as a military town in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The town was renamed in 2018 to Makhanda in memory of the Xhosa prophet and warrior Makhanda ka Nxele. These are some of the exciting sites to see in Grahamstown: Cathedral of St Michael and St George Kwantu Elephant Sanctuary 1820 Settlers Museum Cradock (1816) Cradock was another town, initially established as a military town. The town can be found in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The name came from John Cradock, the Governor of the Cape Colony and commander of the forces. These are some of the best sites to see in Cradock: Mount Zebra National Park Schreiner Museum Cat Conservation Trust Port Elizabeth (1820) Port Elizabeth was started as a small trading and port centre in 1812. Its official name is Gqeberha, but locals also know it as PE, the friendly or windy city. It is the biggest city in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The government of the Cape Colony founded the city in 1820 when 4,000 British colonists settled in Algoa Bay to strengthen the border between the Cape Colony and the Xhosa. The city has a warm oceanic climate and is considered one of the top cities in the world for pleasant year-round weather. The city offers several blue-flag beaches along its urban coastline. Old towns in South Africa – Port Elizabeth Port Elizabeth has many offerings, including: Kragga Kamma Game Park Shamwari Private Game Reserve Sardinia Bay Beach The Addo Elephant National Park Fort Beaufort (1822) Fort Beaufort is another town that started for military reasons. It is located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. The town was named after the Duke of Beaufort, father of Lord Charles Henry Somerset, the first British Governor of the Cape Colony. These are some of the exciting sites in Fort Beaufort: Fort Beaufort Town Hall Martello Tower Katberg Eco Golf Resort Sources: What are the oldest towns in South Africa What are the oldest towns in South Africa WikiPedia * The Eastern Cape Travel Guide Port Elizabeth is the province’s commercial centre, principally used to start or end a trip along the Garden Route, though it’s a useful springboard for launching out into the rest of South Africa – the city is the transport hub of the Eastern Cape. Jeffrey’s Bay, 75km to the west, has a fabled reputation among surfers for its perfect waves. Around an hour’s drive inland are some of the province’s most significant game reserves, among them Addo Elephant National Park , a Big Five reserve where sightings of elephants are virtually guaranteed. Addo and the private reserves nearby are among the few game reserves in South Africa that are malaria-free throughout the year. The hinterland to the north takes in areas appropriated by English immigrants shipped out in the 1820s as ballast for a new British colony. Here, Grahamstown glories in its twin roles as the spiritual home of English-speaking South Africa and host to Africa’s biggest arts festival. The northwest is dominated by the sparse beauty of the Karoo, the thorny semi-desert stretching across much of central South Africa. The rugged Mountain Zebra National Park, 200km north of Port Elizabeth , is a stirring landscape of flat-topped mountains and arid plains stretching for hundreds of kilometres. A short step to the west, Graaff-Reinet is the quintessential eighteenth-century Cape Dutch Karoo town. The eastern part of the province, largely the former Transkei, is by far the least developed, with rural Xhosa villages predominating. East London , the province’s only other centre of any size, serves well as a springboard for heading into the Transkei, where the principal interest derives from political and cultural connections. Steve Biko was born here, and you can visit his grave in King William’s Town to the west. Further west is Fort Hare University, which educated many contemporary African leaders. The only established resorts in this section are in the Amatola Mountains, notably Hogsback, where indigenous forests and mossy coolness provide relief from the dry scrublands below. Tucked into the northeastern corner of the province, the Drakensberg range, more commonly associated with KwaZulu-Natal, makes a steep ascent out of the Karoo and offers trout-fishing and ancient San rock art. The focus of the area is the remote, lovely village of Rhodes. Further east, the Wild Coast region remains one of the least developed and most exciting regions in the country. The poorest part of the poorest province, the region is blessed with fabulously beautiful subtropical coast. From here, all the way to the KwaZulu-Natal border, dirt roads trundle down to the coast from the N2 to dozens of remote and indolent hillside resorts, of which Port St Johns is the biggest and best known. In the rugged, goat-chewed landscape inland, Xhosa-speakers live in mud-and-tin homesteads, scraping a living herding stock and growing crops. Most visitors pass as quickly as possible through Mthatha (formerly Umtata), the ugly former capital of the Transkei – but if you’re following in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, the Nelson Mandela Museum in the centre of Mthatha, and Qunu, his birthplace southwest of the town, are obvious ports of call. The Central Eastern Cape and East London Eastern cape Between Port Alfred and East London lies some of the Eastern Cape’s least-developed coastline, although it has now fallen into the hands of developers as more and more people discover the beauty of the region. East London , wedged uncomfortably between two ex-Bantustans, is the largest city in the central region of the province, with excellent beaches for surfing and swimming and good transport links to Johannesburg and along the coast. Inland, Fort Hare University near Alice has educated political leaders across the subcontinent, including Nelson Mandela, and has the country’s finest collection of contemporary black South African art. Sweeping up from Fort Hare’s valley, the gentle, wooded Amatola Mountains yield to the dramatic landscapes of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg, which offer hiking, horseriding and even skiing opportunities. Before white settlers (or even the Xhosa) arrived, these towering formations were dominated by San hunter-gatherers, who decorated the rock faces with thousands of ritual paintings, many of which remain surprisingly vivid. The Amatola Mountains Most visitors drive quickly through the scrubby, dry, impoverished area between East London and the Amatola Mountains proper, to reach the cool forests and holiday lands at Hogsback. However, it’s worth deviating en route, to see the fine collection of African art at Fort Hare University, close to the little town of Alice, and to take in some peeling, but intact, colonial streetscapes in King William’s Town. Steve Biko and Black Consciousness Steve Biko’s brutal interrogation and death while in police custody triggered international outrage and turned opinion further against the apartheid regime. Steven Bantu Biko was born in 1946 in King William’s Town. His political ascent was swift, due to his eloquence, charisma and focused vision. While still a medical student at Natal University during the late 1960s, he was elected president of the exclusively black South African Students’ Organization (SASO) and started publishing articles in their journal, fiercely attacking white liberalism, which they saw as patronizing and counter-revolutionary. In an atmosphere of repression, Biko’s brand of Black Consciousness immediately caught on. He called for blacks to take destiny into their own hands, to unify and rid themselves of the "shackles that bind them to perpetual servitude". From 1973 onwards, Biko suffered banning, detention and other harassment at the hands of the state. In 1974, he defended himself in court, presenting his case so brilliantly that his international profile soared. Barred from leaving King William’s Town, Biko continued working and writing, frequently escaping his confinement. In August 1977 he was detained and taken to Port Elizabeth where he was interrogated and tortured. A month later he died from a brain haemorrhage, after a beating by security police. No one was held accountable. He is buried in King William’s Town. The polished, charcoal-coloured tombstone sits midway through the graveyard, among the large patch of paupers’ graves. To get there, take Cathcart Street south out of town (towards Grahamstown ), turning left onto a road signposted to the cemetery, after the bridge (just before the Alice turn-off to the right). Fort Hare University Despite decades of deliberate neglect, and its relegation after 1959 to a "tribal" university under apartheid, Fort Hare, 2km east of Alice on the R63, is assured a place in South African history. Established in 1916 as a multiracial college by missionaries, it became the first institution in South Africa to deliver tertiary education to blacks, and was attended by many prominent African leaders, including Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe and Tanzania’s former president, Julius Nyerere. The most famous former student is Nelson Mandela, making this an essential port of call if you’re following his footsteps. If you have even the slightest interest in African art, Fort Hare’s De Beers Art Gallery is well worth a visit. A treasury of contemporary black Southern African art, it’s one of the most significant and least publicized collections anywhere. The gallery also houses Fort Hare’s ethnographic collection – a major museum of traditional crafts and artefacts, with many rare and valuable pieces. The Eastern Cape Drakensberg The Eastern Cape Drakensberg is the most southerly section of Southern Africa’s highest and most extensive mountain chain, stretching east across Lesotho and up the west flank of KwaZulu-Natal into Mpumalanga. The obvious goal of this world of San rock paintings, sandstone caves and craggy sheep farms is Rhodes, one of the country’s best-preserved and prettiest Victorian villages. Since there is no national park in the Eastern Cape Drakensberg, activities are all arranged through private farms. Very remote, Rhodes is reached from Barkly East, which itself is 130km from Aliwal North on the N6. The 60km dirt road to Rhodes from Barkly East is tortuous and rough, taking a good ninety minutes, with sheer, unfenced drops. Rhodes RHODES is almost too good to be true – a remote and beautiful village girdled by the Eastern Cape Drakensberg. Few people actually live here: like other villages in this region, Rhodes was progressively deserted as residents gravitated to the cities to make a living, leaving its Victorian tin-roofed architecture stuck in a very pleasing time warp. Today, its raison d’être is as a low-key holiday place for people who appreciate its isolation, wood stoves and restored cottages. Although electricity reached the village a few years ago, very few establishments have it, and paraffin lamps and candles are the norm. Given that Rhodes is not on the way to anywhere (on some maps it doesn’t even appear), it is a place to dwell for a few days, rather than for an overnight stop. While nights are cool even in summer, in winter they are freezing, and there’s no central heating, so pack warm clothes. The village itself is not much more than a few crisscrossing gravel roads lined with pine trees. At the heart of the village is the Rhodes Hotel, a general shop and a garage; there’s also a post office and payphone, but no banking facilities and no public transport in or out of the village. Rhodes used to be busy in the winter, when skiers used it as a base for the artificial snowed Tiffendell slopes, but this activity has ceased due to mysterious legalities. The village is an hour’s 4WD drive into the highest peaks of the Eastern Cape Drakensberg. December to May are the best months for swimming and hiking. The Wild Coast region The Wild Coast region is aptly named: this is one of South Africa’s most unspoilt areas, a vast stretch of undulating hills, lush forest and spectacular beaches skirting a section of the Indian Ocean. Its undeveloped sandy beaches stretch for hundreds of kilometres, punctuated by rivers and several wonderful, reasonably priced hotels geared to family seaside holidays. The wildness goes beyond the landscape, for this is the former Transkei homeland, a desperately poor region that was disenfranchised during apartheid and turned into a dumping ground for Africans too old or too young for South African industry to make use of. The Wild Coast region’s inhabitants are predominantly Xhosa, and those in rural areas live mostly in traditional rondavels dotting the landscape for as far as the eye can see. The N2 highway runs through the middle of the region, passing through the old Transkei capital of Mthatha and a host of scruffy, busy little towns along the way. To the south of the highway, the coastal region stretches from just north of East London to the mouth of the Mtamvuna River. With its succession of great beaches, hidden reefs, patches of subtropical forest, rural Xhosa settlements and the attractive little towns of Coffee Bay and Port St Johns (both popular with backpackers), this region offers the most deserted and undeveloped beaches in the country. The Wild Coast, unlike the Western Cape Garden Route, is not a stretch that you can easily tour by car. There’s no coastal road, and no direct route between one seaside resort and the next. Yet in this remoteness lies the region’s charm. Resorts are isolated down long, winding gravel roads off the N2, which sticks to the high inland plateau. Choose one or two places to stay, and stay put for a relaxing few days. Most places along this stretch of coast are known simply by the name of the hotel that nominates the settlement, though you will also see the Xhosa name of the river mouth, on which each hotel is situated, on many maps. Mthatha Straddling the Mthatha River and the N2 highway 235km from East London , the fractious, shambolic town of MTHATHA (formerly Umtata) is the erstwhile capital of the Transkei and the Wild Coast region’s largest town. Unfortunately, it’s a pretty ugly place, its crowded and litter-strewn streets lined with nondescript 1970s office buildings, with the odd older architectural gem, albeit dilapidated. However, the town is useful for stocking up and drawing money, all of which can be done at the Spar Centre or Shell Ultra City on the edge of town. The only reason to venture into the town centre is to visit the Nelson Mandela Museum, housed in the old parliament, or bungha, built in 1927. The most interesting display in the museum traces the great man’s life with photos and other visual material. The museum co-ordinates guided trips to Qunu and Mveso, Mandela’s birthplace, from its sister museum, the Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu . Some Xhosa traditions The Wild Coast region is largely populated by rural Xhosa, who still practise traditions and customs that have faded in more urban areas. Many people, for example, still believe that the sea is inhabited by strange people who do not always welcome visitors, which explains the relative scarcity of the activities you would normally find thriving among seashore-dwelling people, such as fishing and diving. Initiation for teenage boys and young men is still common. Young men usually leave their homes to stay in "circumcision lodges", dress in distinctive white paint and costumes and learn the customs of their clan. At the circumcision ceremony the young men are expected to make no sound while their foreskin is cut off (with no anaesthetic). After the ceremony, they wash off the paint and wrap themselves in new blankets, and all their possessions are thrown into a hut and set alight – they must turn away from this and not look back. There follows a feast to celebrate the beginning of manhood and the start of a year-long intermediary period during which they wear ochre-coloured clay on their faces. After this, they are counted as men. Like other African peoples, although they believe in one God, uThixo, or uNhkulukhulu (the great one), many Xhosa also believe that their ancestors play an active role in their lives. However, the ancestors’ messages are often too obscure to be understood without the aid of specialists, or amagqira. The Xhosa are patriarchal by tradition, with women’s subordinate status symbolized by lobola, the dowry payment in cattle and cash that a prospective husband must make to her parents before he can marry her. If the woman is not a virgin, the man pays less. Married Xhosa women have the same right as men to smoke tobacco in pipes, and can often be seen doing so, the pipes’ long stems designed to prevent ash falling on babies suckling at their breasts. Pipes are shared, but each person must have their own stem, not just for matters of hygiene but also to prevent witchcraft: bits of the body make the most effective poisonous medicines against people, and that includes hair, skin and spittle. The Xhosa did not wear cloth until it was introduced by Europeans, when it was quickly adopted. Today, what is now seen as traditional Xhosa cloth is almost always worn by women, mostly in the form of long skirts, beautifully embroidered with horizontal black stripes placed at varying intervals. The breasts of unmarried women were traditionally uncovered, while those of married women were usually covered with beads or matching cloth. These days, most women wear T-shirts, though almost all still cover their heads with scarves intricately tied to form two peaks above the forehead. The great cattle killing The 1850s were a low point for the Xhosa nation: most of their land had been seized by the British, drought had withered their crops, and cattle-sickness had decimated their precious herds. In 1856, a young woman called Nongqawuse, whose uncle Mhlakaza was a prophet, claimed to have seen and heard ancestral spirits in a pool on the Gxara River. The spirits told her the Xhosa must kill all their remaining cattle and destroy their remaining crops; if they did this, new cattle and crops would arise, along with new people who would drive the whites into the sea. As news of her prophecy spread, opinion was sharply divided among the Xhosa – those whose herds had been badly affected by cattle-sickness were most inclined to believe her. A turning point came when the Gcaleka paramount chief Sarili became convinced she was telling the truth and ordered his subjects to start the cull. Thousands of cattle were killed, but when the "new people" failed to materialize, the unbelievers who had not killed their herds were blamed. By February 1857, the next date for the appearance of the new people, over 200,000 cattle had been slaughtered. When the new people failed once more to materialize, it was too late for many Xhosa. By July there was widespread starvation; 30,000 of an estimated population of 90,000 died of hunger. The British administration saw the famine as a perfect way to force the destitute Xhosa into working on white settlers’ farms. To speed up the process, the Cape governor Sir George Grey closed down the feeding stations established by missionaries and laid the blame for the disaster on the Xhosa chiefs, imprisoning many of them on Robben Island. The Eastern Cape’s coastal nature reserves The Eastern Cape has some undeveloped and beautiful coastal reserves that are reached on difficult dirt roads and suitable for a stay of a few days, rather than for the day. All accommodation is self-catering, and there are no shops or facilities in the reserve, so you need to be fully self-sufficient and stock up before you leave the N2. Dwesa Reserve Situated between Kob Inn and Coffee Bay, Dwesa Nature Reserve has well-sited wooden chalets (R200), equipped with gas fridges and stoves, and is one of the best places to stay on the coast, boasting rare animals such as tree dassies and samango monkeys, as well as red hartebeest, blesbok, blue wildebeest and buffalo. To get to the reserve, turn east off the N2 at Idutywa towards the coast and continue for 73km or so; the road forks right to Kob Inn and left to Dwesa. Hluleka Nature Reserve One of the loveliest of the Wild Coast reserves, Hluleka Nature Reserve consists of coastal forest whose coral trees flower scarlet in July and August, a strip of grassland and outstanding sandy beaches interspersed with rocky outcrops tattooed with extraordinary wind-shaped rock formations. In the grassland strip, you’re likely to see wildebeest, zebra and blesbok. Accommodation is in seven spacious self-catering chalets, on stilts overlooking the sea, sleeping up to four people (R600). You can reach Hluleka along the difficult coastal road from Coffee Bay. Heading towards the N2 from Coffee Bay for a short distance, take the Mdumbi turn on the right, and continue for some 30km, when signs to Hluleka appear. Alternatively – and more easily – take the Hluleka turning 30km along the R61 from Mthatha to Port St Johns , and continue for another 57km to the coast. Mkhambathi Nature Reserve Largest of the Eastern Cape reserves, Mkhambathi consists almost entirely of grassland, flanked by the forested ravines of two rivers, and a ravishing coastline of rocky promontories and deserted beaches. There’s plenty of game: you’re likely to see eland, hartebeest, wildebeest and blesbok, as well as Cape vultures. The highlight, though, is the Mkhambathi River itself, which cuts through the middle of the reserve down a series of striking waterfalls, of which the Horseshoe Falls near the sea are the most spectacular. To get to Mkhambathi, turn towards the coast at the Mkhambathi signpost at Flagstaff on the tarred R61. From Flagstaff, the reserve is 70km away on a dirt road, which is very variable in quality. Although the road to the reserve restcamp is fine, driving anywhere in the park except to the beach requires a high-clearance vehicle. Addo Elephant National Park A Big Five reserve, Addo Elephant National Park is just 73km north of Port Elizabeth, and should be your first choice for an excursion – for just one day or for several. You can also stay at one of the nearby private reserves – especially if you just want to be pampered. On the N2 highway between PE and Grahamstown alone, there are three: Shamwari, Amakhala and Lalibela, while Schotia, 1km off the N10/N2 interchange, has exciting night drives and is the least upmarket. One big attraction of Addo and these private reserves is that, unlike the country’s other major game parks, they benefit from the fact that the Eastern Cape is malaria-free. Addo is currently undergoing an expansion programme that will see it become one of South Africa’s three largest game reserves, and the only one including coastline. Elephants remain the park’s most obvious drawcard, but with the reintroduction in 2003 of a small number of lions, in two prides (big cats last roamed here over a century ago), as well as the presence of the rest of the Big Five – buffalo, hippos and leopards – it has become a game reserve to be reckoned with. Spotted hyenas were also introduced in 2003 as part of a programme to re-establish predators in the local ecosystem. Other species to look out for include cheetah, black rhino, eland, kudu, warthog, ostrich and red hartebeest. East London EAST LONDON, the second-largest city in the Eastern Cape, is the obvious jumping-off point for exploring