Guide to South Africa

South Africa is a beautiful country with a diverse animal and plant life, climate and ecological regions. It is known as the "rainbow nation", due to the various cultures and different people that make the country an exciting place to live in and visit.

This guide to South Africa aims to share some of the wonder of the country and to provide useful information about the country for South Africans and our overseas visitors alike. We will add new articles to the guide on a weekly basis.

A Beautiful Country

Provinces
South Africa is divided into nine provinces: Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape and Western Cape.

The People of South Africa

Language
South Africa has a rich language heritage with eleven official languages. These languages are: English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swati, Tswana, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tsonga and Venda.

National Flag of South Africa
The National flag of the Republic of South Africa is a symbol of the change to a democratic society. It was inaugurated on 27 April 1994, the day of the first general election in South Africa in which all South Africans took part. For many, it represents the pride of a unified nation, a symbol of the new era in South African history.

National Anthem of South Africa
The South African National Anthem is a hybrid song combining lyrics from the former anthem, "Die Stem van Suid-Africa/The Call of South Africa" with extracts from the hymn "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrica".

Useful and Interesting Information

Public Holidays
South Africa's colourful past is celebrated during various public holidays. No fewer than 12 public holidays are commemorated during the course of a year: Human Rights day, Freedom day, Youth day, National Women's day, Heritage day, Day of Reconciliation, New Year's day, Workers day, Christmas Day, Day of Goodwill, Good Friday and Family Day. Includes a list of public holidays for 2009 and 2010.

School Terms
Planning a vacation? Be sure to take the South African school calendar into consideration. Includes the school terms for 2009.

Current Affairs

Elections 2009
South Africans will take to the poles on 22 April 2009. This year's elections are probably the most exciting in the history of the country's short democracy. People expect the political landscape in South Africa to change considerably after the elections. Parties that are expected to do well in the elections include the African National Congress (ANC), Congress of the People (COPE) and Democratic Alliance (DA).