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Caitlyn, Chief Twinn in South Africa
Good morning everybody, welcome to Caitlyn's Quick Guide to South Africa. I hope everybody has done their homework, please pay attention and make sure your seat is in the upright position and your tray table is folded back. We will be asking questions afterwards and those who get it wrong will be asked to "please explain!" South Africa is not a large country when compared to the United States, a mere 1,221,040 sq km's. It has 9 provinces and some of the names are a little hard to get your tongue around. Gauteng is the economical powerhouse of the country, and thats where you will find Johannesburg, the city where I live. The other provinces are: Kwazulu Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Western Cape, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Northwest, and Free State. The capital city is Pretoria (also known as Tswane), with Parliment sitting in Cape Town (or wherever they can find enough seats). At this point in history that could change with the Constitutional Court headed for new offices in Johannesburg. There are at least 41 million people living here with a whole variety of nationalities and cultures and religions. We have 11 official languages: Sesotho sa Leboa, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Afrikaans, English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, and isiZulu, but English and a smile will generally get you by. This is our flag. Isn't it pretty? and its plastered all over everything, I think I need a dress in those colours.
Our currency is the "Rand" (pronounced like grand) and is worth roughly 8 cents (US) depending on the time of day, the state of the world, the weather and any variety of other things. Because we live in the Southern Hemisphere the view of the skies is different and our bathwater supposedly runs out in the opposite way to the Northern Hemispere. Our seasons are also the opposite to the Northern hemisphere, and at the time of writing it is August, the last month of winter. Snow is very rare in Johannesburg and it has not been chilly at all. Many travellers ask the same questions about South Africa, and here are a few answers. There are no wild animals running around in the streets, yes the streets are tarred, no we dont wear grass skirts or live in mud huts, yes we do have running water and sewerage. Ironically though, many of those questions would be true in the rural parts of the country. Our country does retain a big rural population who do not live in cities and who lead subsistence farming lives. Johannesburg is the largest city in the country, its contribution to the national economy is almost 16%. Its reputedly the most wooded city in the world with over 6 million trees growing in it and hosts a huge variety of birdlife which has adapted to its environment. 40% of all the world's human ancestor fossils have been found in areas adjoining the city. This city, barely 120 years old, was founded when gold was discovered, and in the early years it was thought that its streets were paved with gold. Unfortunately, like many cities there is a sharp contrast between the modern affluent section, and the poverty and squalor which has overtaken parts of it.
Cape Town, in the Western Cape Province, is also known as the "Tavern of the Seas" and is fast becoming a tourist mecca reknown for its scenic beauty and the famous "Table Mountain". This city with its old world charm and modern day feel is rapidly becoming the playground of the rich and famous and the splendour of its views are legendary. Its maritime heritage is still evident in its modern port facilites, and even today it is used as a halfway house for ships on passage through the dangerous "Cape of Storms"
The port of Durban is the largest city in KwaZulu Natal and the busiest port on the continent. It has a sub tropical climate which I hear is very similar to Florida. This metropolitan city is in sharp contrast to the rolling hills where many of the indigenous Zulu tribe live. Its definitely a city where East meets West with a large population of Indians who have retained their culture in the midst of this Afro-Westernised society. Durban was once a popular holiday destination, and its hoping to revive the inland tourist trade by encouraging visitors and business people.
The history of South Africa has not always been a pleasant one and it was only in 1994 when the first democratic elections were held that the people of this country were able to finally take their place in the world, as a result the country now has access to world markets and the global economy. In line with the Reconstruction and Development Programme, the government has set out to dismantle apartheid social relations and
create a democratic society based on equity, non-racialism and non-sexism and improve the quality of life of all South Africans. Today you will find South Africans everywhere, and we have brought along expertise in a variety of things. In the midst of an often seesaw global economy, our economy has been relatively stable and the recent improvement in the currency has been beneficial to importers. Unfortunately nobody is importing My Twinn dolls or our clothing which is not good news for dolly lovers.
Now that everybody is an almost an instant expert we can brush up on a few more odds and ends. South Africa's national flower is the Giant or King Protea, the national bird is the Blue Crane, while the national tree is the Real Yellowwood, the national animal is the Springbok and the national fish is -not- Nemo but the Galjoen. Our coat of arms is not some stuffy shield with lots of guys in suits of armour, but an indigenous design. Our motto is !ke e: /xarra //ke. Its not a misprint, but means Diverse People Unite written in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people. Here are a few helpful phrases if you ever get caught short in South Africa. Howzit - Hello, Sawubona - Good morning, Siyabonga - We thank you, Kunjani? - How are you?, Yebo - Yes. And now that you are an expert I shall bid you Totsiens, Hamba Kahle, Goodbye. I hope you enjoyed your short trip to South Africa and hope to see you soon.
Many websites helped provide content for this page and I would like to acknowledge the following ones: I also used random pictures of dolls from many places, I hope you don't mind.
© DR Walker 2001/2002/2003/2004 |