the Transkei. But without fine, warm weather, the city is dreary. What does happen takes place along the beachfront, where there’s a plethora of places to stay, eat and drink. Nahoon Beach is a great surfing spot, and the town has a dedicated and lively surfing scene. It’s also gradually becoming a place for black holidaymakers – a post-apartheid phenomenon. The beaches to the east of town are very beautiful, with long stretches of sand, high dunes, estuaries and luxuriant vegetation, and good swimming. East London’s drab city centre is dominated by Oxford Street, parallel to Station Street and the train station. Although a major traffic thoroughfare, it is largely deserted at night, when you shouldn’t wander around alone. The newly upgraded Vincent Park Centre on Devereux Avenue is a popular shopping centre with cinemas and restaurants. It is 5km north of the city centre (leave the centre on Oxford St, and turn right into Devereux just beyond the museum), in the midst of the salubrious suburbs of Vincent and Stirling. This is the best place for shopping, or to find anything practical such as banks and the post office. Apart from a couple of handsome buildings, East London’s Victorian heart has progressively been demolished, though the city centre’s principal landmark, the splendid terracotta and lace-white City Hall, opened in 1899, remains. Over the road is a rather lifeless statue of martyred Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko. Away from the holiday strip, East London is dominated by an industrial centre served by Mdantsane, a huge African township 20km from the city towards King William’s Town. Grahamstown Just over 50km inland from Port Alfred, GRAHAMSTOWN projects an image of a cultured, historic town, quintessentially English, Protestant and refined, with reminders of its colonial past in evidence in the well-preserved architecture. Dominated by its cathedral, university and public schools, this is a thoroughly pleasant place to wander through, with well-maintained colonial Georgian and Victorian buildings lining the streets, and pretty suburban gardens. Every July, the town hosts an arts festival, the largest of its kind in Africa, and purportedly the second largest in the world. As elsewhere in South Africa, there are reminders of conquest and dispossession. Climb up Gunfire Hill, where the fortress-like 1820 Settlers Monument celebrates the achievement of South Africa’s English-speaking immigrants, and you’ll be able to see Makanaskop, the hill from which the Xhosa made their last stand against the British invaders. Their descendants live in desperately poor ghettos here, in a town almost devoid of industry. Despite all this, and the constant reminders of poverty, Grahamstown makes a good stopover, and is the perfect base for excursions: a number of historic villages are within easy reach, some game parks are convenient for a day or weekend visit and, best of all, kilometres of coast are just 45 minutes’ drive away. The Grahamstown Festival For ten days every July, Grahamstown bursts to overflowing as the town’s population doubles, with visitors descending for the annual National Arts Festival – usually called the Grahamstown Festival. At this time, seemingly every home is transformed into a B&B and the streets are alive with colourful food stalls. Church halls, parks and sports fields become flea markets and several hundred shows are staged, spanning every conceivable type of performance. This is the largest arts festival in Africa, and even has its own fringe festival. The hub of the event is the 1820 Settlers Monument, which hosts not only big drama, dance and operatic productions in its theatres, but also art exhibitions and free early-evening concerts. While work by African performers and artists is well represented, and is perhaps the more interesting aspect of the festival for tourists, the festival-goers and performers are still predominantly white. The published programme – spanning jazz, classical music, drama, dance, cabaret, opera, visual arts, crafts, films and a book fair – is bulky, but absolutely essential; it’s worth planning your time carefully to avoid walking the potentially cold July streets without seeing much of the festival proper. If you don’t feel like taking in a show, the free art exhibitions at the museums, Monument and other smaller venues are always worth a look. For more information and bookings, contact the Grahamstown Foundation (046 622 3082, www.nafest.co.za ). Port Elizabeth At the western end of Algoa (aka Nelson Mandela) Bay, PORT ELIZABETH, commonly known as PE, is normally visited for Addo Park, and not for its own beauty. The smokestacks along the N2 bear testimony to the fact that the Eastern Cape’s largest centre has thrived on heavy industry and cheap African labour, which accounts for its deep-rooted trade unionism and strong tradition of African nationalism. So it may come as a surprise that this has long been a popular holiday destination for white families – but then the town beachfront, stretching for several kilometres along Humewood Road, has some of the safest and cleanest city beaches in the country. As a city, PE is pretty functional, though it has some terrific accommodation and reasonable restaurants. Although the town has been ravaged by industrialization and thoughtless modernization, one or two buildings do stand out in an otherwise featureless city centre, and a couple of classically pretty rows of Victorian terraces still remain in the suburb of Central, sliding into a revamped street of trendy cafés and restaurants. Holidaymakers head for the beachfront suburbs of Humewood and Summerstrand where there are places to stay plus bars and restaurants. There is little to draw you away from the beachfront, but further afield in New Brighton, you’ll find Port Elizabeth’s most important museum, the Red Location Museum of the People’s Struggle, housed in an award-winning building, and there are also some excellent tours around PE and into the townships. Port St Johns The 90km drive on the R61 to PORT ST JOHNS from Mthatha is one of the best journeys on the Wild Coast. After passing tiny Libode, with its small hotel and restaurant, you start the dramatic descent to the coast, past craggy ravines and epic vistas of forest and rondavel-spotted grassland. The road runs alongside the Mzimvubu River for the last few kilometres, giving you a perfect view of the Gates of St John, before reaching the town square and taxi rank. The big surprise, coming from the sparse hillsides around Mthatha, is how dramatic, hilly, lush and steamy it all is. Initially the town is quite confusing – it meanders into three distinct localities, some kilometres apart. First Beach, where the river meets the sea, is along the main road from the post office and offers good fishing, but is unsafe for swimming. Close to First Beach is the rather run-down town centre, where you’ll find shops and minibus taxis. Second Beach, 5km west along a tarred road off a right turn past the post office, is a fabulous swimming beach with a lagoon; it has a couple of nice places to stay close by. The area along the river around the Pondoland Bridge has some accommodation popular with anglers. Port St Johns is a favoured destination for backpackers, drawn by its stunning location at the mouth of the Mzimvubu River, dominated by Mount Thesiger on the west bank and Mount Sullivan on the east. A further attraction for some visitors is the strong cannabis grown in the area, and the town’s famously laidback atmosphere may tempt you to stay for longer than you intended. Port St Johns also has good fishing and swimming beaches, a wider choice of accommodation than anywhere else on the Wild Coast, and a good tarred road all the way into town. If you are looking for a stop-off along the Wild Coast, Port St Johns is the place to choose, rather than Mthatha. For crafts, check out Pondo People on the east side of the Mzimvubu River across the Pondoland Bridge, easily the best craft shop on the Wild Coast. Qunu and the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre Some 30km from Mthatha, on the East London side, are the scattered dwellings of Qunu, where Mandela grew up. The N2 thunders through it, but his large and rather plain mansion, which you may photograph but not enter, is clearly visible on the roadside. Signs from the N2 direct you to the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Visitors’ Centre, where you can pick up a tour by arrangement, and look around the craft centre. You can visit the remains of Mandela’s primary school, the rock he used to slide down with friends, and the graveyard where his parents, son and daughter are buried. Qunu is a village where the women still wear traditional clothing and young boys herd the family cows, and you’ll get some sense of the background and roots of the great man. Nelson Mandela and the Qunu connection Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born in the village of Mveso, close to Qunu, on July 18, 1918. His father was a member of the Xhosa royal house – he was also chief of Mveso, until he crossed swords with the local white magistrate over a minor dispute. After his sacking, the family moved to a small kraal in Qunu, which Mandela remembers as consisting of several hundred poor households. Mandela is often called Madiba – the name of his family’s subclan of the Thembu clan. The name Nelson was given to him by a schoolteacher, and Rolihlahla means colloquially, "troublemaker". Mandela has said that at home he was never allowed to ask any questions, but was expected to learn by observation. Later in life, he was shocked to visit the homes of whites and hear children firing questions at their parents and expecting replies. Shortly after his father died, Mandela was summoned from Qunu to the royal palace at Mqhakeweni, where he sat in on disputes in court and learned more about Xhosa culture. At 16 he was initiated into manhood before enrolling in Clarkebury, a college for the Thembu elite, then Healdtown at Fort Beaufort, and finally the celebrated Fort Hare in Alice, which has educated generations of African leaders. Mandela was expelled from Fort Hare after clashing with the authorities, and returned to Mqhakeweni. In 1941, faced with the prospect of an arranged marriage, he ran away to Johannesburg and there immersed himself in politics. It was only upon his release from prison in 1990 (at the age of 72) that Mandela was able to return to Qunu, visiting first the grave of his mother, who had died in his absence. He noted that the place seemed poorer than he remembered it, and that the children were now singing songs about AK47s and the armed struggle. However, he was relieved to find that none of the old spirit and warmth had left the community, and he arranged for a palace to be built there. This has become the venue for Mandela’s holidays and family reunions and has a floor plan identical to that of the house in Victor Verster prison where Mandela spent the last few years of his captivity. In his autobiography he writes: The Victor Verster house was the first spacious and comfortable home I ever stayed in, and I liked it very much. I was familiar with its dimensions, so at Qunu I would not have to wander at night looking for the kitchen. BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

About Me My Radio Station in Germany Radio SAM Broadcasting Studios Tune-Into Hi, thanks for dropping by! I Was Born On the 15 November 1960 in Germany and was Brought up in South Africa,Have Three of my Own Children and One child that I brought up as my Own Child,Two staying In South Africa and Two Staying with me in Germany. My Nick Name is Andy,and have a Profile on Facebook My Face book Profile Andy Willi Dezius | Create your badge I Speach - English / German and Africans , and also read and wright the 3 Languages , I am at the moment a Truck Driver in Germany. To my Profiles , here are a few things to tell you about me , I was Born in Germany, and was brought up in South Africa. My Homepages are about South Africa and South African Music, I have had Goodtimes and also Bad times when I lived in South Africa. I created this Homepage to Remember me , of my life , and the Wonderfull things I got to see in my Life . And to share it with people and friends on the Internet , So I say thankyou to WIX .com in Germany, and people who supported me to with my Homepage, the southernstar-africa.de.tl..... Get to Know Us Southernstar-africa is a Homepage and Website based on South Africa,The Life and Culture and Wildlife and as Well of our Lives ,when we were still Liveing in South Africa .This Homepage has Information on South African History,on the Wildlife and the Big Five Game of South Africa. You Can find Pictures ,Links ,News,Recipes,Joke ,South African Ghost Stories and many other things that mite Intrest you,and also for School Projects,Some Pages are not for childrens View. You will find link banner on top of the webpages,at the bottom of the website,and on the left side of the page,you will also see alot of pages are link to other sites ,on the Net,and as well linked to partner and our own websites and Homepages... Let’s work together BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

Explore South Africa with Us At South African Tours, we are dedicated to showcasing the diverse wildlife and breathtaking landscapes of South Africa. Our team is passionate about sharing our travel experiences and insider tips to help you make the most of your journey through this beautiful country. Whether you're a wildlife enthusiast, adventure seeker, or cultural explorer, we've got you covered. Join us as we take you on a virtual tour of South Africa's iconic destinations and hidden gems. Get ready to immerse yourself in the wonders of this captivating land. Featured Featured In Contact Get in Touch info@southafricantours.com 123-456-7890 Have a question or just want to say hello? Drop us a message below. Your Name Your Email Subject Your Message Message Send Message We've received your message! BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

THE FIRST SETTLER Durban Timeline 1497-1990 24 December, A flotilla of three Portuguese ships under the command of Capt Vasco da Gama sailed up the eastern seaboard of southern Africa, and moored overnight in the lee of a headland, which may have been the Bluff. Probably because of the date, Da Gama named the land “Terra do Natal”. It is not known whether sailors landed here to take on fresh water, but this seems improbable as they made landfall three days later, at the mouth of the Limpopo. 1552 24 June, The Portuguese slave galleon Sao Joao ran aground at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River, near present-day Port Edward. 1554 27 April, The Portuguese slaver Sao Bento was grounded near the Mzikaba River, off the northern Transkei. 1589 March, The Portuguese ship Sao Thome was shipwrecked near the coast of Natal. The survivors landed at Sordwana Bay. 1593 24 March, The Portuguese ship Santo Alberto ran aground near the Mtata River. 1608 The Portuguese Galleon Sao Esperitowas wrecked off the coast of Natal. 1622 The Portuguese ship Sao Joao Baptista was shipwrecked off the coast of the southern Transkei. 1635 July, The Portuguese ship Nossa Senhora de Belem ran ashore near the mouth of the Mzimkulu River. 1647 The Portuguese ship Sacramento was shipwrecked near present-day Port Edward. On Easter day the Portuguese ship Nossa Serihora da Atalaya was shipwrecked near Keiskamma Point. 1684 The English ship Frances visited Natal on an ivory trading mission, but did not enter the bay. 1685 17 May, The English ketch Good Hope was caught in a squall off the Bay of Natal and was driven ashore at the Point, where she remained immovably stuck. The 24 survivors, under the leadership of Capt John Adams, managed to reach the shore safely, and settled on the Bluff. Being skilled ship’s carpenters, they set about building a decked boat from the remains of the wreck, which the Master and nine men then sailed for Madagascar, leaving nine of their comrades behind, five of the remaining men having, in the interim, died of dysentery. Soon after, another English ketch put into the Bay to barter for supplies of beef, and left with another four survivors, while the last five men opted to remain behind, presumably in the company of newfound families. 1686 16 February, The Dutch East India Company ship Stavemisse was grounded some 112km south of the Bay of Natal. Forty-seven of the survivors decided to make their way overland to Cape Town, and by the time they were discovered by a rescue party at the mouth of the Kei, only 22 had come through their journey. Soon thereafter the 13 survivors who had, wisely, opted to remain behind at the wreck were joined by two English sailors from the Good Hope who invited them to join the small settlement at Bay of Natal. Although two then died on their way, eleven others completed this journey. 25 December, The English ketch Bona Ventura was wrecked at St Lucia Bay and its nine survivors made their way south to the Bay of Natal, swelling the size of the new settlement to 25. By combining their skills and labours these men were able to build a small sloop, that they named the Centaurus. Twenty of them then sailed it to Cape Town where it was purchased by the Dutch administration. 1689 4 January, The Noord, sent by the Dutch administration at the Cape to search for additional shipwreck survivors from the Stavenisse, reached the bay. The following day it managed to sail over the sand bar at its entrance, thereby becoming the first ship to moor in the Bay of Natal. Timeline: Durban 1700 - 1899 1736 A hunting party headed by Hermanus Hubner journeyed to the Bay where it met three English sailors and three English women, thought to have been the survivors of an unnamed shipwreck at the mouth of the Lwavibusa River, some years previously. 1822 September, The British Admiralty commissioned Capt William Owen RN to conduct a survey of the south-eastern seaboard of Africa, south of Delagoa Bay. This took place in January 1823. 1823 23 June, An exploratory party under Lieutenants Francis Farewell and James King set sail on the brig Salisbury from Cape Town hoping to establish a trading station at St Lucia. Having failed to make a landing there, they turned back and, ran into a severe storm off the Bay of Natal. Seeking shelter from the elements, they managed to sail over the sandbar and into the bay, where they found a safe mooring off Salisbury Island, a small land outcrop in the bay. 1824 10 May, A small advance party under Henry Fynn arrived at Port Natal on the Julia,landing in the bay near the site of present-day Maydon Wharf. In expectation of being joined subsequently by a second party, Fynn established a camp on a sandy flat subsequently used as a market, and now known as Farewell Square. July, A second party under Francis Farewell arrived aboard the Antelope. It numbered about 26 persons and included in its number a Dutchman, Josias Hoffman, whose son would eventually become the first President of the OFS. Fynn had previously made contact with Shaka, the Zulu king, whose suzerainty included the bay area, and he introduced Farewell to the royal Zulu court. As a result the settlement at Port Natal began to flourish, with trade being conducted in ivory, hippo tusks, buffalo hides, cattle and grain. 7 August, At a meeting with Fynn and Farewell, Shaka granted the English settlers an area about Port Natal of about 6500 km² in extent. Upon his return, on 24 August, Farewell hoisted the Union Jack and formally took possession of the land in the name of the British Crown. 7 September, Nine members of the Dutch party boarded the Julia and headed back to Cape Town. 30 September, The brig Mary, under the command of Lt Richard King, reached Port Natal where, on the following day, in a futile attempt to cross the sand bar under gale force winds, she was lost without loss of life. 9 December, The Julia returned to the bay later in 1824, and when she left on 9 December the last eleven members of the Dutch party departed aboard her. On its way back the vessel is believed to have caught alight and was lost at sea with all lives on board. 1827 Early in the year the settlers began to run low of medical supplies and a 15 year old boy, Charles Rawden Maclean, better known to his companions as John Ross, was sent to Delagoa Bay to secure fresh stores. Travelling under a Zulu escort Ross made the 970km journey on foot and returned to Port Natal in July. 1828 Shaka sent a delegation to the British Government, accompanied by Lt King. They only travelled as far as Algoa Bay, where they were met with the hostility and rudeness of local officials. 7 September, Death of Lt King as the result of dysentery. 24 September, Shaka was murdered at his military camp at Dukuza, by his half-brothers Dingane and Mhlangana, together with his bodyguard Mbopha. 1829 October, Lt Farewell was attacked and killed on the banks of the Uzimbuvu River, south of Port Natal. 1830 Dingane sent a delegation to the Cape to declare his friendly intentions and to encourage trade with the colony. 1832 Dr Andrew Smith, an officer in the British Army Medical Corps, visited the Zulu court. 1834 A group of 190 merchants from Cape Town petitioned the British Government to annex “Port Natal and the depopulated country in its vicinity”. In the same year a party of Dutch farmers from the Uitenhage district visited Natal to evaluate its potential for farming. 29 December, Capt Allen Gardiner, a British naval officer turned missionary, arrived in Port Natal. 1835 23 June, At a meeting of 15 settlers, held at the home of Mr Berkin, the growing village was named D’Urban, after Sir Benjamin D’Urban, then Governor of the Cape, while the area about was named Victoria County. Under the direction of Capt Allen Gardiner, a plan for the new settlement was drawn up and rudimentary defences were erected in expectation of an attack from the Zulu. 1836 Dr Newton Adams, together with Revs Grout and Champion, of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, established a mission house and school south of Durban. The settlement was destroyed by Zulu forces in 1838, but was rebuilt by Adams the following year. In 1847 it was moved south of the Umlazi Location, near present-day Amanzimtoti. 1837 Durban’s first military regiment, the Port Natal Volunteers, was established. 19 October, An advance party of sixteen Dutch men under Piet Retief arrived in Durban, where they received a warm welcome from its trader community. 1838 The village of Congella was established by Dutch families on the south-western side of the bay. 6 February, Piet Retief , together with a party of 69 men, were slaughtered at the Zulu capital of Mgungundlovu, on the orders of Dingane. Thereafter, on 17 February, Zulu forces fell upon Dutch families who had already scattered over the Bloukrans and Bushman’s River valleys, killing 40 men, 56 women and 185 children, as well as over 200 of their retainers. March, Towards the end of March a force of some 2500 Port Natal levies under the command of Ogle, Stubbs and Cane crossed the Mgeni River and attacked a number of Zulu homesteads in the Untunjambili (Kranskop) area. Meeting little resistance they fired the villages and returned home with 4000 cattle and 500 women and children whom they planned to integrate into their settlements. 