The culture of South Africa is incredibly diverse due to the many different African tribes, the influence of the European settlers and the high proportion of the foreign population. The most diverse influences have come together here to form an unmistakably South African mixture. Depending on the region, the African, or the Indian, Dutch, English or French influence dominates. But no matter where, the cosmopolitan trend is unmistakable. There are a total of 11 official languages. Most of the South African residents profess the Christian faith, but some also to Islam, Judaism and Hinduism.
The terms South Africa and freedom are inevitably associated with the freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, who founded the ANC Youth League in 1944 with his friend Oliver Tambo and other political companions such as Walter Sisulu and Anton Lembebe. Mandela was a leading South African activist and politician in decades of resistance to apartheid. He was imprisoned by the apartheid government from 1963 to 1990 for his activities. After his release, he was elected the first black president of his country as chairman of the ANC party from 1994 to 1999.
Drakensberg
The Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains) form the highest mountain range in South Africa. They extend from the Eastern Cape over 1000 km in a south-north direction to Mpumalanga in the north-east of the country. The highest peak is the Thabana Ntlenyana (3482 m) and is located in Lesotho. In 2000, parts of the mountains with the Ukhahlamba-Drakensberg Park were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Especially in the high southern Drakensberg, many routes for hikers in South Africa have been prepared and are marked with brown signs showing a lammergeier. The 3,194 meter high Cathkin Peak is best for mountain hiking and climbing. One of the most spectacular natural phenomena in South Africa is the Blyde River Canyon in the northern Drakensberg.
Kruger National Park
Established in 1898 to protect the wildlife of the South African Lowveld, this national park, covering nearly 2 million hectares, is unique in the diversity of its wildlife and a world leader in advanced environmental management techniques and principles. Around 145 species of mammals, over 500 species of birds, some of which cannot be seen anywhere else in South Africa, as well as 336 species of trees, have their home here. Today the park is one of the most famous safari destinations in the world, with all the facilities and equipment one can expect from a world-class national park. Nevertheless, the wild and untouched nature has been preserved so that you can still experience Africa as you imagine it at home.
Sudwala Caves
The Sudwala Caves are a cave system in the South African province of Mpumalanga. The rock consists of Precambrian dolomite that is more than three billion years old, the cave itself was formed about 240 million years ago. The largest cavity is 18 meters high and 66 meters in diameter and is occasionally used for concerts.
Cape of Good Hope
According to computergees, the Cape of Good Hope is located at the southwestern end of Africa and was once very feared by seafarers as the ships were often pushed against the cliffs and the large rocks just below the surface of the sea by strong winds and ran aground and sank there. At least 23 wrecks lie there on the sea floor as witnesses to numerous human fates. In 1488 the cape was first sighted by a European, the Portuguese Bartolomeu Diaz, who was then on a secret voyage of discovery.
Cape Point
Cape Point is the name given to the cliff at the southern end of the Cape Peninsula and offers a view of the Cape of Good Hope, 1 kilometer away. The highest point of the cliff is adorned by a lighthouse built in 1859, which is often shrouded in fog at 238 m above sea level. After the Lusitania sank in 1911 with over 700 people on board, a second lighthouse was built, closer to the water and outside the fog zone,
Castle of Good Hope
This fortress was built between 1666 and 1679 and is the oldest European and original building in South Africa. As early as 1652, a wooden version of the system was built by Jan van Riebeeck on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. The Castle of Good Hope was replaced a short time later by a more modern fortress in the shape of a pentagon.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
The Victoria & Alfred Waterfront is a shopping and tourist center located at the port of Cape Town and, in addition to countless shops and restaurants, also houses a seawater aquarium. It bears its name in honor of the British Queen Victoria and her second son Prince Alfred, who laid the foundation stone for a more than one kilometer long wall in front of the harbor during a trip in 1860. This breakwater protects the ships anchored there and the harbor basin. After apartheid, the port and shipyard district was extensively restored and today offers numerous leisure and entertainment options.
The winelands
South Africa’s wine-growing tradition is more than 300 years old and in the wines you can “taste” the classic tradition of the Old World. The wine regions can be divided into two large zones, the Coastal Region, i.e. the rainy region on the coast and the Breed River Valley, the hot inland. The best-known growing areas include Stellenbosch, Paarl, Worchester and Little Karoo. Various wine tours are offered.
Robben Island
This island, which is approx. 3.5 x 1.5 km in size in Table Bay, has been a natural and national monument since the mid-1990s. Robben Island was used as a prison colony and camp for lepers as early as the 17th century. This island gained sad fame through its most prominent prisoner, the later President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela, who spent almost two decades here in a 4 m² small solitary cell.