The Motherland
The Motherland
South Africa is one of the most diverse and enchanting countries in the world. Exotic combinations of landscapes, people, history and culture offer the traveller a unique and inspiring experience. Here are the quick facts to get you started.
Location
South Africa is located on the southern tip of the African continent, bordered by northern neighbours Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It encompasses the independent mountain kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland and is flanked by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and the warm Indian Ocean on the east - giving the country its spectacular range of biodiversity.
Size
South Africa occupies 4% of the continent's total landmass, covering an area of 1 221 040 square kilometres. The country is five times larger than Great Britain and three times the size of Texas.
Climate
South Africa enjoys a temperate and pleasant climate, with lovely warm sunny days most of the year. The seasons of the southern hemisphere are opposite to those in the northern hemisphere so our summers runs from November to February, when most of the country is characterised by hot weather with afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are generally mild and dry. South Africa enjoys one of the world's highest average daily hours of sunshine - 8.5 compared with 3.8 in London, 6.4 in Rome and 6.9 in New York.
| Average temperatures in ºC | Summer | Winter |
| Mafikeng | 32 | 12.6 |
| Durban | 23.6 | 17 |
| Johannesburg | 19.4 | 11.1 |
| Pretoria | 22.4 | 12.9 |
The People
Culture and Heritage
As a way of preserving culture, kids as young as five years old are encouraged to engage in cultural activities. North West Parks and Tourism takes great pride in preserving South Africa's heritage, its deep culture that dates thousands of years ago. Jazz Africa Heritage will provide for cultural exchange in events which will feature cultural performances from different countries in the continent.
The Bafokeng People of Rustenburg
The Bafokeng are originally baKwena people. It is thought that the Bafokeng people originated in central Africa, from whence they migrated southwards over more than a millennium.
The Bafokeng is a branch of the Sotho-Tswana peoples who eventually settled throughout southern Africa. The Sotho-Tswana speaking peoples adhere to totems, which are honoured emblems of the tribe. The totem is revered by the members of that tribe and is often chosen to commemorate an event of great importance in tribal history. The Bafokeng are originally baKwena people and they still honour the crocodile (Kwena) as their totem.
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Places
The Beautiful Palace at the Lost City
The Palace of the Lost City at Sun City is one of the most enticing travellers' destinations in the world, a tribute to man's imagination and revered for its art and architecture. Fabled to be the royal residence of an ancient king, it is truly one of the 'Worlds Leading Hotels'. The Palace lavishes its guests with 5-star service, and is luxurious in every facet of its fabulous architecture and decor.
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Pilanesberg National Park
Adjacent to Sun City is the beautiful Pilanesberg National Park - one of the largest in South Africa and also a malaria free zone. The park covers an area of 55,000 hectares and its plains are rich and
fertile as they were once part of a now extinct volcanic crater.
Majestic hills encircle the park and a large central watering hole
is ideal for game viewing. The park is found in the transition zone
of the Kalahari and the Lowveld, and therefore both types of
vegetation are found.
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