10 April, A second expeditionary force consisting of 18 Natal traders, 30 Khoi retainers and some 600 levies, 400 of whom were armed with muskets, crossed the Thukela near its mouth. Seven Zulu regiments, numbering some 10,000 men, under the command of Dingane’s brother, Mpande, immediately confronted them, and after a sustained attack, the trader-led group was virtually annihilated. 24 April, A large force of Zulu attacked Durban and over a period of nine days systematically destroyed the village. Settlers were forced to retreat to the brig Comet, moored in the Bluff channel. The Zulu withdrew on 3 May, leaving the survivors to pick their way through the ashes. May, Taking advantage of the confusion in the aftermath of the Zulu attack, dissident Dutch farmers from the Cape annexed Durban and declared the Republic of Natalia, with its capital at Pietermaritzburg. December, A detachment of 100 men of the 72nd Regiment of Foot of the Seaforth Highlanders, under the command of Major S Charters, arrived at Durban. Charter’s orders included the proper fortification of the town, and the pacification of the region. Fort Victoria was built on the Point, close to present-day Alexandra Square. 1839 The Volksraad of Natalia granted a farm, subsequently named Salt River Poort, to Andries Martinus Laas. In 1851 it was surveyed as the village of Pinetown. 1840 30 January, In 1839 Mpande broke with his brother, Dingane, and moved south of the Tukela with his followers. Having now entered into an alliance with the Dutch, on 30 January a combined force of 10,000 Zulu warriors and 300 Dutch commandos defeated Dingane’s army at the Mkuzi River. Mpande was then proclaimed King of the Zulu. The Republican Volksraad at Pietermaritzburg appointed George Cato to set out a new plan for Durban, and the first public sale of land took place in June. 1842 French naturalist M Adulphe Delagorgue arrived in Durban and set up camp near present-day Albert Park. He witnessed the subsequent confrontation near Congella between English and Dutch forces. May, After marching overland from the Eastern Cape, a contingent of 263 men of the 27th Regiment of Foot of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, under the command of Capt Thomas Charlton Smith, arrived in Durban to reclaim, on behalf of the British Crown, the ownership of Natal. Smith built a fortified laager on the site now known as the Old Fort. Meanwhile Dutch forces under Commandant Andries Pretorius had begun to muster at a camp, known as Congella, 5km south of Durban. After issuing an ultimatum, they seized the British cattle herd. 23 May, Smith counter-attacked with a force of 138 men supported by a howitzer sent across the bay by boat. The British attack on Congella was easily repulsed by the Dutch, and they were forced to retreat after suffering the loss of 51 men. The Dutch then laid siege to the British garrison in Durban. 24 May, During the night a small party of English settlers evaded Dutch picket lines by rowing two small boats to the Bluff, towing two horses behind them. Two of their number, Richard King and a Zulu retainer named Ndongeni set off on an epic 970km ride to Grahamstown to request the assistance of its British garrison. The ride took 10 days and was made possible by the string of mission stations previously established in the Transkei. 10 June, The Mazeppa, under the command of Joseph Cato and manned by the wives and families of the besieged garrison at Durban, slipped her mooring and under heavy fire from Dutch muskets, managed to sail over the bar with no casualties on board. 15 June, The Mazeppa reached Delagoa Bay where, after laying in additional stores, it headed south for the Cape. 26 June, The British frigate Southampton sailed into Durban and opened fire on the Dutch, who had, in the interim, taken Fort Victoria. Troops were landed in the Bay, and by 16.00 that afternoon the siege had been lifted. The Dutch then abandoned their camp at Congella, and retreated to Pietermaritzburg. 15 July, The Republic of Natalia formally submitted to British rule, and although its Volksraad remained in existence until 1845, from 1843 the territory was under the effective control of the British Representative, Henry Cloete. 1843 Durban’s first Methodist Church, a thatched wattle-and-daub structure erected by Rev J Archbell, was opened for worship. In 1850 this was replaced by a more substantial building, designed by his successor, Rev WC Holden. 4 May, The District of Natal was adopted as a British Colony. This was ratified by a Proclamation on 12 May, with Henry Cloete, Advocate of the Supreme Court in Cape Town, as Commissioner. The 45th Regiment of Foot, also known as the Sherwood Foresters, were garrisoned in Durban, where its Engineer’s Corps was responsible for building the Great West Road, crossing over the Berea Ridge at the 45th Cutting, thus opening up the interior for settlement. 1844 31 May, District of Natal was annexed to the Cape Colony. 1845 Roman-Dutch law was established in the District. 30 April, Natal was constituted as a distinct and separate government to be administered by a Lieutenant-Governor. 21 August, Boundaries of Natal were defined by Proclamation. Subsequent revisions took place on 5 June 1858, 7 September 1865 and 26 January 1903. Separate Proclamations regarding Zululand were made in 1887, 1895 and 1897 respectively. September, Natal was incorporated as a separate district of the Cape Colony. 22 November, Sir Peregrine Maitland, Governor of the Cape, appointed Martin West, formerly Resident Magistrate in Grahamstown, as Natal’s first Lieutenant-Governor. He landed at Port Natal on 4 December, and was sworn in at Pietermaritzburg on 12 December, when he also took over the administration of the Colony. He died in office in 1850. 1846 The first direct mail link between England and Natal was established when the Sarah Bell sailed into the bay. West appointed a Commission to give African land holding legal status. Included were the Surveyor-General, Lt CJ Gibb, and Theophilus Shepstone, Diplomatic Agent to the Native Tribes in 1845-53, and subsequently Secretary for Native Affairs, 1853-75. 1847 Shepstone began to establish “Native Locations” for exclusive Black settlement. On 8 March Umlazi, south of Durban, and Inanda, to its north-west, were proclaimed Start of the so-called Great Emigration from Britain, as the result of crop failures, the collapse of the railway financial boom, and general commercial distress. From 1847-51 over a million persons left the country for various destinations in the Empire, of which some 5,000 men, women and children travelled to Natal under a variety of land schemes. 2 March, Powers of the Cape Legislature to make laws for the District were revoked and its administration and legislative powers were placed in the hands of an appointed Council. November, 187 German settlers arrived at Port Natal. They were given land in an area 15km west of Durban, near Pinetown, which then became known as New Germany. 1848 Construction of Durban’s first windmill. Located on the Berea Ridge, it was also served as a useful landmark for ships entering the harbour. The site was located near present day Windmill Road. First sugar cane cultivars were imported from Mauritius. 13 April, Umgeni River breaks its banks and comes down in flood along the eastern floodplain. 22 November, The first plots were sold in Durban. 1849 The first settlers to be brought out to Natal under the Byrne immigration scheme arrived in Durban aboard the Wanterer. Not unexpectedly Byrne went bankrupt in 1850. 1 August, Death in office of Martin T West, first Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. 1850 5 February, First post office was opened in Durban. 21 December, Meeting of Durban residents resolved to petition the Colonial Government for the establishment of municipal government in the town. 1851 Benjamin CC Pine was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. It seems probable that Pine Terrace was named in his honour at about the same time. He was knighted in 1857 when he took up a new posting in West Africa. Finding itself short of funds, the Colonial Government attempted to annex land on the Berea and, having laid out 18 stands, it proposed to sell them. Following vociferous opposition by Durban’s residents the Government was forced to abandon its project. At the same time 46 acres were surveyed near the Umbilo River to accommodate the establishment of smallholdings for Black farmers. The village of Pinetown was surveyed on the farm Salt River Poort, formerly owned by Andries Martinus Laas. October, A public meeting was held in Durban to propose the introduction of Indian labour. 1852 13 August, The first steamship to sail into Durban harbour, the Sir Robert Peel, was met at the bay by most of the town’s residents. The Natal Mercury was published in Durban for the first time. Jean-Baptiste Sabon and Bishop Allard established the Roman Catholic Church in the Colony. The Jane Morice sailed into Durban with a cargo of 15,000 cane tops from Mauritius. 1853 Adams College was founded by the American Board of Missions. The first lots of land were sold at Umbilo, subsequently known as Prospect Township. 30 January, Dr John William Colenso arrived on the steamship Calcutta, and after a visit of inspection to various parts of the Colony, he returned to England on 10 April. 17 March, Foundation stone laid for the construction of St Paul’s Anglican Church, giving onto Market Square. This was completed the following year. 21 September, A public meeting held in Kinghurst’s Store, and chaired by Mr AW Evans, constituted itself as the Durban Mechanics’ Institution, its objective being “the moral and intellectual improvement of its members and others”. Its first premises were located in a small thatched wooden building, originally intended as a shop, which it leased from Mr Pulleyn for £18pa. The services of Mrs Hall were engaged as Attendant at the Library for £12pa. The premises were officially opened to the public on 14 November 1853. By that time it could boast of 112 members, and had accumulated 409 volumes and 272 pamphlets. By 1857 the thatched roof had begun to leak, and the library and reading room were moved next door to a double-storey house belonging to Dr Johnston. In about 1861 it was renamed the Durban Public Library. 1854 The Durban Police force was established. Byelaws promulgated requiring Black visitors to the village to be clothed from the shoulder to the knee. The Durban Voluntary Guards, subsequently known as the Durban Light Infantry, was formed. 21 April, Ordinance No 1 of 1854 “For establishing Municipal Corporations within the District of Natal” was promulgated. This was published in Durban on 3 May. May, Lieutenant-Governor Benjamin Pine proclaimed the township of Durban a Borough. At the time its White population numbered 1,204. 10 June, Sir George Grey was appointed Colonial Secretary. 2 August, The first Town Council, consisting of 8 members representing four wards, was elected to office, with George Christopher Cato being elected the first Mayor of Durban. November, Durban’s first bank, the Natal Bank, opened its premises in Aliwal Street. 1855 February, Sidney Herbert, afterwards Lord Herbert of Lea, was appointed Colonial Secretary. 15 May, Lord John Russell, afterwards Earl Russell, was appointed Colonial Secretary. 20 May, Dr John Colenso, Bishop of Durban, together with his family, returned to Port Natal on the Jane Morice. His party included Mrs Colenso, their four children, Archdeacon CF McKenzie, the Rev WO Newnham, and a body of clergy, female teachers and other support staff. He preached for the first time on 27 May. 11 July, The foundation stone of the Congregational Chapel in Smith Street was laid with the usual honours. 21 July, Sir William Molesworth was appointed Colonial Secretary. 17 November, Henry Labouchere, afterwards Lord Taunton, was appointed Colonial Secretary. 1856 Rev Posselt established a Lutheran mission station at Christianenburg, subsequently known as Clermont. Francois Adams opened Durban’s first bookstore. Durban’s first jail was completed. Five years later a police station was built on the present site of Medwood Gardens. 12 April, Following four days of torrential rains during which time Durban suffered a deluge of 689mm, the Umgeni River burst its banks and flooded the low-lying plain north of the town, leaving most of Durban under water. 15 July, By Royal Charter Natal was proclaimed a separate British colony. On the same date John Scott, afterwards Sir, was appointed its Lieutenant-Governor. Provisions in the same Charter gave the franchise to every man above the age of 21 years who possessed any immovable property to the value of £50. These provisions excluded aliens and other persons convicted of any “treason, felony, or infamous offence, who have not received a free pardon”. 30 October, John Scott, the new Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony arrived at Durban aboard HMS Geyser. 1857 A partly-elected legislature was established. Butchers were obliged to remove to officially designated slaughter houses at the west end of town. The town’s first timber saw mill began operations from a site at the beach-end of Field Street. 16 March, The foundation stone for a new Wesleyan Church, located just off the corner of West and Gardiner Streets, was laid by the Rev Thomas Jenkins, formerly a missionary to the Mpondo. It was destroyed in 1877, and replaced soon after by a larger and more imposing structure, which served its community until 1977, when it was demolished. The churches’ former chapel in Aliwal Street was given over to a mission for Black residents. 23 March, The first Legislative Council under the new charter met in Pietermaritzburg. Donald Moodie, representing the Borough of Durban was elected its first Speaker. 1 June, Natal issued its first stamps. 14 July, The first meeting called for the town’s Total Abstinence Society. 1858 30 January, The first output of the Congella Salt Works, owned by Charles McDonald, was put up for sale in Market Square. Unfortunately this enterprise did not last long, owing to low levels of salinity in the bay as well as the rapid corrosion of the imported iron boiler-plate evaporating pans. 28 February, Lord Stanley, afterwards Earl of Derby, was appointed Colonial Secretary. 31 May, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Bart, afterwards Lord Lytton, was appointed Colonial Secretary. 5 September, The 45th Regiment was relieved by the 85th Regiment, 1859 Following protracted negotiations between the Natal Government and the Colonial Secretary, the Natal Parliament passed the Coolie Law No 14 of 1859. This made it possible for the Colony to implement a programme whereby Indian labourers could be brought out to South Africa under a five-year contract of indenture. At the end of the five years, workers had the option of signing new contracts for a further five-year period, which would make them eligible to settle permanently in the colony, or of being given a free passage back to India Upon completion of a second contract of indenture, Indian labourers were also entitled to a gift of Crown land and full citizenship rights. This proviso was later withdrawn when Act No. 25 of 1891 was promulgated in order to discourage the settlement of Indians in the Colony. 18 June, Duke of Newcastle was appointed Colonial Secretary. 26 June, South Africa’s first railway line, linking the Point to Durban’s town centre, was opened by Acting Lt-Governor of Natal, Major Williamson. Most residents turned out to witness the event as the first steam locomotive, named The Natal, travelled a distance of some 3.2km from the railway station near Farewell Square to the Point. July, The Hermanus Isaac brought 90 Dutch settlers from Amsterdam to Durban. 24 September, The foundation stone for a Sailor’s Church, at the Point was performed by Rev WHC Lloyd, the Colonial Chaplain. 17 November, The first contingent of 341 indentured labourers from India to find employment as workers on Natal’s cane fields, entered the bay aboard the SS Truro. Immigration was suspended in 1866 due to depressed economic conditions in the Colony, and following allegations made in 1870 of embezzlement and ill-treatment of Indian workers on the part of White farmers, was only resumed in 1874. 1861 Under the guidance of Captain Vetch RE, construction began on a crescent-shaped pier, north of Milne’s breakwater at the entrance to the bay. Its purpose was to create a second harbour off the “back” beach on the seaward side of the Point. Construction was completed on the Natal Government Hospital, Durban’s first such facility, located near the current site of the Supreme Court, on the Esplanade. It was replaced in 1879 by Addington Hospital, on Erskine Terrace, where many of the casualties from the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 were admitted. First building bye-law passed prohibiting the use of thatch as a roofing material within the boundaries of the Borough. Bauboo Naidoo, an interpreter, opened a shop in Field Street, Durban, for the sale of condiments and other delicacies not included in the rations issued by law to indentured workers, thereby becoming the first Hindu Indian shop keeper in the Colony. 26 November, A second contingment of 310 indentured Indian labourers arrived in Durban from Calcutta on board the Belvedere. 1862 Proclamation promulgated requiring all Black males to wear trousers within the municipal boundaries of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. 1863 Durban’s population now numbered approximately 3,390 White, 1,380 Black and 230 Indian residents. 1864 The Queen’s Bridge, the first to be built across the Umgeni River, was opened to traffic. It was sited near Morewood’s Drift, also known at Morewood’s Ford. Letters Patent were issued vesting the Natal Native’s Trust with the authority to hold location lands in trust for the Black population. J Maclean was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. November, Work began on Durban’s first lighthouse, located on the Bluff. The structure was designed by colonial engineer Peter Paterson, was completed in January 1867. Initially it used a ship’s lantern, until 1869 when a proper signal light was installed. For military reasons, it was demolished at the start of WWII and the present lighthouse was rebuilt near the site after 1946. The first eight street lamps were lit in Durban. This innovation did not survive for long, as by 1867, the Council could no longer afford to buy the oil and the lamps were put out. 4 April, Edward Cardwell, afterwards Viscount Cardwell, was appointed Colonial Secretary. 1865 The Legislative Council passed a law that specifically excluded indigenous male residents of Natal from the franchise in general, but still permitted individuals who had been exempted from African Law for seven years, and had resided in the Colony for twelve, to apply for the vote. Such applications had to be supported by three duly qualified white electors, but the granting of the vote remained at the discretion of the Governor Work was begun on laying down a hard surface on Berea Road. To pay for the project tollgates were erected at points where it crossed Ridge and Umgeni Roads. 1866 County Alfred, between the Mtamvuna and Mzimkulu Rivers, was incorporated in Natal. 1 June, Durban High School opened its doors from a building in Smith Street, opposite the old police station, near Broad Street. In 1880 its premises were moved to the building previously used as the Natal Government Hospital, on the Esplanade, and in 1894 it was moved again to its present location, in St Thomas’ Road, on the Berea. Thereafter, from 1895 to 1907, the old hospital building was taken over by the Durban Boys Model School. 6 July, Earl of Carnarvon was appointed Colonial Secretary. 1867 Robert W Keate was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. 8 March, Duke of Buckingham and Chandos was appointed Colonial Secretary. 4 April, The Durban to Umgeni railway line was opened. 1868 10 December, Earl Granville was appointed Colonial Secretary. 1869 The first “passenger Indians” arrived in Durban. The appellation referred to Indian immigrant traders, artisans, teachers and shop assistants who paid their own passage to the Colony. 1870 The Durban Fire Department was established, following the gift of a fire engine to the Borough Council by William Palmer, the local agent for the Royal Insurance Company. 6 July, Earl of Kimberley was appointed Colonial Secretary. 1872 Photographic record made of the surviving British settlers who had arrived in Durban before 1851. Anthony Musgrave was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. Aboobaker Haji Ahmed Jhaveri arrived in Natal. Hilton College was founded. The Coolie Consolidation Amendment Act No 12 of 1872 made provision for a Protector of Indian Immigrants. It abolished flogging for breaches of the Masters and Servants Act, and legislated the improvement of medical treatment for Indian labourers. 25 November, Colonel Price-Lloyd was appointed the first Protector of Indian Immigrants. In order to give effect to the law he immediately set about building up a suitable administrative system. 1873 Langalibalele, chief of the Hlubi, refused to register his firearms and, in an attempt to evade the colonial authorities, began to move his clan to Griqualand East. In a skirmish that followed a number of people were killed, including seven policemen. Langalibalele was arrested, and after his trial, he was banished for life to Robben Island. Following an appeal by Dr John Colenso, Anglican Bishop of Natal, he was released and allowed to return to his lands where he died in 1887. The incident led to the recall of the Governor, Benjamin Pine. April, Musgrove retired frim his position as Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. July, Sir Benjamin Pine returned for a second term as Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. 22 December, The Protector of Indian Immigrants was appointed to the Natal Legislature’s Executive Council. He held this seat until 21 December 1876 when his seat was taken by the Colonial Engineer. 1874 2 January, The Immigration Trust Board was established in under Natal Law No 208 of 1874. 21 February, Earl of Carnarvon was appointed Colonial Secretary. 1875 Sir Henry Ernest Bulwer was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Colony. June, Aboobaker Amod, a Memon trader from Porbander, opened a store in West Street, thus establishing himself as the first “Arab” trader in Natal. In the 1870s White colonial perceptions differentiated between Hindu and Muslim Indian immigrants, the latter being commonly referred to as “Arabs”. 1877 The first Harbour Board was constituted. 1 January, The Point to Umgeni railway line was opened. On this same day, under Act No 4 of 1875, the Natal Government acquired the Natal Railway Co Ltd and all its holdings. 2 August, The Durban Young Ladies’ Evangelical Collegiate Institute, now known as Durban Girls’ High School was founded. 