There are many unique things about South Africa which include her diverse languages, culture, and dishes. She is also known to be the house of 21 National Parks and 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This Southern located country is the only country that willingly abandon her nuclear weapons program.
This country which was colonized by the Dutch and Britain is 3 times bigger than Texas and 5 times bigger than Japan. She also has the highest commercial bungee jump in the World.
However, there are many more interesting things to know about this country also referred to as the Rainbow Nation. Let’s learn about these things.
1. The Country has 11 Official Languages
South Africa is the 2nd African country with the most official languages spoken. She follows Zimbabwe closely, falling about 5 languages short of Zimbabwe’s 16 official languages.
The country is referred to as the Rainbow Nation not because she was the first African country to recognize same-sex marriage but because of her diverse cultures.
These 11 languages spoken by South Africans are; English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, Sesotho, Northern Sotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.
The first common language is isiZulu followed by isiXhosa. Afrikaans is the youngest of the languages in the world and was developed from influences of Dutch, French, and other languages.
Most South Africans are multilingual and can speak more than one national language.
A fun fact is, in the movie Black Panther, the Wakanda people spoke the isiXhosa, one of S. A’s official languages.
2. She is the Home to the Cradle of Civilization
In South Africa, you can find the earliest evidence of human evolution. There are fossils unearthed at the northwest of Johannesburg that show human remains of more than 2 million years.
In the Western Cape, there were fossils of early dinosaurs that date millions of years back. About 80% of mammalian fossils were also discovered in the Karoo.
With all these discoveries, South Africa won herself the title of ‘the Cradle of Humankind’. She is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
3. South Africa Boasts Rich Wildlife
10% of the World’s bird, fish, and plant species can be found in South Africa while 6% of mammal and reptile species also make up part of the country’s life. The World’s largest bird, the Ostrich, can also be found in South Africa.
This country’s safari has the famous ‘Big-5’ animals which are Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, and Rhinos. You can also find Great White Sharks, African Penguins, Dolphins, and more water animals in South African waters.
The only southern African gazelle is the Springbok found in South Africa. It is also the national animal of the country and the emblem of S.A’s Rugby team, one of the country’s most famous sports.
4. This Country is the only Country in the World with 3 Capital Cities
South Africa is the only country in the world with 3 capital cities. She has Cape Town known as the legislative capital of the country, Pretoria as the administrative capital, and Bloemfontein as the judicial capital. This shows that the South African government is divided into 3.
In Pretoria, there are the Union Buildings where the president’s official offices are situated. Parliament meetings also hold in Pretoria and Cape Town for 6-6 months each, in a year.
5. 2 Nobel Prize Winners Lived on the Same Street Making S. A the Only Country with this Feat
Only in South Africa will you find the houses of 2 Nobel Prize winners in one street. Vilakazi Street housed the homes of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu some years back.
While the former received his Nobel Prize in recognition for his non-violent fight against apartheid in 1984, Nelson Mandela received his 9 years later.
In 1993, Nelson Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing about the peaceful end of apartheid in South Africa.
It is worth noting that, a year later, Nelson became the first democratically elected president in South Africa.
6. The World’s First Heart Transplant was Completed in 1 of the Cities in South Africa
On December 3, 1967, the first heart transplant in the world was carried out by South African doctor, Dr. Christiaan Barnard at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town.
Dr. Barnard was born in Beaufort West in Cape Province and studied medicine at the University of Cape Town and Minnesota. He is widely known for being the first person to successfully carry out a human-to-human heart transplant.
The heart transplant was from the chest of an accident victim named Denise Darvall into the chest of Louis Washkansky. The recipient of the new heart regained consciousness, recovered from the surgery, and lived for 18 days before dying of pneumonia.
Dr. Christiaan was in active service as a doctor from 1950 to 2001.
7. Home to One of the Oldest Mountains and the Most Luxurious Train in the World
Table Mountain in Cape Town is known to be one of the oldest mountains in the World. It is approximately 260 million years old. In the areas around this mountain, one can find thousands of unique plants, especially those known to belong to the Cape Floral Region.
Table Mountain is also known to be one of the World’s 7 New Natural Wonders. Not only is it popular with hikers it also emits strong spiritual, magnetic, and electric energies.
The Rovos Rail in South Africa is known to be the world’s most luxurious trail service. It is reported that a rail journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town which lasts for about 17 hours costs more than a flight between the 2 cities.
Images of the interior of this train further buttresses why it is considered to be the most luxurious in the world.
READ ALSO: Types Of Marriages In South Africa: All The Recognized Unions
8. South Africa has 1 of the 3 Enclave States in the World
There are only about 3 enclaves in the world and South Africa has one of the 3. An enclave is a portion of territory that is surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are ethnically and/or culturally different.
The Kingdom of Lesotho is an enclave that is completely surrounded by South Africa.
The other 2 enclaves in the world are San Marino and The Vatican which are both surrounded by Italy.
9. She is the Largest Meat Producer in Africa
In 2019, South Africa accounted for almost 16% of the beef produced in Africa. She is closely followed by Tanzania and Kenya whose percentage, joined, does not even come close to what South Africa produced.
Only 4 African countries could account for about 1 billion pounds of beef in that year alone. This southern African country accounted for about 1, 038.7 metric tons of beef.
10. Two-thirds of Africa’s Electricity is Generated in South Africa
Eskom is known as the national electricity utility in South Africa and it is the 4th largest electricity utility in the world.
South Africa is considered the powerhouse of the African continent because she accounts for about two-thirds of Africa’s electricity which is predominantly gotten from coal.
With 84% access to electricity, South Africa hopes to reduce its dependency on coal by 2030 and diversify into renewable energies.
Here is a bonus fact for sport lovers; South Africa is the only country in the World to have hosted the Soccer, Cricket, and Rugby World Cup.