1878 Following a protracted drought in the town, Councillor HW Currie proposed to sink an artesian well at the foot of the Botanic Gardens, where a spring had previously provided local elephants with drinking water. This became known as Currie’s Fountain, and was capable of yielding 227,000 litres a day, enough to supply Durban’s needs for drinking water until the Umbilo Water Works were completed in 1887. Other waterworks completed subsequently included Umlaas in 1891, Camperdown in 1901, and Shongweni in 1827. Natal Law 20 of 1878 was passed governing Indian Education. The new Addington Hospital was opened 4 February, Sir Michael E Hicks-Beach, Bart, was appointed Colonial Secretary. May, The Durban to Pinetown railway line was opened. 25 May, The Umgeni to Avoca railway line was opened. 1879 General Sir Garnet J Wolseley was appointed Governor of the Colony. Establishment of the Indian Immigration School Board. The Resident Magistrate of Umzinto, JA Knight, was the first to use two crossed lines to denote a registered letter, an innovation which was eventually adopted by postal services throughout the world. 11 January, British forces invaded Zululand. 22 January, At a battle, which took place on the slopes of Isandlwana, more than 2,500 British troops and colonial levies lost their lives fighting against a Zulu army. Later that day, in an epic defence of the Rorke’s Drift Mission Station, 104 men of the 24th Regiment held off an attack by 4,500 Zulus under the command of Dabulamanzi. Eleven of the 89 survivors were awarded the Victoria Cross. March, The Pinetown to Botha’s Hill railway line was opened. 15 March, The Avoca to Mount Edgecombe railway line was opened. 4 July, Zulu forces were finally defeated at the battle of Ulundi. 21 September, The Mount Edgecombe to Verulam railway line was opened. 1880 Major-General Sir George Pomeroy-Colley was appointed Governor of the Colony. 1 February, The Rossburgh to Isipingo railway line was opened. 28 April, Earl of Kimberley was appointed Colonial Secretary. October, The Botha’s Hill to Camperdown railway line was opened. December, The Camperdown to Pietermaritzburg railway line was opened. 1881 The Harbour Board was reconstituted for a second time. 1882 Sir Henry Bulwer was appointed Governor of the Colony. Zulu workers arriving in Durban and registering with the police were issued with white calico trousers. The Theatre Royal opened its doors to patrons from premises in West Street. 1883 The franchise was extended to White male persons of 3 years’ residence in the Colony. 1885 Sir Arthur E Havelock was appointed Governor of the Colony. The South African Republic (ZAR) passed Law No 3 of 1885, the first legislation in South Africa directed specifically against Indian immigration, whereby “any of the native races of Asia, including so-called Coolies, Arabs, Malays, and Mohammedan subjects of the Turkish Empire” were grouped together. The act did not permit any of these groups to obtain rights of citizenship, to be “owners of fixed property in the Republic except only in such streets, wards and locations as the Government for purposes of sanitation shall assign to them”, and for all traders to be registered. Sir Henry Bulwer appointed a commission to investigate the position of Indian residents in Natal and the impact of potential new immigrants upon the Colony. Jacaranda trees were planted fir the first time in Durban. 25 October, Building was completed of Durban’s first Town Hall. In 1910 it was given over to the Post Office once a second Town Hall had been completed nearby. 1887 Opening of Umbilo’s Municipal Water Works. Annexation of Zululand by the British Crown. Durban’s municipal museum, reputedly the largest such establishment in South Africa, was opened in a section of the old Town Hall. It was subsequently re-housed in the City Hall. 1888 The Registration of Servants Act No. 2 of 1888 was passed by the Natal legislature. This classified Indians as members of an “uncivilized race” and made them liable to registration. Free Indians were forced to carry passes or face arbitrary arrest. The ZAR rejected a British-Indian petition and placed Asiatics in the same category as its indigenous African population, whom it regarded only as labourers. 1889 Sir Charles HH Mitchell was appointed Governor of the Colony. 1891 19 Law, known as the “Code of Native Law” was adopted. 1892 The firm of Hewlett & Sons Ltd was established. At first it dealt only in the production of tea, but it soon expanded into sugar cane farming, and in 1903 it opened its first sugar mill at Tinley Manor. In a general election Natal voted in favour of self-government. The following year a ministry under Natal’s first Prime Minister, Sir John Robinson, took office, with an elected lower house of 37 members. Rickshas introduced to Durban. Later their use was to spread to Pietermaritzburg and the Natal midlands, as well as Johannesburg, Lourenco Marques, Bulawayo and Mombasa. 1893 Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi arrived in Durban. The London-trained lawyer was brought to South Africa by a group of Indian citizens concerned with obtaining rights of equal citizenship in their new country. Having bought a first-class train ticket for Johannesburg at the Durban station, he was forcibly ejected from the train at Pietermaritzburg following complaints from fellow White passengers. Sir Walter Francis Hely-Hutchinson was appointed Governor of the Colony. 26 June, Law providing for the establishment of Responsible Government in the Colony was given Royal Assent, and became law in the Colony on 20 July 1894. 10 October, First Natal parliament, under Prime Minister Sir John Robinson, took office. 1894 The Franchise Bill, which aimed to disenfranchise Natal Indians, was introduced in the Natal Colonial Parliament. This issue was to begin Mahatma Gandhi's political career and eventually led to the founding of the first South African Indian political organisation, the Natal Indian Congress. A critical shortage of agricultural labour in the Cape led to the appointment by its Colonial Government of a Labour Commission. One of its findings came out strongly against the importation of indentured labour from India and China. 22 August, The Natal Indian Congress (NIC) was founded with Dada Abdullah Haji Adam as its first Chair and Mahatma Gandhi as its secretary. As a result of NIC-led protests against the Franchise Act, the British Government did not immediately sanction its passing, but allowed the legislation to be reintroduced in 1896. 1895 The promulgation of the Indian Immigration Law Amendment Act, Law No 17 of 1895, allowed the Colony of Natal to impose a £3 penalty tax upon all previously indentured Indians who either failed to re-indenture or to return to India after the expiration of their labour contracts. In 1903, the Act is extended to include girls aged 13 and older, and boys aged 16 and older. Durban’s main post office ran out of ha’penny stamps. 1896 Michaelhouse was founded. Gandhi returns to Durban by ship but is prevented from disembarking for nearly a month by quarantine regulations. Even then he was attacked by an angry crowd near the Ship Hotel in West Street, and was only saved from serious harm by the intervention of Mrs Sarah Jane Alexander, the Police Superintendent’s wife. The franchise was extended to exclude all persons who were either “Natives”, or descendants in the male line of “Natives” of countries which had not hitherto possessed elective representative institutions founded on the parliamentary franchise. This was obviously aimed at Black residents originating from the southern African interior. 1 July, Durban’s first sewage disposal system was inaugurated, discharging the town’s wastes into the sea from the Point. This was retained until 1938, probably to the great delight of the city’s off-shoe lobster population. Fernando Pessoa, 1888-1935, arrived in Durban from Portugal. After being educated at the Durban High School, from 1899-1904, he left Durban in 1905, and went on to become a poet of world repute. It seems doubtful that he ever wrote any of his work in Durban, but today his youthful and somewhat brief sojourn in the town is marked by a statue in his honour in Pessoa Square, opposite the old station building. Reclamation work begins on Durban’s bay area, as well as the creation of an esplanade along part of the foreshore and the making of an embankment along the town length of the bay. After this was completed in 1902 it was named the Victoria Embankment, in honour of the British monarch’s diamond jubilee. In 1896, there were 9,309 registered White voters in Natal, and although only three Africans and 251 Indians had also been allowed to acquire voting rights in the colony, this small number was disenfranchised by the Franchise Act No 8 of 1896. 17 April, The Tongaat Sugar Company successfully applied to the Natal Immigration Trust Board for permission to recruit indentured artisans from India. 18 September, The European Protection Association was established in Pietermaritzburg, calling for limits to be placed upon Indian immigration and the compulsory repatriation of indentured labourers upon expiration of their contracts. 26 November, As a result of anti-Indian sentiment, White residents of Durban held a meeting where they condemned Mahatma Gandhi and set up the Colonial Patriotic Union. 1897 The Natal Immigration Restriction Act, and its subsequent amendments in 1900, 1903 and 1906, imposes an educational, health, age and mean tests on Indians, other than indentured workers, seeking admission into the country. Zululand was incorporated into Natal Colony. The Natal Dealers Licenses Act No 18 of 1897 empowered licensing officers to arbitrarily refuse to issue licenses to Indian traders. 15 February, Second Natal parliament, under Prime Minister Harry Escombe QC, took office. 7 May, The Natal Indian Congress (NIC) collects £1,539 from South African Indians for famine relief in India. 5 October, Third Natal parliament, under Prime Minister Sir Henry Binns, took office. 1898 The Portuguese community donated a civic clock to mark the 400th anniversary of the naming of Natal by Vasco da Gama. The last outstanding areas of the Kingdom of Zululand were incorporated into Natal Colony. 1899 9 June, Fourth Natal parliament, under Prime Minister Lt-Col Albert Henry Hime, took office. 30 September, The Durban Light Infantry entrains from Durban Station in expectation of war with the Dutch Republics of the Orange Free State and the ZAR. This marks the first time that this regiment was deployed for action 11 October, Republican forces invaded the Cape and Natal, occupying Ladysmith. 23 December, Winston Churchill arrived in Durban aboard the SS Nduna,following his escape from a Republican jail in Pretoria. Timeline: Durban 1900 - 1990 1901 Colonel Sir Henry Edward McCullum was appointed Governor of the Colony. Urban myth has it that a Durban housewife prepared the first known “kitchen suit” for her young gardener by adapting one of her son’s old school uniforms. This idea was adopted by the clothing company Harvey, Greenacre & Co, who then produced a number of variations for male wear based upon the original design, including uniforms for house servants, gardeners, police and ricksha pullers. From the beginning Black employees found such apparel offensive. 1902 The former ZAR districts of Utrecht and Vryheid were ceded to Natal. 1 May, The first electric trams ran in Durban. 1903 Founding of newspaper Indian Opinion . This was subsequently published from the Phoenix Settlement . January, The districts of Vryheid and Utrecht were annexed to the Colony. 15 May, The steamship Umona ran onto a reef south of one of the Maldive islands. The passengers, which included a group of 475 Indian labourers headed for the coffee and sugar plantations of Natal, were all landed safely on the island, together with adequate provisions. 18 August, Fifth Natal parliament, under Prime Minister Sir George Morris Sutton, took office. 25 September, The last horse-drawn tram ran its route from the Town Hall to Prospect Road, in Umbilo. 1904 Settlement established at Phoenix by Gandhi. 26 June, The Armadale Castle enters the harbour following extensive dredging operations in the harbour mouth. 29 June, Durban’s new floating dock was brought on-line when, for the first time, it lifted the 7000 ton SS Kentout of the water for repairs. 1905 6 May, Sixth Natal parliament, under Prime Minister Charles John Smythe, took office. 1906 Martial law was repealed. Lillie Langtry visits Durban. Her personal ricksha puller, a man named Jim, is said to have worn her racing colours of fawn and turquoise. 1 January, A poll tax of £3 was introduced in Natal.on every Indian resident over 18 years of age February, The Bhambatha Rebellion erupted in Natal in protest against a so-called “hut tax” levied by the Natal Government. Martial Law proclaimed in the Colony. 24 April, The Natal Indian Congress, under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, established an ambulance corps to render assistance to the wounded in the field during the Bhambatha uprising . 28 November, Seventh Natal parliament, under Prime Minister Frederick Robert Moore, took office. 1907 Lt-Col Sir Mathew Nathan was appointed Governor of the Colony. Council introduces two special “funeral” trams for the use of mourners. This was suspended for White use after only two trips, following a loud protest from the town’s undertakers, but remained in use until 1931 for Black customers. 1908 A private referendum run by The Natal Witness showed that only 438 of those polled favoured unification with the other colonies, while 1396 would welcome a federal solution. Isolation was preferred choice of 790 people. October, Twelve delegates from the Cape of Good Hope, five from Natal, eight from the Transvaal, five from the Orange River Colony, and three from Rhodesia, appointed by their respective parliaments, met in Durban to consider the viability of a South African union. These 33 representatives constituted the South African National Convention which deliberated at Durban for over three weeks and then adjourned to meet at Cape Town on 23 November 1908. 1909 The Electric Theatre, Durban’s first permanent cinema, opened its doors. The Native Administration Act of 1908 was adopted, providing for the appointment of a permanent Secretary for Native Affairs, and dividing the Colony into four districts, each under the control of a District Native Commissioner. They were then required to carry out the orders and directions of “the Supreme Chief”, which were given through the Secretary of Native Affairs. It also established a Council for Native Affairs which met in August of each year and whose members excluded persons of colour. 10 June, Referendum was held on the adoption of the Act of Union. From a total of 14, 822 ballots cast, a majority of 7,430 men voted in its favour. 1910 The first commercial wireless radio station in sub-Saharan Africa began broacasting from Jacobs. General Lord Methuen was appointed Governor of the Colony. 12 April, The new City Hall was inaugurated, at which stage the old City Hall was given over for use by the Post Office. 30 April, The first airplane flight took place in Durban. 31 May, Natal joined the Cape, Transvaal and Orange Free State, to form the Union of South Africa . A wireless-radio installation was built on The Bluff with a range of about 650 kms. 1911 The last ship to bring indentured Indian labour to Natal, the Umlazi, arrives in Durban. At this stage the indentured labour scheme was finally abolished. Isaiah Shembe founded the Nazareth Baptist Church at Ekuphakameni, near the Phoenix Settlement. 1912 12 July, The Durban Technical Institute (DTI) opens its doors. 1914 Outbreak of WWI. Many residents of Durban lost their lives in the conflict and the Cenotaph in Gardiner Street was dedicated to their memory. 1915 13 May, Following the sinking of the Lusitaniaby a German submarine, anti-German riots broke out in Durban as well as other major towns in South Africa. One of the premises targeted by the mob was a biscuit factory in Palmer Street belonging to JML Bauman, a town councillor whose two sons were serving in the South African army fighting Germans in East Africa. Subsequent to this incident the name of his business was changed to Bakers’ Ltd. 1916 The Durban and District Native Football Association was established. 1917 The Indian Printers Union and the Indian Workers Union were founded. Their secretaries, MK Moodley and Rev BLE Sigamoney, were both Natal-born Indians. The Umngeni River came down in flood. 1918 Outbreak of Spanish influenza. 1919 July, Indian entrepreneur Mr Siddhoo introduces the first truck to be converted to use as a passenger transport. 1920 Mrs Edith Benson became the town’s first woman Councillor. 1921 5 March, The Durban Land Alienation Ordinance, No 14 of 1922, was passed by the Durban Town Council, enabling it to exclude Indians from the ownership or occupation of property in designated White areas. This legislation preceded the imposition by the Nationalist Party of apartheid legislation by 27 years 6 March, The Natal Indian Congress was re-established in Durban for the second time. Ismail Gora was elected president. The first Comrades Marathon was run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. 1922 The DTI was split into the University of Natal, now known as the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and the Natal Technicon, now known as the Durban University of Technology. 1923 31 May, The Mayor of Durban, Walter Gilbert, officially opened the third national conference of Indian organisations in the Durban Town Hall, which formally established the SA Indian Congress. Omar Hajee Amod Jhaveri was elected its first president. 1924 10 December, The town’s first public wireless programme was broadcast from the City Hall. 1925 15 June, Durban Transport introduced the first three Thornycroft single-decker petrol engine busses. The first Dennis single-decker diesel engine bus was run on 2 November 1834, while first Daimler double-decker diesel-powered bus came into service on 20 August 1938. 1927 Athlone Bridge, spanning over the Umngeni River, was opened to traffic. 11 November, The Memorable Order of Tin Hats (MOTHS) holds its first parade when 3,000 ex-servicemen marched through town to the cenotaph. The birth of the movement was inspired by Natal Mercury cartoonist, Charles Evenden. 1928 The Maharajah of Mysore presents the citizens of Durban with an elephant. Nellie, as she was soon named, became a firm favourite with local children. 1929 The Governor-General of South Africa, the Earl of Athlone, opened Sastri College, a high school for Indian boys in Durban. 1930 12 May, Durban’s first traffic lights were installed at the intersection of Pine and Field Streets. In 1931 an additional 14 units were ordered at a cost of £1040. In 1933 the first traffic signal with buried sensors was erected on an experimental basis at the intersection of St Thomas’ and Musgrave Roads. Regrettably, despite the time passed since then, Durban’s drivers have still to master the Rules of the Road regarding inoperative traffic lights. 1933 The first group of Indian girls was matriculated in South Africa. 1935 The Borough of Durban was granted city status. 24 February, The first electric trolley bus came into service on the Marine Parade route to phase out the old electric trams. 1938 The Fitzsimons Snake Park was opened. Although it was initially established to produce snake anti-venom, it went on to become one of the city’s most popular attractions. 1939 3 March, The fifth cricket test between England and South Africa began at Kingsmead, and although it had previously been resolved by its organisers that it would be played to a conclusion, no matter how long that took, the test was eventually declared a draw on March 14, when the English side, requiring only 42 runs for victory, was forced to leave to catch their ship home. This has since become known in sporting history as the Timeless Test. 3 September, Upon the outbreak of WWII, a number of defensive measures were set up around Durban, on the Bluff and at Battery Beach. Blockhouses were built at the harbour entrance and anti-submarine nets were thrown across the channel at the base of North and South piers. A number of prominent city features which, it was believed, could have assisted enemy navigation, were also dynamited, including the lighthouse and an unusual rock formation on the beach known as Hole in the Wall. 1940 April, Perla Siedle Gibson began to sing to every ship connected with the war effort, arriving or leaving from Durban harbour. Wearing a trademark white dress and floppy red hat, she serenaded over 13,000 ships and achieved worldwide recognition as “The Lady in White”. Durban celebrated the marriage of Sir Delvers Broughton and Diana Caldwell prior to their departure for Kenya. Early the following year Durban social climbers were horrified to learn of the arrest of Sir Delvers for the murder of Lord Erroll who, it was alleged, had begun a romantic dalliance with Lady Diana. This incident subsequently formed the basis in 1988 for a film White Mischief. 1941 The first, and probably only, vehicle accident in the world involving an overturned trolley bus took place at the corner of West and Farewell Streets. Thirtyseven passengers were injured in the process. 1943 20 September, Italian submarine Ammiraglio Cagni entered Durban Harbour under escort and surrendered to the Allies. 1949 Durban celebrated the centenary of the arrival of its 1849 Settlers. 13 January, Following an incident between a black youth and an Indian shopkeeper in Victoria Street, riots broke out in Victoria Street, Grey Street, Victoria Avenue, Tollgate, Mayville, Musgrave Road and Cato Manor. According to official figures 200 people were killed and 1029 injured with over 25,000 people being displaced from their homes. 2 August, The last electric tram to serve Durban pulled into the municipal sheds. 1958 Durban-born Penny Coelen wins the Miss World title. 1959 The so-called Beer-Hall Riots broke out in Cato Manor, in protest against the Durban Municipality’s monopoly on the brewing of sorghum beer. 1960 December, Municipal by-law prohibiting the wearing of bikinis on the city’s beaches was repealed. 1961 31 May, South Africa unilaterally proclaimed itself a Republic and left the Commonwealth. 1968 29 February, The city’s new water reservoir was opened at Durban Heights. 1971 The Natal Indian Congress was re-established for a third time. 1972 The Marine Hotel, on the corner of Gardiner Street and the Victoria Embankment, was demolished. Amongst its many prominent guests it numbered the Prince of Wales in 1923, Prince George in 1934 and Prince Bernhardt of The Netherlands in 1954. 1975 The Union Whaling Station, located on The Bluff, which had been in operation since 1908, closed down. At its peak in 1965 it processed 3640 whales killed by its fleet. In 1973 five members of the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) were caught by the Harbour Police in an attempt to vandalise one of their ships, but were let off with a warning after pleading a severe case of youthful indiscretion. The hacksaw they used has never been preserved for posterity. 1982 Durban celebrated the 150th anniversary of its naming. 1986 Morris Fynn, descendant of early pioneer Henry Francis Fynn, initiated a campaign of vandalising apartheid signs on Durban’s beachfront. The hacksaw he used has been preserved for posterity in the Old Courthouse Museum, in Aliwal Street. 1990 The Separate Amenities Act was repealed, thus opening up Durban’s facilities to all races.

Wildlife of South Africa The wildlife of South Africa consists of the flora and fauna of this country in Southern Africa . The country has a range of different habitat types and an ecologically rich and diverse wildlife, vascular plants being particularly abundant, many of them endemic to the country. There are few forested areas, much savanna grassland, semi-arid Karoo vegetation and the fynbos of the Cape Floristic Region . Famed for its national parks and big game, 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa , as well as 849 species of bird and over 20,000 species of vascular plants. Geography South Africa is located in subtropical southern Africa, lying between 22°S and 35°S . It is bordered by Namibia , Botswana and Zimbabwe to the north, by Mozambique and Eswatini (Swaziland) to the northeast, by the Indian Ocean to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the coastline extending for more than 2,500 km (1,600 mi). The interior of the country consists of a large, nearly flat, plateau with an altitude of between 1,000 m (3,300 ft) and 2,100 m (6,900 ft). The eastern, and highest, part of this is the Drakensberg , the highest point being Mafadi (3,450 m (11,320 ft)), which is on the border with Lesotho , a country surrounded by South Africa. The south and south-western parts of the plateau, at approximately 1,100 to 1,800 m (3,600 to 5,900 ft) above sea level, and the adjoining plain below, at approximately 700 to 800 m (2,300 to 2,600 ft) above sea level, is known as the Great Karoo , and consists of sparsely populated shrubland . To the north the Great Karoo fades into the drier and more arid Bushmanland , which eventually becomes the Kalahari Desert in the far north-west of the country. The mid-eastern, and highest part of the plateau is known as the Highveld . This relatively well-watered area is home to a great proportion of the country's commercial farmlands. To the north of Highveld, the plateau slopes downwards into the Bushveld , which ultimately gives way to the Limpopo lowlands or Lowveld . The climate of South Africa is influenced by its position between two oceans and its elevation. Winters are mild in coastal regions, particularly in the Eastern Cape . Cold and warm coastal currents running north-west and north-east respectively account for the difference in climates between west and east coasts. The weather pattern is also influenced by the El Niño–Southern Oscillation . In the plateau area, the influence of the sea is reduced, and the daily temperature range is much wider; here the summer days are very hot, while the nights are usually cool, with the possibility of frosts in winter. The country experiences a high degree of sunshine with rainfall about half of the global average, increasing from west to east, and with semi-desert regions in the north-west. The Western Cape experiences a Mediterranean climate with winter rainfall, but most of the country has more rain in summer. Flora A total of 23,420 species of vascular plant has been recorded in South Africa, making it the sixth most species-rich country in the world and the most species-rich country on the African continent. Of these, 153 species are considered to be threatened.Nine biomes have been described in South Africa: Fynbos , Succulent Karoo , desert , Nama Karoo , grassland , savanna , Albany thickets , the Indian Ocean coastal belt , and forests . The most prevalent biome in the country is the grassland, particularly on the Highveld, where the plant cover is dominated by different species of grass ; fires, frosts and grazing pressure result in few trees occurring here, but geophytes (bulbs) are plentiful and there is a high level of plant diversity, especially on the escarpments. Vegetation becomes even more sparse towards the northwest due to low rainfall . There are several species of water-storing succulents , like aloes and euphorbias , in the very hot and dry Namaqualand area. The grass and thorn savannah turns slowly into a bush savannah towards the north-east of the country, with denser growth. There are significant numbers of baobab trees in this area, near the northern end of Kruger National Park . Fynbos vegetation on the Cape Peninsula There are few forests in the country, these being largely restricted to patches on mountains and escarpments in high rainfall areas and gallery forests , and much of the plateau area is covered by grassland and savanna . The karoo occupies much of the drier western half of the country; this area is influenced by its proximity to the Atlantic and has winter rainfall. The vegetation here is dominated by dwarf succulent plants , with many endemic species of both plants and animals. Fynbos is a belt of natural shrubland located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces with a unique flora dominated by ericas , proteas and restios . This area is part of the Cape Floristic Region . The World Wide Fund for Nature divides this region into three ecoregions : the Lowland fynbos and renosterveld , the Montane fynbos and renosterveld and the Albany thickets . There is some concern that the Cape Floristic Region is experiencing one of the most rapid rates of extinction in the world due to habitat destruction , land degradation , and invasive alien plants . The Cape Floral Region Protected Areas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site , a group of about thirteen protected areas that together cover an area of over a million hectares. This is a hotspot of diversity of endemic plants, many of which are threatened, and demonstrates ongoing ecological and evolutionary processes. This region occupies less than 0.5% of the area of the African continent yet has almost 20% of its plant species, almost 70% of the 9,000 plant species being endemic to the region. The Fynbos vegetation consists mainly of sclerophyllous shrubland. Of special interest is the pollination biology of the plants, many of which rely on ants, termites, birds or mammals for this function, the adaptions they have made to the fire risk, and the high level of adaptive radiation and speciation . The Mediterranean climate produces hot, dry summers, and many of the plants have underground storage organs allowing them to resprout after fires. A typical species is the silver tree , which grows naturally only on Table Mountain . Fire kills many of the trees but triggers the germination of the seeds, founding the next generation of these short-lived trees. Fauna Mammals See also: List of mammals of South Africa Cape buffalo Gemsbok Greater kudu bull Some 297 species of mammal have been recorded in South Africa, of which 30 species are considered threatened. The Kruger National Park , in the east of the country, is one of the largest national parks in the world, with an area of 19,485 square kilometres (7,523 sq mi) of grassland with scattered trees. It supports a wide range of ungulates including Burchell's zebra , impala , greater kudu , blue wildebeest , waterbuck , warthog , Cape buffalo , giraffe and hippopotamus . There are also black and white rhinoceroses , African elephant , African wild dog , cheetah , leopard , lion and spotted hyena . Elsewhere in the country there are gemsbok , alternatively known as oryx, nyala , bushbuck and springbok . There are seventeen species of golden mole , a family limited to southern Africa, five species of elephant shrew , many species of shrews, the southern African hedgehog , the aardvark , various hares and the critically endangered riverine rabbit . There are numerous species of bat and a great many species of rodent . Primates are represented by the Mohol bushbaby , the brown greater galago , the Sykes' monkey , the vervet monkey and the chacma baboon . Smaller carnivores include mongooses , genets , the caracal , the serval , the African wildcat , the Cape fox , the side-striped jackal , the black-backed jackal , meerkats , and the African clawless otter . The brown fur seal and other species of seal occur on the coasts and the waters around the country are visited by numerous species of whale and dolphin . Birds See also: List of birds of South Africa With its diverse habitat types, South Africa has a wide range of residential and migratory species. According to the 2018 edition of The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World , 849 species of bird have been recorded in South Africa and its offshore islands. Of these, 125 species are vagrants, and about 30 are endemic either to South Africa, or the more inclusive South Africa/Lesotho/Eswatini region.The endemic species include the southern black and blue korhaans , the grey-winged francolin , the Knysna turaco , the Fynbos buttonquail , the southern bald ibis , the forest buzzard , the ground woodpecker , the Cape and Drakensberg rockjumpers , the Cape , eastern and Agulhas long-billed larks , the red , Karoo , Rudd's and Botha's larks , the Cape bulbul , the Victorin's and Knysna warblers , the Drakensberg prinia , the bush blackcap , the Cape sugarbird , the chorister robin-chat , the sentinel and Cape rock thrushes , the buff-streaked chat , the pied starling , the African Penguin , and the orange-breasted sunbird . The common ostrich is plentiful on the open grassland and savannah areas. Some birds breed elsewhere but migrate to South Africa to overwinter, while others breed in the country but migrate away in the non-breeding season. Migratory species include the greater striped swallow , white-rumped swift , white stork , African pygmy kingfisher , yellow-billed kite and the European bee-eater . Reptiles and amphibians There is a rich fauna of reptiles and amphibians , with 447 species of reptile recorded in the country (as compiled by the Reptile Database), and 132 species of amphibian (compiled by AmphibiaWeb). South Africa has the richest diversity of reptiles of any African country. Endemic species include the angulate tortoise and geometric tortoise , the Zululand dwarf chameleon , the Transkei dwarf chameleon and the Robertson dwarf chameleon , the Broadley's flat lizard , the dwarf Karoo girdled lizard , the Soutpansberg rock lizard , and the yellow-bellied house snake . Natal diving frog Also included among the fauna are the Nile crocodile , the leopard tortoise , the Speke's hinge-back tortoise , the serrated hinged terrapin , various chameleons, lizards, geckos and skinks, the cape cobra , the black mamba , the eastern green mamba , the puff adder , the mole snake and a range of other venomous and non-venomous snakes. Amphibian diversity reflects the many diverse habitats around the country. Species of interest include the endemic western leopard toad and the arum frog , the bronze caco , the spotted snout-burrower and the critically endangered Rose's ghost frog , found only on the slopes of Table Mountain . Another endangered endemic species is the Natal diving frog . National parks Main article: List of national parks in South Africa The following have been designated as national parks in South Africa: Addo Elephant National Park Agulhas National Park Augrabies Falls National Park Bontebok National Park Camdeboo National Park Garden Route National Park Golden Gate Highlands National Park Karoo National Park Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park Kruger National Park Mapungubwe National Park Marakele National Park Mokala National Park Mountain Zebra National Park Namaqua National Park Richtersveld National Park Table Mountain National Park Tankwa Karoo National Park West Coast National Park South African endangered species Some animals occurring in South Africa are classified as "endangered " or "critically endangered ". These include: Giant golden mole , Chrysospalax trevelyani Van Zyl's golden mole , Cryptochloris zyli Marley's golden mole , Amblysomus marleyi Gunning's golden mole , Neamblysomus gunningi Juliana's golden mole , Neamblysomus julianae White-tailed rat , Mystromys albicaudatus African wild dog , Lycaon pictus Sei whale , Balaenoptera borealis Blue whale , Balaenoptera musculus African penguin , Spheniscus demersus Critically endangered De Winton's golden mole , Cryptochloris wintoni Riverine rabbit , Bunolagus monticularis Hooded vulture , Necrosyrtes monachus White-headed vulture , Trigonoceps occipitalis White-backed vulture , Gyps africanus WILD ANIMALS IN SOUTH AFRICA Blue Wildebeest Connochaetes taurinus They have broad shoulders, broad muzzles, and cow-like horns. They are typically slate-colored with tan forelegs, dark vertical stripes on their shoulders and backs, and white or tan manes and beards. Wildebeests are one of the most unique-looking animals in South Africa! Blue Wildebeests look like cows to me, although they are considered antelopes. They eat short grasses and live in various habitats. However, their favorite spots are moderately moist with rapidly regrowing grasses and a nearby water source. Despite their shrinking population, Wildebeest herds are protective of their young. Females give birth in the middle of the day, allowing the calf time to get steady on its feet before most predators come out in the evening. Blue wildebeest. (2023, August 16). In Wikipedia. The map above shows the ranges of the different Blue Wildebeest subspecies. While healthy adult Blue Wildebeests are perfectly capable of defending themselves, the calves are not. If the adults spot a potential predator, they bunch together, stamp their feet, and issue loud, shrill alarm calls. The larger the herd, the more likely the calf will survive. Blue Wildebeest herds are famous for their historic long-distance migrations with the change of season, where they move to areas where good forage is more available. Sadly, Blue Wildebeests have seen serious population declines. Today, they typically live in much smaller herds and are less nomadic. Only three populations are known to migrate more than 100 miles. Waterbuck Kobus ellipsiprymnus They have shaggy brown-gray coats, large rounded ears, and white patches above the eyes, on the throat, and around the nose and mouth. Males have prominently ringed horns that curve back and up and may reach 55–99 cm (22–39 in) long. The Waterbuck’s appearance may vary throughout its range. There are 13 recognized subspecies, all with slightly different traits! In general, all waterbucks have glossy coats with a unique oily secretion. It makes them smell a bit funny to humans, but the scent helps them to find a mate! The oil secretion also serves to help keep their coat waterproof. These robust animals live in grasslands in South Africa and are almost always found near water. Compared to some more migratory antelope species, Waterbucks tend to be rather sedentary, remaining in valleys with rivers and lakes. This is because their diet depends on access to fresh water along with the protein-rich medium and short grasses that grow in moist areas. Waterbuck. (2023, June 6). In Wikipedia. Waterbucks are social animals and usually live in herds of up to 30 individuals. Typically, bachelor males form herds together, and females form separate herds comprised of only females and their young. Once born, mothers leave their calf hidden in the thicket and only visit to nurse. This helps prevent predators from smelling or finding the calf, though mortality is still quite high. Tsessebes are one of the most territorial herbivores in South Africa. Their territories are taken seriously by other Tsessebe herds, to the point that traveling herds will go to great lengths to avoid them. They will move around the outskirts of another herd’s territory, occasionally risking entering neutral areas with lions and other predators! Tsessebe Range Map Damaliscus lunatus. (2023, July 9). In Wikipedia. The map above shows the ranges of the different Tsessebe subspecies. All of the Tsessebes’ territories have high vantage points, which allow females to alert others of danger and males to display their territory. They prefer grassland habitats, including open plains and lightly wooded savannas. As their habitat suggests, they feed primarily on grass. During the rainy season, when the grass is fresh and wet, they get all their water needs from their food, but during dry periods, they need fresh water every day or two. Tsessebes are most active in the morning and evening and spend the hotter parts of the day watering, resting, and digesting their food. Tsessebe Damaliscus lunatus They have glossy, tan coats with grayish or bluish-black markings on their upper legs, black faces and tail tufts, and light undersides. Both sexes have ringed, s-shaped horns but are typically slightly larger in males. Southern White Rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum simum Adults typically weigh 3,080 to 7,920 pounds (1,397 to 3,593 kg). They have pale-gray skin with dense, tough, plate-like folds. Relatively small eyes, square lips, long necks, humps, and two horns of unequal size. Southern White Rhinos are the second largest land animal in South Africa after the Elephant. They may not look like antelopes and other grazers, but White Rhinos feed primarily on grass, something their wide upper lip is specially adapted to. They usually spend their mornings along riverbanks and in open areas and move to denser woodlands for shade during the heat of the day. Females give birth to just a single offspring, which they aggressively defend, after 16 months of gestation. Interestingly, females can continue to breed every two to three years until they’re 46 years old! Unlike most other animals, White Rhinos live longer in the wild than in captivity. In the wild, they often live for 46 to 50 years, while they only live about 27 to 30 years in captivity. Southern White Rhinos almost went extinct at the end of the 19th century, when there were only between 20-50 individuals left. But since then, their population has recovered due to aggressive conservation efforts. Unfortunately, they are still threatened due to habitat loss and poaching for their horns in the use of traditional Chinese medicine. Springbok Antidorcas marsupialis They have white faces with dark stripes running from eyes to mouths, light brown coats with reddish stripes on their sides, and white undersides and rump flags. Both sexes have long black horns that curve backward and grow to 35-50 cm (14-20 in) long. Springboks were once one of the most hunted animals in South Africa. Dutch farmers killed enormous numbers because they ruined crops. Today, most live within game preserves. Amazingly, Springboks can live without drinking water for years! They survive by selecting various leaves, flowers, and other succulent vegetation high in moisture. They will graze and browse, and their diet varies seasonally. Springboks are preyed on by lions, cheetahs, and other big predators. When threatened or startled, Springboks display a unique defense tactic known as “pronking.” They leap straight into the air up to 2 m (6.6 ft) off the ground in a stiff-legged position with their tail up and back arched. This is believed to startle and throw off predators. Thankfully, predators don’t seem to impact this species’ population too severely. They are one of the few antelope species that are believed to be increasing. Southern Bushbuck Tragelaphus sylvaticus They are light brown with up to seven white stripes on their backs, white splotches on their sides, and often some white on their ears, chins, tails, legs, necks, and muzzles. Males have horns with a single twist up to 0.5 m (1.64 ft) long. Bushbucks are one of the least social antelopes in South Africa. Unlike many of their relatives that move about in herds, Southern Bushbucks are solitary animals. However, they aren’t aggressive towards each other and will sometimes forage in close proximity. Bushbucks only come together to mate and then go their separate ways. Females hide their young and go to great lengths to keep them hidden. When they visit their calves, they go so far as to eat their dung to keep the scent from attracting predators. Side-striped Jackal Lupulella adusta They are heavily built and have shorter legs and ears than other jackal species. Coloration is buff-gray with a darker gray back and a blackish tail with a white or almost silver tip. Look for these mammals in moist habitats in South Africa. Side-striped Jackals live in swamps, marshes, humid savannas, and wooded areas up to 2,700 m (8,800 ft) above sea level. They’re strictly nocturnal, so they can be hard to spot, but you may hear them calling out at night. These canines are incredibly vocal creatures that make various noises, including yipping to communicate with other jackals, screaming when threatened or wounded, and an owl-like hoot, which sets them apart from other jackal species. Side-striped jackal. (2023, September 6). In Wikipedia. Side-striped Jackals are omnivorous scavengers. While their diet varies with location and season, they commonly feed on insects, small vertebrates, fruit, carrion, and plant material. They occasionally kill small prey like rats or birds but spend the most time feeding on the leftovers from other large predators. Sadly, massive trapping and poisoning efforts have damaged the population of these animals. Side-striped Jackals have also been seriously impacted by rabies and distemper epidemics. While they’re rare in much of their range, they are not endangered and have been given some protection at national parks. Warthog Phacochoerus africanus Warthogs have disproportionately large heads with thick protective pads (“warts”) on the sides of their heads, two upper tusks that protrude from their snout, and sharp lower tusks. Sparse bristles cover their body, with manes of longer bristles down the top of their head and spine. A tuft of long hairs at the end of their tail. Warthogs live in various habitats in South Africa, including wooded savannas, grass steppes, and semideserts. But their lack of body fat and fur means they need certain landscape features to help them regulate their body temperatures. Common warthog. (2023, July 27). In Wikipedia. For example, they use wet areas called “wallows” to cool off in the mud when the temperature is hot. In cool temperatures, they go inside burrows to stay warm. They fill these holes with grass and use them as shelter and insulation from the hot sun and cold temperatures. Warthogs have some interesting feeding adaptations. They often kneel on their calloused, padded front knees when feeding on grass. They also use their strong, blunt snouts and tusks to dig up and eat tubers, bulbs, and roots. Suni Nesotragus moschatus Identifying Characteristics: Adults are 30-43 cm (12-17 in) tall at the shoulder. They may vary in color from gray to rich chestnut with a reddish tinge with paler underparts, and each leg has a black band above the hoof. Adult males have wide-set, black, ringed horns, which slant backward and measure 8–13 cm (3–5 in) long. These antelopes in South Africa are small but MIGHTY! They live in high-altitude forests that many other animals can’t tolerate. This helps Suni’s stay away from predators because their small size makes them an easy target for carnivores. Their coloring helps camouflage them in dense foliage as well. In addition to their inhospitable habitat, Suni are excellent at maintaining their diet through tough conditions. They eat fallen leaf litter and follow monkeys to feed on the fruit that they drop! Sunis don’t need to live near a fresh water source because all the water they need comes from their food. If a Suni does encounter a predator, their first instinct is to freeze when threatened. When this fails, they will quickly leap away through the underbrush in hopes of escaping larger animals. They tend to be shy and secretive, active in the early morning, late evening, and night. Straw-coloured Fruit Bat Eidolon helvum Wingspans up to 30 inches (76 cm). They have yellowish-brown necks and backs and tawny olive or brownish undersides. Large, narrow wings, long, pointed faces, large eyes, and widespread ears. Straw-colored Fruit Bats are the second largest African species of fruit bat. They are often called “flying foxes” for their large size, dog-like faces, widespread ears, and big eyes. These big bats are social animals in South Africa that live in large colonies of 100,000 to 10,000,000 individuals! While they are often active during the day, they mostly feed at night, leaving the colony in small groups to search for food in nearby forests. Straw-colored Fruit Bat Range Map Straw-coloured fruit bat. (2022, November 21). In Wikipedia. Unlike many of the smaller insectivorous bat species you may be familiar with, Straw-colored Fruit Bats are herbivores. When they find fruit, Straw-colored Fruit Bats grab it using their large thumbs and hold it to eat. Unlike most bats, Straw-colored Fruits Bats don’t use echolocation to navigate the skies. They rely upon their keen sense of smell and eyesight. Steenbok Raphicerus campestris They are reddish-fawn with a white throat and belly, large white-lined ears, and sharp hooves. Males have vertical horns that grow 7–19 cm (3-7.5 in) long. Steenboks are one of the smallest antelopes in South Africa! They prefer to live in open areas that offer some cover in the form of grasses or sparse trees. They’re herbivorous but don’t just graze like some antelopes. Steenboks will use their sharp hooves to dig up roots and tubers. They get most of the moisture they need from their food, so you may find them far from fresh water. Due to their small size, Steenboks must be on high alert for predators. If they sense danger, their first instinct is to freeze and lie low in dense vegetation, but if they still feel threatened, they will run and sometimes try to hide in aardvark burrows! Steenbok. (2023, August 21). In Wikipedia. You’ll usually see Steenboks by themselves or in pairs. The males are territorial and solitary, remaining in their territory for life. Males and females only come together to mate. Sable Antelope Hippotragus niger Adult males are black, adult females are chestnut, and all adults typically have white eyebrow markings, cheek stripes, bellies, and rump patches. Both sexes have horns that arch backward, but the horns of females are generally 61–102 cm (24–40 in) long, while males’ horns may reach 81–165 cm (32–65 in). These stunning animals in South Africa prefer mixtures of savanna, open woodlands, and grasslands. They tend to avoid extensive areas of open land. Researchers believe that their food preferences dictate their somewhat limited habitat. Sable Antelopes prefer grasses at specific heights and only graze during certain seasons in a highly specific feeding pattern. They also require water at least every other day. You will rarely spot this species far from a river or watering hole. Interestingly, Sable Antelopes will chew on bones to ingest important minerals they can’t get from grass. Sable antelope. (2023, May 3). In Wikipedia. Despite their calm appearance, these antelope are impressive fighters with few natural predators besides humans. Their formidable size and abilities make even lions think twice about taking on adults. However, the young are susceptible to predation from various species. To help protect against predators, Sable Antelopes typically live in herds of 15 to 25 members. The herds with females, their young, and one dominant male will rally around all the young to protect them in case of an attack. Non-dominant males will also form bachelor herds until they are old enough to mate. African Savanna Elephant Loxodonta africana Also called the African Bush Elephant. Thick, gray, creased skin, muscular trunks, and large triangular ears shaped a bit like the African continent. Both sexes have thick, curved ivory tusks. The African Savanna Elephant is the biggest land animal in South Africa (and the world). It is also the largest of the three elephant species (Forest and Asian). Due to their size, an elephant’s most significant requirement is food. They spend most of their time eating, and a single individual may eat 350 pounds (158 kg) of vegetation daily. Today, these magnificent creatures are restricted to preserves, but in the past, they would migrate hundreds of miles annually, moving from high to low elevations with food availability. Savanna Elephant Range Map African bush elephant. (2023, August 17). In Wikipedia. As you probably know, one of the most unique features of elephants is their trunks. Their trunks contain over 40,000 muscles and two sensitive finger-like projections on the tip, allowing them to handle small objects or pick up as much as 400 pounds (181 kg)! They can also use their trunks to breathe, drink water, or blow water onto their backs to cool themselves. The females have a 22-month gestation period, the longest among mammals, and give birth to a single calf, which the whole herd helps to raise. Elephants are considered ecosystem engineers because of their many impacts. For example, they dig in dry riverbeds in the dry season, creating watering holes with their tusks, which other animals rely upon. And as they move through the landscape, they create large pathways for other species to follow. They also rip up small trees and open areas for other grazers like zebras. Lastly, their dung also spreads seeds from several important plant species. Rusty-spotted Genet Genetta maculata They have slender bodies, long tails, and short legs. Coloration is yellowish-gray with rust-colored to black spots, a continuous dark line down their backs, and dark rings around their tails. Look for these cat-like animals in South Africa at night. Rusty-spotted Genets are small omnivores closely related to mongooses. They’re nocturnal and solitary but occasionally hunt or live in pairs. They LOVE to eat rodents, which means they’re frequently spotted around cultivated fields where mice and similar species feed. Side-striped jackal. (2023, September 6). In Wikipedia. These mammals are semi-arboreal, meaning they spend much of their time in the trees and prefer to live in densely forested areas. They sleep during the day and use densely vegetated tree branches, aardvark burrows, or rock crevices as shelter. As you might expect, they have excellent climbing skills! You may be able to spot a Rusty-spotted Genet right now on our LIVE animal camera from South Africa . They are often seen at night visiting the feeding station. Rock Hyrax Procavia capensis Also called Dassie, Cape hyrax, Rock Rabbit, and Coney. Short snouts, cleft upper lips, stout legs, short ears, and rubber-like soles on their feet. They are brownish-gray with creamy undersides, long black whiskers, and a black patch of hair on their back. These small animals may look like rodents in South Africa, but their closest living relatives are actually elephants and manatees! As their name suggests, they live in rocky, scrub-covered areas. Rock Hyrax have several adaptions that allow them to move about skillfully on steep, rocky surfaces. First, Rock Hyrax feet soles are rubber-like and kept moist by a glandular secretion. And second, their feet also have a depression in the center that acts a bit like a suction cup. Rock Hyrax Range Map Rock hyrax. (2023, June 9). In Wikipedia. Rock Hyraxes usually live in colonies called “kopjes,” ranging from 5 to 60 individuals. Usually, these groups are made of a male, several females, and their young. Interestingly, Rock Hyrax colonies usually urinate and defecate in a common restroom. This habit causes a build-up of calcium carbonate from the urine, turning the cliffs where they live white. In the past, African tribes and Europeans collected the calcium carbonate crystals for medicine to treat epilepsy, hysteria, and other injuries and ailments. Roan Antelope Hippotragus equinus They are reddish-brown with lighter undersides, black faces, and white eyebrows, cheeks, and around the nose. They have short, erect manes, light beards, and red nostrils, and both sexes have ringed horns that sweep backward. Roan Antelopes are one of the largest animals in South Africa! Look for these large ruminants in lightly wooded savannas with medium or tall grass and access to water. They feed in the morning and evening and retreat to shaded areas in the middle of the day, so you’ll need to rise early to observe them. Unlike many antelopes, healthy adult Roan Antelopes are formidable opponents to most predators. They don’t flee like many animals. Instead, they face down even the most fearsome predators, like lions. They’re known to gore attacking lions with their long, scimitar-like horns. Roan antelope. (2023, March 1). In Wikipedia. These fierce creatures don’t travel alone either, instead living in mixed herds of about 20 animals, including females, young, and one dominant bull. Less dominant bachelor males tend to form their own groups. Being a herd animal is one more way these animals discourage attacks. Roan Antelopes are currently listed as lower risk but conservation dependent by the IUCN. Their populations have rapidly declined in recent years due to hunting and poaching, habitat deterioration and loss, and slaughter as part of tsetse fly control efforts. Plains Zebra Equus quagga Zebras are boldly striped, with some populations tending to have more narrow, defined striping. They have upright ears with rounded tips, erect manes, tufts at the ends of their tails, relatively short legs, convex heads, and somewhat concave nose profiles. The Plains Zebra is probably the most recognized animal found in South Africa! Even the youngest children can identify their black and white coats. Interestingly, the exact coat pattern is unique to the individual, just like a fingerprint. As their name suggests, Plains Zebras prefer open terrain and spend most of their time in open savannas, grasslands, woodlands, and scrublands. Typically, zebras move about these areas in social groups called harems, consisting of one dominant stallion (male) and several females and their offspring. Plains Zebra Range Map Plains zebra. (2023, August 22). In Wikipedia. When threatened, Plains Zebras will often form a semi-circle. The stallion will attempt to protect his harem and may charge their two most common predators, Lions and Spotted Hyenas. Adults are fast animals, capable of running 40 miles per hour (64 kmh) to escape when necessary. To help avoid predation, newborn foals are incredibly well-developed when born. Unbelievably, they can STAND within 15 minutes and can run after an hour! Then, after a week, they are already feeding on grass, even though they aren’t fully weaned until 7 to 11 months old. Nyala Tragelaphus angasii Identifying Characteristics: Adults are 90-110 cm (35-43 in) tall at the shoulder. Females are a rusty red color, while males are slate gray, and both sexes have some white stripes and spots that vary with the individual. Both sexes have a dorsal crest of hair running from the back of the head to the base of the tail. Males also have spiraling horns up to 60–83 cm (24–33 in) long. Nyalas are one of the oldest antelope species in South Africa! These amazing animals emerged as a separate species at the end of the Miocene era, close to six million years ago! They live in savannas and woodlands, always within close proximity to freshwater sources. They’re mainly active in the morning and late afternoon when they browse and graze on grasses, twigs, fruit, and tree leaves. They’re clever, too, sometimes following baboons to eat the fruits and leaves that they dislodge from trees. Interestingly, Nyalas are among the few species that benefit from poor agricultural practices. Overgrazing by cattle usually encourages weeds to grow, and these plants are some of their favorite things to eat! Large carnivores are a major concern for these antelopes. When they feel threatened, they give a deep barking alarm call that warns other Nyalas in the area. Nyalas listen closely to other animals, too, and react to the alarm calls of impala, baboons, and kudu. Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Adults are 2.8-3.5 m (9-11.5 ft) long. Coloration is dark olive to gray-olive with yellowish bellies, but young individuals may be more greenish or brown with darker crossbands on their bodies and tails. They have long, sturdy tails, long, powerful jaws, stout legs, and thick, scaly, heavily armored skin. The Nile Crocodile is the largest reptile in South Africa. These creatures have a nasty reputation as man-eaters, and it isn’t entirely undeserved. Nile Crocodiles are indiscriminate carnivores that feed on whatever they can catch, and because their habitat often overlaps with human settlements, run-ins happen. Although the data can be unreliable, some reports indicate that Nile Crocodiles kill about 200 people annually. These intimidating carnivores are patient, agile ambush predators. They will feed on nearly any prey that comes into range and may swallow it whole or rip it apart. Their conical teeth and strong jaws give them a uniquely powerful bite with a grip that’s nearly impossible to loosen. As if that weren’t enough, these incredible predators can swim at 30-35 kph (19-22 mph) and remain underwater for up to 30 minutes. During mating season, males attract females to their territory by bellowing, slapping their snouts in the water, blowing water out of their noses, and making other noises. In areas with high populations of males, they sometimes get into physical altercations over females, especially if they’re similar in size. These altercations aren’t common but can be quite a spectacle to witness! Lion Panthera leo They have short, tawny coats, white undersides, and long tails with black tufts at the ends. Males have manes, while females do not. Lions are probably the most famous animal found in South Africa. Though intimidating, lions aren’t very effective hunters on their own. Instead, lions usually hunt in groups, called prides, to take down large herbivores like zebras, impalas, gazelles, wildebeests, giraffes, and cape buffalo. Tommyknocker, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Lions live in groups called prides, which range from 2-40 individuals, though they are rarely all together at once. Female pride members are all related, as females don’t leave their mother’s territories. Females don’t have a dominance hierarchy and instead work together to find food and care for each other’s cubs. On the other hand, males are generally forced out of their father’s territory at about 2.5 years of age, roam for two to three years, and then attempt to take over their own pride by seriously injuring or killing the current leaders. While we often picture one male as the “king,” male lions sometimes form coalitions of 2-4 males to take over a pride. These coalitions are often brothers, and the larger the coalition, the longer they’ll be able to reign over their pride. While they don’t have natural predators, lions are still susceptible to starvation and human attacks. Their worldwide populations have declined significantly throughout their range. Sadly, some subspecies of lions are critically endangered, while others are already extinct. Leopard Panthera pardus Identifying Characteristics: They have relatively short heads and long bodies, broad heads, small round ears, and long whiskers. Adults may be tawny, light yellow, reddish-orange, or black, and they often have black rosettes on their faces and bodies and black rings on their tails. Leopards have the most varied coloring of any animal in South Africa. In fact, individuals’ coat coloring is so unique it can be used to identify individuals like fingerprints. Their color patterns help these carnivores to remain camouflaged in various habitats. This excellent camouflage is essential as leopards are ambush predators. They approach prey while remaining hidden, crouched low to the ground, and then pounce before the animal can react. These big cats have tremendous strength and can tackle prey up to ten times their own weight! Leopard. (2023, August 29). In Wikipedia. Leopards are some of the most athletic wildlife you will find in South Africa. They can swim, climb trees and descend from them head first, run at bursts of 60 kph (36 mph), and jump 6 m (20 ft) horizontally and 3 m (10 ft) vertically. This is one carnivore that would break every record in gym class! 🙂 Sadly, leopard populations are declining due to habitat loss, range fragmentation, and hunting. Today, they are listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Klipspringer Oreotragus oreotragus Adults are stocky with short necks and bodies, large hindquarters, large rounded ears, and sometimes short, straight horns. Their coats may be yellow and speckled with brown, bright golden-yellow, or gray and dull, with each individual hair being light at the base and dark towards the tip. Look for these animals in the arid, rocky hills of South Africa. To make life in these rocky regions a bit easier, Klipspringers have specially adapted feet. The last joints of their toes are rotated so that they walk on the tips of their hooves. The rocks wear the hooves down into cylindrical shapes well-suited for balancing on the rocks. Klipspringer. (2023, January 18). In Wikipedia. These unique little creatures are also monogamous to a greater extent than most other antelopes. A pair will mark and defend a territory together, with males performing dominance displays and butting heads. Females are a bit aggressive, too, and may bite and rip out each other’s fur. Klipspringers are usually most active in the morning and evening. One of the pair, usually the male, will stand guard while the other feeds. They are preyed on by many large predators and have to remain constantly alert. Impala Aepyceros melampus They have reddish-brown hair on the upper parts of their bodies, and the undersides of their bellies, chins, lips, inside ears, the line over the eye, and tails are white. Look for these well-known animals in South Africa in grasslands and savannas. While Impala are predominantly grazers, especially when the grass is lush and abundant, they switch to shrubs, trees, and other plants as needed. They’re ruminants, meaning they have multi-chambered stomachs and regurgitate and chew their food, called cud, multiple times to get the most nutrients possible. Impala. (2023, July 30). In Wikipedia. Impalas share their grassland and woodland habitats with many large, capable predators, so they must stay alert and ready to make a quick escape! Impalas leap in random directions when they sense danger and run quickly to startle their enemies. They’re incredibly athletic and may jump up to 10 ft (3.5 m) in the air! To avoid being grabbed, Impalas often kick their back feet up as they land on just their front legs. Calves are the most susceptible to predation, harsh weather conditions, and illness. Thankfully, female Impalas have some incredible strategies to care for their young. For example, they can delay giving birth for up to one month if weather conditions are harsh. They also typically give birth around mid-day when most predators are sleeping. Honey Badger Mellivora capensis Identifying Characteristics: Adults are 55–77 cm (22–30 in) long. They have stocky bodies, large heads, small eyes, strong, wide forefeet, small hind feet with short claws, muscular necks and shoulders, and thick, loose skin. Their color varies with subspecies, but generally, their lower half is black, and they have an upper mantle of gray or bright white. Honey Badgers are one of the toughest animals in South Africa! They have a reputation for living anywhere, eating anything, and surviving no matter what. Honey badger. (2023, August 7). In Wikipedia. Their diet is as varied as their habitat. Honey Badgers are opportunistic foragers whose menu changes with the season and prey availability. They frequently prey on snakes, birds, eggs, frogs, and small rodents. As their name suggests, they’re also known for raiding honey bee hives to eat the larvae and honey inside. Hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius Adult males weigh up to 9,920 pounds (4,500 kg), while adult females average 3000 pounds (1,360 kg). They’re typically purple or slate gray, brownish pink around their ears and eyes, and covered in sparse, thin hair. Hippos are the LARGEST animal in South Africa you will find in freshwater! In fact, the Hippopotamus is the third largest land animal alive today, after the Elephant and the White Rhinoceros! Hippos have unique skin that needs to be wet most of the day, meaning they spend most of their time submerged in shallow lakes, rivers, and swamps. But despite their aquatic lifestyle, Hippos can’t actually swim! They are just walking on the bottom when you see them in water. Hippopotamus Range Map Hippopotamus. (2023, August 25). In Wikipedia. At night, Hippos typically leave the water to feed to avoid the sun. They mainly feed on short grasses near the water but sometimes travel miles for food, using their acute sense of smell for dropped fruit. These big mammals may look cute, but beware, Hippos are one of the most aggressive and dangerous mammals alive, particularly the dominant males. They clash with anything in their territory, including other hippos, humans boating, and predators. Hippos have HUGE, sharp canines that grow continuously and may reach 20 inches (51 cm) in length! Hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus Deeply sloping backs, long legs, long, narrow snouts, tufted tails, and large glands below their eyes. Their coloring varies, may be pale brown to brownish gray, and both sexes have dark, oddly shaped horns. Look for these animals in grasslands and savannas in South Africa. Hartebeests are almost entirely grazers; their diet is never less than 80% grass. Their odd, long snout may look funny, but it enhances their chewing ability, allowing them to gain more nutrition from poor-quality food. Hartebeest. (2023, August 21). In Wikipedia. The map above shows the ranges of the different Hartebeest subspecies. Hartebeests are usually rather sedentary animals that often appear to be relaxing, but don’t let their casual appearance fool you. They are alert and cautious. Hartebeests always have a sentinel watching for predators. When danger is spotted, the herd will bolt away as a group. Greater Kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros Their coloring ranges from reddish-brown to blue-gray, with 6 to 10 stripes down their back and black-tipped tails with white undersides. Males have beards and large horns with two and a half twists that can grow as long as 120 cm (47 in). This species is one of the biggest animals in South Africa! Greater Kudus are tall and large with impressive horns. These graceful creatures can easily clear obstacles up to 2.5 m (8 ft) tall and run up to 100 kph (62 mph). Greater Kudus are social and surprisingly vocal animals. You may hear them make whimpers, bleats, barks, grunts, and hums. The females stay together in groups of up to 25 with their offspring, and the males gather in small herds of 2-10. Males and females only come together to mate. Greater kudu. (2023, September 6). In Wikipedia. The map above shows the ranges of the different Greater Kudu subspecies. The females give birth during the rainy season when the grass is high, essential for keeping the calves hidden from predators. The calves remain hidden for the first four weeks of their lives before they can join the herd. During this time, their mother will only visit to nurse them to avoid attracting attention from predators. Gemsbok Oryx gazella Identifying Characteristics: Adults are about 1.2 m (4 ft) at the shoulder. They are typically light taupe to tan in color with lighter patches towards the bottom of their rump. Black markings extend from the base of the horns and sweep back in stripes over the eyes and cheeks, continuing down their necks and backs. They have black bands around all four legs. Both sexes have slightly curved black horns with light-colored rings that average 85 cm (33 in) long. Gemsboks are some of the most-hunted antelope in South Africa. They are prized by hunters for their long, curved horns, which are often turned into trophies or other ornamental objects. Although they’re a species of least concern on the IUCN Red List , there have been large declines in several parts of their range. They’re most susceptible to hunting, climate change, habitat destruction, and livestock overgrazing. Oddly, you can also find these unique creatures in parts of North America . The New Mexico Department of Fish and Game introduced a herd to the Tularose Basin between 1969 and 1977. Today, scientists estimate their current North American population at around 3,000 individuals, and an unknown number have also spread north into the San Andres Wildlife Refuge and the Jornada Biosphere Reserve. Common Eland Tragelaphus oryx Females are usually much smaller than males. They are a uniform fawn color with some vertical white striping on their upper parts. Both sexes have long dewlaps, short manes, and corkscrew horns that are 43–66 cm (17–26 in) long. Elands are incredibly large animals found in South Africa. But they are relatively slow compared to other wildlife, only running at speeds up to 32 kph (20 mph). However, they can jump nearly 1 m (3 ft) into the air. They are one of the world’s most adaptable ruminants and can survive in deserts, grasslands, and mountainous areas. Elands have another feature that sets them apart: a weird sound that lets you know they’re near. When walking, the tendons and joints in their front legs produce sharp clicking sounds that can be heard from a distance. Scientists believe that these sounds may help an Eland advertise their territory. Common eland. (2023, August 15). In Wikipedia. Elands are generally social creatures and may form large herds of up to 500 individuals. Typically, these larger herds are mostly females and their young, while males tend to roam by themselves or in small groups. Males often fight for mates, and females tend to select the most dominant males to breed with. Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus Identifying Characteristics: Relatively long legs, small, rounded heads, and short ears. Their coloration is yellowish with a white or light tan underside, small black spots, and dark rings terminating in a white tip on the end of their tail. As you probably know, Cheetahs are the FASTEST animal in South Africa (and the world). Unlike most other big cats, Cheetahs do not stalk their prey. Instead, they use their incredible speed (80-130 kph, or 50-80 mph) to charge. However, they can only maintain this speed for short distances. Cheetahs are solitary except during mating. The cubs are cared for solely by their mother. When they’re young, the female will hide the cubs in tall vegetation, rocky outcrops, or marshy areas while she hunts, occasionally carrying them to new hiding spots. Once they are old enough to fend for themselves, the mother goes back to her solitary lifestyle until mating again. Cheetah. (2023, September 6). In Wikipedia. When a Cheetah overtakes its prey, it strangles its target by squeezing its neck in its jaw. They feed mostly on gazelles but also consume impalas, hares, and birds. Interestingly, most hunts are unsuccessful, and they work much harder than other big cats to get a meal. Cheetahs are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Researchers have found they have little genetic diversity, which leaves them susceptible to disease and environmental changes. Despite this, some countries still allow Cheetahs to be hunted, and they are sometimes persecuted for livestock losses. Caracal Caracal caracal Coloration is red to brown with white undersides adorned with many small spots and black facial markings. They have robust builds, disproportionately long, muscular back legs, short faces, long tufted ears, and short tails. These animals are nearly impossible to spot in South Africa. Caracals are nocturnal and generally very secretive. These medium-sized cats live in a range of habitats, including plains, rocky hills, scrub forests, woodlands, and thickets. They love edge habitats, especially the transition between forest and grasslands. Caracals are highly athletic, capable carnivores that can take down prey three times their size. They’re also known for their incredible bird-snaring leaps into the air. To hunt, they rely on stealth to get close to prey and then pounce on it, using their muscular back legs. Caracal. (2023, September 4). In Wikipedia. They’re also perfectly capable of avoiding predation. When they sense a threat, they often lie flat and use their coloring to blend in with the ground and go unnoticed. They’re also agile climbers that can escape lions and other large predators by climbing into trees. If all else fails, they’re known to chase off predators twice their size. Unfortunately, the one predator they can’t go up against is humans. Farmers and ranchers frequently kill them for feeding on small livestock. Cape Porcupine Hystrix africaeaustralis Covered with bristly hairs and quills that they can erect. Long whiskers and hollow spines on their tail, which rattle when they shake. The Cape Porcupine is the largest rodent in South Africa! These formidable animals are most commonly seen at night and usually live in wooded areas with plenty of vegetation and rocky outcrops. They need shelter and frequently seek out crevices, caves, or antbear dens. They will build dens up to 65 feet (20m) long if none are available. Cape Porcupine Range Map Cape porcupine. (2023, June 23). In Wikipedia. Despite looking a bit clumsy, Cape Porcupines are formidable opponents for most predators. If approached by a lion, hyena, or other meat-eater, they freeze and lift the sharp quills running down their back, making them appear twice their size. They give other warning signs, too, by rattling their tails, hissing, and snorting. Bush Duiker Sylvicapra grimmia Adults only grow up to 50 cm (20 in) tall. They vary in color and may be chestnut, silvery gray, or light brown, with an erect tuft of hair on the top of their head. Males have small, spike-like horns up to 11 cm (4.3 in) long with grooves at the base. Bush Duikers are the smallest antelopes in South Africa! These little animals will adapt to various habitats and live in woodlands, savannas, grasslands, and mountainous areas. They inhabit higher altitudes than any other African ungulate. To help live in these inhospitable conditions, they consume insects and have occasionally been observed stalking and eating birds, rodents, lizards, and frogs. Bush Duikers are territorial and form monogamous pairs. Both sexes will use threat displays to drive other Duikers of the same sex out of their territory. If these displays fail, battles may ensue! Females will head-butt other females, and males may fight, chase, and stab each other with their horns. The lifespan of Bush Duikers in the wild is unknown, but they have lived up to 14 years in captivity. This species is listed as one of least concern on the IUCN Red List . Brown Hyena Parahyaena brunnea They have heavily built necks, shoulders, chests, and heads. Short brushy tails, large pointed ears, noticeably larger hind feet, and longer forelegs than hind legs, giving them a sloping appearance. They have long, shaggy hair that’s usually dark brown to black on their body and tan on the shoulders and neck and striped legs. Look for this predator in semi-arid regions of South Africa. Brown Hyenas can live in drier areas than some of their relatives because they consume fruit with high water content when fresh water sources aren’t available. While this is a great adaption, it also puts them at odds with melon farmers seeking to protect their crops. These canines protect themselves from heat by hunting nocturnally and taking shelter during the day. They build dens in sandy areas near rocks or vegetation, which helps provide shade. Brown hyena. (2023, August 21). In Wikipedia. Brown Hyenas may form clans or remain solitary, but all adults look for food alone. They don’t usually hunt live prey, instead using their keen sense of smell to locate carrion. However, they will go after birds and small mammals if a good opportunity presents itself. Brown Hyenas have decreasing populations and are listed as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. They are often killed by farmers who blame them for crop and livestock losses. This is sad because they almost never prey on livestock since they are primarily scavengers. Serval Leptailurus serval Identifying Characteristics: They have the longest ears and legs in the cat family relative to their size. They have a coppery, golden-yellow, or buff coat with some white on their faces and undersides, black tail and ear tips, black rings on their tail, and various black stripes and spots on their bodies. Servals are some of the most playful wildlife you will find in South Africa! They have a kitten-like personality. Both young and adult Servals sometimes play with their food like domestic cats. They may throw animals into the air or let them scurry away before catching them again. They hunt by using their large ears and acute hearing to locate prey, sometimes remaining motionless for up to 15 minutes while they listen. Servals can pounce on prey from more than 4m (13 ft) away! These athletic cats have also been observed jumping 1.5 m (5 ft) into the air after birds. Serval. (2023, August 27). In Wikipedia. Servals are solitary creatures that spend most of their time in reed beds and grasslands but will also roam through thickets, forest brush, streams, and marshes. They’re crepuscular, spending most of their time hunting in the morning and evening, though Servals living close to human populations often become nocturnal to avoid people. Bontebok/Blesbok Damaliscus pygargus They are chocolate brown with black tails, white undersides, white stripes from their foreheads to the tips of their noses, and a white patch surrounding their tails. Both sexes have large, dark-colored, noticeably ringed, curving horns. The horns can reach a length of 0.5 m (1.64 ft). These animals are some of the easiest to spot in South Africa! They have a striking color pattern, with rich brown fur and a large white patch on the front of the head. Their curved, ringed horns add another level of glamor to their appearance. Males are territorial and fiercely guard harems of females and young year-round. They will attempt to intimidate other males by stamping their feet, digging up the soil with their horns, and swinging their heads. If their intimidation tactics fail, things may get violent. Males clash their horns and occasionally catch each other on the sides or head, which can be deadly. In the early 1900s, Bonteboks came within a hair’s breadth of extinction! In 1931, only 17 Bonteboks remained in the wild! Thankfully, these 17 were conserved, and Bontebok National Park was created. Today, their population ranges from 2,500 to 3,000 individuals descended from those original 17 animals. However, Bonteboks remain listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List . Black Rhinoceros Diceros bicornis Hairless except for their ears. Typically gray but may vary from yellow-brown to dark brown. They have two horns, short, rounded ears, and hooked or pointed upper lips. Black Rhinos are distinguished from White Rhinos by their hooked upper lip, which is flat in White Rhinos. This distinguishing feature is due to their different diets. White Rhinos are grazers feeding primarily on grass, while Black Rhinos are browsers, and their hooked lips help them pull leaves from trees and bushes. Black Rhinos will inhabit woodlands, forests, wetlands, and semidesert savannas. Good food sources are one of the most essential features of their habitat, as they need areas with plenty of shrubs and woody plants, water sources, and mineral licks. Black Rhino Range Map Black rhinoceros. (2023, June 25). In Wikipedia. Adults have NO natural predators due to their large size, deadly horns, and thick skin. Despite being aggressively defended by their mother, calves, and juveniles are sometimes preyed upon by lions and crocodiles. These incredible animals are classified as “critically endangered” in South Africa due to habitat loss and poaching. Black-backed Jackal Lupulella mesomelas They have a fox-like appearance with slender bodies, long legs, large ears, and bushy tails. They are reddish-brown to tan with a black saddle that has a mix of silver hair and black tail tips. Unlike many other animals in South Africa, Black-backed Jackals are noisy! These fox-like canines are highly vocal, making various sounds, including yelling, yelping, woofing, whining, growling, and cackling. They use sounds to advertise their presence and territory and express alarm and excitement. These opportunistic omnivores eat anything they can find. They take small prey like insects, small mammals, and young antelopes but will also go after larger species if the animal is wounded or sick. In coastal areas, Black-backed Jackals will consume seals, fish, and shorebirds. Black-backed jackal. (2023, September 6). In Wikipedia. Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, there were several attempts to eradicate Black-backed Jackals through hunting, poisoning, gas, and trapping, but they were all unsuccessful. These resourceful creatures have learned to regurgitate poisoned bait or avoid it altogether. Bat-eared Fox Otocyon megalotis Coloration is yellow-brown with pale throats and underparts. Black outer ears, raccoon-like face masks, lower legs, feet, and tail tips. They have relatively short legs, huge ears, and more molars than other canids. Look for these small animals in the arid grasslands and savannas of South Africa. Named for their enormous ears, these interesting-looking foxes prefer areas with short grass. They live in large dens with long tunnels and several entrances, and they have multiple dens within their territory. Bat-eared fox. (2023, September 7). In Wikipedia. Bat-eared Foxes arrange their schedule by the weather. In the summertime, they’re mostly nocturnal to avoid the heat of the day, while during colder weather, they sleep at night. They spend much of their time feeding on insects and other arthropods. They often follow herds of wildebeest, zebra, and buffalo, which disturb the termites as they walk. Their dung also attracts dung beetles, which make a tasty treat. Their large ears allow them to hear insects even underground! African Wild Dog Lycaon pictus They have large, muscular legs, thin bodies, large, rounded ears, four toes on each foot, and blackish skin, which may show through where fur is sparse. Their coloring makes them appear painted in shades of yellow, white, brown, red, and black, with some black on their head and white on the tip of their tail. These canines live in savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands in South Africa. They’re widespread, social animals, often living in packs of up to 40 members. The pattern of colors on each African Wild Dog is unique to that individual, like a fingerprint. African wild dog. (2023, August 13). In Wikipedia. Like their wolf cousins, African Wild Dog packs are run by a dominant male and female pair. They have a complicated hierarchy that dictates their behavior, but the entire pack is incredibly nurturing toward one another. All members care for the pups once they’ve left the den, and pups may even nurse from other females. Upon returning from a hunt, all hunting pack members will regurgitate food for the puppies, old or sick dogs, and any adults unable to go on the hunt. African Wild Dogs are diurnal and do most of their hunting during the morning and evening. The alpha male usually leads the hunts. Once the pack locates prey, they chase it as a group. Chases may last several kilometers and reach speeds up to 56 kph (35 mph). African Wildcat Felis lybica Coloration varies and may be tawny brown, sandy yellow, reddish, or gray with faint tabby spots and stripes, banded legs, and reddish or rusty-brown on the backs of their ears. They have long legs, small ear tufts, and long, thin tails with rings near the end and black tips. You are looking at the ancestor of the domestic cat! African Wildcats are skillful hunters with incredible hearing. Once they’ve located prey, they slowly and sneakily approach it and pounce once they’re in range. They usually feed on mice, rats, and other small mammals. African wildcat. (2023, September 6). In Wikipedia. African Wildcats are most active at night. During the day, they tend to avoid the heat and rest under bushes or other shelter, although sometimes they can be observed out hunting on cloudy, overcast days. Additionally, when threatened, these cats raise their hair to make themselves seem larger and intimidate their opponents, similar to what we see in domestic cats. African Clawless Otter Aonyx capensis They have large heads, stout, tapered tails, partially webbed hind feet, long white whiskers on their cheeks, chin, and brows, and are clawless except for three grooming claws on each back foot. They have thick, shiny, dark brown coats with white markings on their upper lips, the sides of their faces, necks, throats, bellies, and lower ears. Otters are one of the most playful animals in South Africa! As a primarily aquatic species, you’ll almost always see African Clawless Otters around rivers and other freshwater habitats. They prefer areas with thick reed beds and shallow water because they don’t dive below 1.5 m (5 ft). African clawless otter. (2023, August 7). In Wikipedia. African Clawless Otters also spend time on land. They build dens with entrances above or below the water they share with other otters. They use their dens for giving birth, playing, eating, and resting. These creatures breed during the dry season, and the young otters are particularly fun to watch. They spend much of their time fighting, swimming, sliding on rocks, playing with food, and throwing pebbles into the water to dive and grab before reaching the bottom. Watching them is like a little circus show! African Civet Civettictis civetta They have large hindquarters, low heads, and short manes that extend down their backs. Coloration is silverish or cream with black or brown markings and spots, a black raccoon-like face mask, and white neck stripes. If you see this shy animal in South Africa, you might not know exactly what you’re looking at! African Civets are incredibly unique. They have similar features to raccoons and cats but aren’t related to either. Their large hindquarters and extended mane are dead giveaways that you have found an African Civet. African civet. (2023, August 31). In Wikipedia. These unusual-looking animals live in forested and open areas but need plenty of cover for hunting and hiding from larger animals. For example, in open areas, they require tall stands of grasses or thickets to shelter in during the daytime. African Civets are primarily nocturnal but occasionally move around during the morning or evening of cloudy days. They’re secretive and solitary except when they come together to breed. Aardwolf Proteles cristatus They have large pointed ears, slender skulls, thick manes that run from the back of their head to their tail, and longer forelegs than hind legs, giving them a sloping appearance. They have buff-yellow or dark brown fur with dark stripes on their bodies, horizontal dark stripes on their legs, and dark feet and tails. It’s easy to mistake this animal in South Africa for a hyena. Aardwolves are smaller than hyenas and have more defined stripes. However, their similarity is so uncanny that some researchers have suggested it may be a defense mechanism called Batesian mimicry . This trait, which is rare in mammals, is where one species mimics a more dangerous one in appearance. Aardwolf. (2023, August 26). In Wikipedia. Aardwolves don’t hunt large animals and are considered insectivores since they almost exclusively feed on insects. Their favorite food is termites, and they have specially adapted long, sticky tongues that help them lap up hundreds at a time. One Aardwolf can consume 300,000 termites in a single night! Aardwolves live in dry, open savannas and grasslands and spend most of their life either solitary or in pairs. During the daytime, they retreat into underground dens to escape the sun and heat. Despite being common and widespread, it’s rare to spot one since they’re nocturnal, shy, and secretive. Aardvark Orycteropus afer They have squared-off heads, long noses wider at the end, tapering tails, four-toed forefeet, five-toed hind feet, and massive bodies with muscular limbs. They have short hairs on their heads, necks, and tails and longer hair on their limbs that may be worn off in older individuals. Aardvarks might be the strangest-looking animal in South Africa! Aardvarks are highly specialized to forage for their favorite prey: ants and termites. Their large ears, long noses, and sticky tongues help them easily find, scoop, and eat these insects. Due to their highly specific prey preference, they avoid areas that flood or have hard, compacted, or rocky soil. Aardvark. (2023, August 23). In Wikipedia. When Aardvarks find an ant or termite mound, they dig rapidly into the side of it with sharp claws. Then, they sweep the ants and termites into their mouth with their long, sticky tongues. They don’t chew the insects but digest them in a gizzard-like stomach. The defenses ants and termites use, like stinging, biting, chemical defenses, and hard mounds, may work on other insectivores but are no match for Aardvarks. These odd-looking creatures have some equally odd methods of defending themselves. When threatened, Aardvarks will stand on their hind legs or lay on their backs to fight enemies with their large front claws. They also avoid predators and heat by building underground burrows, which they shelter in during the day. African Buffalo Syncerus caffer They are heavy, cow-like animals that are typically dark gray or black. Both sexes have heavy, ridged horns that go straight out from the head and curve downward, then up. African Buffalo are one of the most formidable animals in South Africa! They are widely regarded as dangerous and have few natural predators other than humans. Lions are the only carnivores that regularly hunt adults, but it is certainly not easy. Cheetahs, hyenas, leopards, and African wild dogs will only go after calves. Buffalo are known to defend themselves courageously against lions and will often fight off multiple individuals, chasing them until they jump into a tree. These large mammals are some of the most successful grazing wildlife found in South Africa. They live in a wide range of habitats so long as there is plenty of access to water and grass. You may spot them in semi-arid bushlands, savannas, lowland rainforests, grasslands, montane forests, and coastal savannas. This is one of my favorite videos to watch, and it shows the toughness of the African Buffalo. You must watch it to the end! The African Buffalo uses a safety-in-numbers approach to avoid predation, sometimes congregating in herds of thousands of animals. These large herds are critical to protecting young calves. Calves give low, mournful bellows if threatened, and their herd will come running to defend them! Wildlife in South Africa Several Big Five reserves protect the more charismatic large mammals associated with the African savannah. Foremost among these is the Kruger National Park and its abutting private reserves. Still, other key safari destinations include iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, Madikwe, Pilanesberg, Addo Elephant National Park, and a variety of smaller and more exclusive private reserves. These premier reserves all support healthy lion, elephant, and buffalo populations. South Africa stands as the world’s most important stronghold for rhinos (around 90% of the global population of White rhinos and Black rhinos is concentrated there). At the same time, the private reserves bordering Kruger have few, if any, rivals when it comes to intimate leopard encounters. Other wildlife associated with these reserves includes African wild dogs, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, giraffes, zebra, warthogs, baboons, and Vervet monkeys. Leopards are elusive and shy animals so spotting one on safari is a magical experience The country supports around two dozen species of antelope, ranging from the outsized eland and stately spiral-horned greater kudu to the gregarious Blue wildebeest and impala and arid-country specialists such as gemsbok, springbok, and the diminutive forest-dwelling Red and Blue duikers. Several large mammal species are endemic to South Africa. The Black wildebeest and Blesbok are associated mainly with grassy habitats in the Highveld. At the same time, the Cape mountain zebra and bontebok are fynbos-dwellers more-or-less confined to the Western Cape. Marine wildlife is a strong feature of South Africa. The clifftop town of Hermanus offers the world’s finest land-based whale-watching, while other aquatic wildlife attractions range from caged shark dives at Mossel Bay and turtle-nesting excursions in iSimangaliso to the penguin colony at Cape Town’s Boulders Beach and dolphins that frequently visit many of the country’s bays. The African wild dog is one of the most endangered predators in Africa, but also the most efficient hunters in the bush South Africa is a key bird-watching destination . The national checklist comprises around 840 species and includes the world’s largest bird (ostrich) and what is reputedly its bulkiest flying species (kori bustard), along with a dazzling variety of bee-eaters, turacos, parrots, rollers, and waxbills. The iconic Mountain zebra in the Karoo National Park The national checklist comprises around 840 species and includes the world’s largest bird (ostrich) and what is reputedly its bulkiest flying species (kori bustard), along with a dazzling variety of bee-eaters, turacos, parrots, rollers, and waxbills. d several more are near-endemics with a range that extends a small way into Namibia and/or Botswana. A Southern right whale breaks the water near the coastal town of Hermanus in the Western Cape Avian variety is most significant in the southern summer (November-March) when several resident species assume a colorful breeding plumage and dozens of migrant species arrive from Europe or elsewhere in Africa. There are several sites in South Africa, most notably perhaps Kruger, where a moderately skilled birder could tick 100 species in a day. BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE

FREE STATE Free State (province) The Free State (Sotho : Freistata; Afrikaans : Vrystaat [ˈfrɛistɑːt] ; Xhosa : iFreyistata; Tswana : Foreistata; Zulu : iFuleyisitata), formerly known as the Orange Free State, is a province of South Africa . Its capital is Bloemfontein , which is also South Africa 's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called the Orange Free State and later the Orange Free State Province . History Further information: Orange Free State The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and reincorporated into South Africa. It is also the only one of the four original provinces of South Africa not to undergo border changes, apart from the reincorporation of Bantustans, and its borders date from before the outbreak of the Boer War . The Free State is one of the nine provinces of South Africa and is centrally located. It represents 10.6% of the total land area of the country. It boasts wide horizons, blue skies, mountains and goldfields. The province covers an area of 129 464 km2 and is roughly the size of Nicaragua. In 2011, the province had a population of 2.7 million with four district municipalities and one metropolitan municipality. The Free State is situated on the flat, boundless plains in the centre of South Africa. It borders most of the other provinces, the exceptions being Limpopo and the Western Cape. To the east, it has an international boundary with Lesotho nestling in the hollow of its beanlike shape, and the escarpment separates it from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The Orange and Vaal rivers form the southern, western and most of the northern border and the last section of the north-eastern boundary is formed by the Klip River. The western part of the Free State consists of plains, with pans as primary hydrological feature. The eastern part is mountainous. The Maluti Mountains along the border are connected to the Drakensberg on the border with KwaZulu-Natal. The province consists mainly of grasslands with some Karoo vegetation in the south. Climate Almost uniformly at about 1,300m above sea level, the Free State climate is typical of the interior plateau with rain falling in summer, cold winters and lots of sunshine. Almost all precipitation falls in the summer months, with aridity increasing towards the west. Frost occurs throughout the region usually from May to early September in the west and up to early October in the east. To the north, the Vaal irrigation area nourishes the small assortment of farming towns below it, and the hue of the Free State countryside is often green. Areas in the east experience frequent snowfalls in winter, especially on the higher ranges, whilst the west can be extremely hot in summer. The south brings hot, dry summer days and long, cold winter nights. This semi-desert area also brings fluctuations of temperature from day to night. The west is warm and cold in equal measure, its inhabitants making use of the many man-made water recreation facilities to endure the heat as much as using heating facilities in winter’s low temperatures. Regions Regions The Fezile Dabi District is an important agricultural production area, mainly maize. The Vaal Dam is the main source of water and offers a wide variety of leisure facilities. Other attractions include the Vredefort Dome, which is the third largest meteorite site in the world, and San paintings. Sasolburg is the location of the country’s largest chemical and synthetic fuel plant. The Lejweleputswa District boasts goldfields and it is a major agricultural area. The district forms part of the larger Witwatersrand basin. The first gold was discovered in the early 1940s. Bothaville is one of the important maize centres in the country. The annual National Maize Production Organisation festival attracts more than 70 000 visitors and is the second largest private show in the world. The Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality contains the largest population and comprises mainly of open grassland, with mountains in the most eastern region. The main urban centre is Bloemfontein. The city is the trade and administrative hub of the Free State and boasts the provincial government and the seat of the Appeal Court of South Africa. It also has a rich history, which includes the establishment of the African National Congress in 1912 and the National Party in 1914. The Thabo Mofutsanyana District borders Lesotho to the east and has beautiful hills and fruit farms. The district is one of the most important tourism destinations due to spectacular scenic beauty of the Drakensberg and Maluti mountain ranges. Other attractions include the Golden Gate Highland Park, the annual cherry festival at Ficksburg, a Basotho cultural village in Maluti-a-Phofung, and Khoisan rock paintings. The Xhariep District is located in the south-west of the province and is a semi-arid area with extensive farming, mainly sheep. The district comprises open grasslands with small wide dispersed towns. The Xhariep Dam is one of the tourists’ attractions. It offers a variety of leisure facilities. Tourism The Free State lies at the heart of the country. The province disposes of inter alia 14 nature reserves with varying facilities; four large holiday resorts; 12 state dams with banks totalling some 760 km; numerous sports and outdoor opportunities; nine restored battlefields; some 12 000 tourist beds and a booming guesthouse industry. Each region offers its own unique tourism attractions; Mangaung Phillip Sanders and Maselspoort resorts near Bloemfontein Botanical Gardens, Naval Hill and Franklin Game Reserve Bloemfontein Zoo National Museum – huge collection of fossils and archaeological discoveries Women’s Memorial Monument Anglo-Boer War Museum SA Military Museum Freshford House Museum Waaihoek precinct, founding venue of the ANC Digareteneng (Place of curtains), built to coincide with the visit of King George V in 1952 Maphikela House has been declared as a national monument and named after Mr Thomas Maphikela who was the first Secretary-General of the ANC Dr Sebe James Moroka House historical site (Thaba Nchu) Sand Du Plessis Theatre Loch Logan Waterfront Mimosa Mall Shopping Complex Oliewenhuis Art Gallery President Brand Street -housing inter alia Appeal Court, Free State Legislature, Gen. CR de Wet Statue, City Hall, Afrikaans Literature Museum Fezile Dabi District Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site The Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site, declared a heritage site by UNESCO in 2005, came about in a matter of minutes an estimated 2 billion years ago when an asteroid that hit the earth, with the resultant rock formation today mainly between Parys, Vredefort and an adjacent part of North West Province spanning some 10 km in diameter. As such it is the largest known impact structure on earth. Eco-tourism at the Ghoya Africa conservancy situated on the R34 ± 12 km south of Heilbron en route to Edenville and the Francolin Creek Conservancy situated approximately 30 km east of Heilbron Two luxurious golf estates, private game ranches and nature reserves in the Parys region Deneysville at the Vaal Dam, hosts the biggest annual inland regatta, the Round the Island Race – on the 300 km² sprawling Vaal Dam. Lejweleputswa District Aventura Aldam Holiday Resort and Willem Pretorius Game Reserve NAMPO Harvest Farm near Bothaville Golden Arts & Crafts Scramble at Hennenman and Virginia Aco tractor factory near Hoopstad Voortrekker Monument at Winburg Gold Museum in the Welkom Library Underground mine tours Phakisa Racetrack Folk Dancing Monument at Boshof Thabo Mofutsanyane District Golden Gate National Highlands Park near Bethlehem Basotho Cultural Village at QwaQwa Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve near Memel constitutes a wetland with RAMSAR status is a bird-watching mecca Wolhuterskop Nature Reserve in Bethlehem Sterkfontein Dam Titanic Rock at the northern entrance of Clarens Bushman rock art at 27 farms near Fouriesburg Korannaberg Hiking Trail at Excelsior Mountain bike trails at Marquard Claerhout Art Gallery at Tweespruit Cherry Festival annually in November at Ficksburg Xhariep District Gariep Dam and resort Annual Equestrian Endurance event at Fauresmith Railroad tracks running through the centre of Fauresmith Landzicht Wine Cellar at Jacobsdal Open Mine Museum and mining hole at Jagersfontein Open Mine Museum at Koffiefontein Transgariep Museum and Laurens van der Post Memorial at Philippolis The ‘Little Gallery’ at Smithfield Gariep Dam The ‘Eye’ of Zastron DH Steyn bridge near Bethulie The Free State (Sotho : Freistata; Afrikaans : Vrystaat [ˈfrɛistɑːt] ; Xhosa : iFreyistata; Tswana : Foreistata; Zulu : iFuleyisitata), formerly known as the Orange Free State, is a province of South Africa . Its capital is Bloemfontein , which is also South Africa 's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Boer republic called the Orange Free State and later the Orange Free State Province . History Further information: Orange Free State The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans were abolished and reincorporated into South Africa. It is also the only one of the four original provinces of South Africa not to undergo border changes, apart from the reincorporation of Bantustans, and its borders date from before the outbreak of the Boer War . Law and government See also: Executive Council of the Free State The provincial government consists of a premier, an executive council of ten ministers, and a legislature. The provincial assembly and premier are elected for five-year terms, or until the next national election. Political parties are awarded assembly seats based on the percentage of votes each party receives in the province during the national elections. The assembly elects a premier, who then appoints the members of the executive council. The provincial legislature meets at the Vierde Raadsaal in Bloemfontein . As of February 2023 the premier of Free State is Mxolisi Dukwana of the African National Congress (ANC).[8] Geography Cornelia in the Riemland region The Free State is situated on a succession of flat grassy plains sprinkled with pastureland, resting on a general elevation of 3,800 feet only broken by the occasional hill or kopje . The rich soil and pleasant climate allow for a thriving agricultural industry. The province is high-lying, with almost all land being 1,000 metres above sea level. The Drakensberg and Maloti Mountains foothills raise the terrain to over 2,000 m in the east. The Free State lies in the heart of the Karoo Sequence of rocks, containing shales , mudstones , sandstones and the Drakensberg Basalt forming the youngest capping rocks. Mineral deposits are plentiful, with gold and diamonds being of particular importance, mostly found in the north and west of the province. Fauna and flora The flats in the south of the reserve provide ideal conditions for large herds of plain game such as black wildebeest and springbok . The ridges, koppies and plains typical of the northern section are home to kudu , red hartebeest , southern white rhinoceros and buffalo . The Southern African wildcat , black wildebeest , zebra , eland , white rhinoceros and wild dog can be seen at the Soetdoring Nature Reserve near Bloemfontein . The South African cheetahs were reintroduced in the Free State for the first time in June 2013 after a hundred years of regional extinction, at Laohu Valley Reserve near Philippolis .[9] Following the reintroduction of an adult female South African cheetah in early 2016, three wild cheetah cubs were born for the first time in Laohu Valley Reserve in February 2017, making the three new cubs the first cheetahs born in the wild since their disappearance from the Free State province in over a century. Climate The Free State experiences a continental climate , characterised by warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. Areas in the east experience frequent snowfalls, especially on the higher ranges, whilst the west can be extremely hot in summer. Almost all precipitation falls in the summer months as brief afternoon thunderstorms , with aridity increasing towards the west. Areas in the east around Harrismith , Bethlehem and Ficksburg are well watered. The capital, Bloemfontein , experiences hot, moist summers and cold, dry winters frequented by severe frost. Bloemfontein averages: January maximum: 31 °C (min: 15 °C), July maximum: 17 °C (min: -2 °C), annual precipitation: 559 mm Bethlehem averages: January maximum: 27 °C (min: 13 °C), July maximum: 16 °C (min: -2 °C), annual precipitation: 680 mm Borders Borders Mafahlaneng township at Tweeling In the southeast, the Free State borders seven districts of Lesotho : Mokhotlong – farthest to the east Butha-Buthe – northwest of Mokhotlong and northeast of Leribe Leribe – southwest of Butha-Buthe and northeast of Berea Berea – southwest of Leribe and north of Maseru Maseru – south of Berea and northeast of Mafeteng Mafeteng – southwest of Maseru and northwest of Mohale's Hoek Mohale's Hoek – southeast of Mafeteng Domestically, it borders the following provinces: KwaZulu-Natal – east Eastern Cape – south Northern Cape – west North West – northwest Gauteng – north Mpumalanga – northeast The Free State borders more districts of Lesotho and more provinces of South Africa than any other province. It is traversed by the northwesterly line of equal latitude and longitude. Municipalities Main article: List of municipalities in the Free State Free State districts and local municipalities The Free State Province is divided into one metropolitan municipality and four district municipalities . The district municipalities are in turn divided into 19 local municipalities : Metropolitan municipalities Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality District municipalities Fezile Dabi District Moqhaka Ngwathe Metsimaholo Mafube Thabo Mofutsanyana District Setsoto Dihlabeng Maluti-a-Phofung Nketoana Phumelela Mantsopa Lejweleputswa District Masilonyana Tokologo Tswelopele Matjhabeng Nala Xhariep District Letsemeng Kopanong Mohokare Major cities and towns See also: List of cities and towns in the Free State The Free State's major towns include: Bloemfontein & Botshabelo in Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Welkom , Odendaalsrus and Virginia in Lejweleputswa Bethlehem , Harrismith and Phuthaditjhaba in Thabo Mofutsanyana Kroonstad , Sasolburg and Parys in Fezile Dabi Health The Free State is the only province in South Africa that operates a free 24-hour dedicated rotor-wing aeromedical service from a public hospital. They are able to reach far-flung areas in only 45 minutes and deliver a high level of care on scene. On 31 October 2018, Free State Emergency Medical Service launched an additional 65 road ambulances to augment the fleet. The Free State has many public and private hospitals. Economy The province is the granary of South Africa, with agriculture central to its economy, while mining on the rich goldfields reef is its largest employer. Agriculture Cattle grazing near Winburg Agriculture dominates the Free State landscape, with cultivated land covering 32,000 square kilometres, and natural veld and grazing a further 87,000 square kilometres of the province. It is also South Africa's leader in the production of biofuels, or fuel from agricultural crops, with a number of ethanol plants under construction in the grain-producing western region. South Africa is one of the top ten Maize producers in the world (12,365,000 tons as of 2013). Field crops yield almost two-thirds of the gross agricultural income of the province. Animal products contribute a further 30%, with the balance generated by horticulture. Ninety percent of the country's cherry crop is produced in the Ficksburg district, which is also home to the country's two largest asparagus canning factories. Soya, sorghum, sunflowers and wheat are cultivated in the eastern Free State, where farmers specialise in seed production. About 40% of the country's potato yield comes from the province's high-lying areas. The main vegetable crop is asparagus, both white and green varieties. Although horticulture is expanding and becoming increasingly export-orientated, most produce leaves the province unprocessed. The Free State's advantage in floriculture is the opposing seasons of the southern and northern hemispheres. Mining The Free State is also rich in mineral wealth, gold representing 20% of the world's total gold production. Mining is the province's major employer. The province has 12 gold mines, producing 30% of South Africa's output and making it the fifth-largest producer of gold in the world. The Harmony Gold Refinery and Rand Refinery are the only two gold refineries in South Africa. Gold mines in the Free State also supply a substantial portion of the total silver produced in the country, while considerable concentrations of uranium occurring in the gold-bearing conglomerates of the goldfields are extracted as a byproduct. Bituminous coal is also mined, and converted to petrochemicals at Sasolburg. The Free State also produces high-quality diamonds from its kimberlite pipes and fissures, and the country's largest deposit of bentonite is found in the Koppies district. Industry Since 1989, the Free State economy has moved from dependence on primary sectors such as mining and agriculture to an economy increasingly oriented towards manufacturing and export. Some 14% of the province's manufacturing is classified as being in high-technology industries – the highest of all provincial economies. The northern Free State's chemicals sector is one of the most important in the southern hemisphere. Petrochemicals company Sasol , based in the town of Sasolburg , is a world leader in the production of fuels, waxes, chemicals and low-cost feedstock from coal. Tourism On top of Koranaberg In the northeastern Free State, nestled in the rolling foothills of the Maluti mountains, the Golden Gate Highlands National Park is the province's prime tourist attraction. The park gets its name from the brilliant shades of gold cast by the sun on the spectacular sandstone cliffs, especially the imposing Brandwag or Sentinel Rock, which keeps vigil over the park. Brandwag (The Sentinel) The sandstone of this region has been used for the lovely dressed-stone buildings found on the Eastern Highlands, while decoratively painted Sotho houses dot the grasslands. Some of South Africa's most valued San (Bushman) rock art is found in the Free State, particularly in the regions around Clarens , Bethlehem , Ficksburg , Ladybrand and Wepener . Sesotho is the dominant home language in most of the province. Zulu is the major language in the far eastern municipality of Phumelela . Setswana is the main language in Tokologo in the northwest, and in and around the area of Thaba Nchu . The Free State is the only province in South Africa with a Sesotho majority. Afrikaans is widely spoken throughout the province, as a first language for the majority of whites and coloureds (who constitute a minority) and as a second or third language by Sesotho, Setswana and Xhosa speakers. Although there are relatively few native English speakers, English is becoming increasingly important as the language of business and government. This is evidenced by the shift of tertiary institutions such as the University of the Free State from solely using Afrikaans as the medium of instruction to using both Afrikaans and English. Ethnicity The majority of the population are black Africans who speak Sotho as a first language. The vast majority of white people in the Free State are Afrikaans-speaking. In 1880 the white population made up 45.7% of the total population. In 1904 this had fallen to 36.8%.[11] Of the 142,679 people in 1904, only 60% were born in the province. Of the 2,726 European immigrants born in non-British states, 1,025 came from the Russian Empire , mainly Jews . In 1904 whites made up a majority in most settlements, namely Ficksburg (52.3%), Wepener (60.2%), Ladybrand (60.0%), and Kroonstad (51.6%), and made up a substantial minority in Bloemfontein (45.7%) and Winburg (36.3%). Education Universities University of the Free State (Bloemfontein , Phuthaditjhaba ) Central University of Technology (Bloemfontein , Welkom ) Other educational institutions Akademia (Bloemfontein ) Boston City Campus (Bloemfontein ) Damelin (Bloemfontein ) Flavius Mareka FET College (Kroonstad , Mphohardi , Sasolburg ) Goldfields FET College (Welkom , Tosa ) Maluti TVET College (QwaQwa , Bethlehem , Harrismith ) Motheo TVET College (Bloemfontein , Botshabelo , Thaba nchu , Koffiefontein ) Qualitas Career Academy (Bloemfontein ) Media Newspapers Die Volksblad (Bloemfontein ) Bloem news (Bloemfontein ) Bloemfontein Courant Dumelang News (The People's Paper ) Express-News (Bloemfontein , Botshabelo , Thaba Nchu ) Free State Times Vista Newspaper (Welkom ) VrystaatKroon Radio OFM Lesedi FM Motheo FM Radio Rosestad 100.6 FM Kovsie FM CUT FM 104.1 MedFM BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE