Did you know?

  • FROM CHINESE TO FRENCH - EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS SOUTH AFRICAN: All the world's people are "twice South African" because it was here that 'mans' descendants and modern man both evolved.
  • THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF LIFE ON EARTH - YES - FROM SA: In eastern South Africa, scientists have found traces of blue-green algae dating back 3 500 million years. This is some of the earliest evidence of life on earth.
  • METEORS HIT PRETORIA 220 000 YEARS AGO: 220 000 Years ago a meteorite struck South Africa, forming the Tswaing Crater northwest of Pretoria. This is one of the most accessible and best-preserved metorite impace craters in the world.
  • IF ALIENS LANDED THEY WOULD BE THE PROPERTY OF THE STATE! According to the National Heritage Resources Act, all meteorites are considered protected property of the nation and there are rules regarding what can be done with them. Interestingly, because a meteorite is defined as “any naturally-occurring object of extraterrestrial origin”, this means that if an alien landed in SA he/she/it would become the property of the State. Should an alien arrive and find that SA did not suit its disposition, it would not need a passport to leave but it would have to acquire an export permit from the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA). 
  • SA HAS THE WORLD’S OLDEST REMAINS: The oldest remains of modern humans were found in Klasies River Cave in the Eastern Cape. They are well over 100 000 years old. 
  • SOUTH AFRICA HAS OVER 2000 SHIPWRECKS: There are more than 2 000 shipwrecks, dating back at least 500 years, off the SA coast and more than one, including the Waratah, simply vanished without a trace. 
  • TRANCE WAS HERE OVER 25 000 YEARS AGO: Trance is nothing new to South Africa.  In fact, bushman cave paintings in the Drakensburg are thought to be the work of Shamans operating in a ‘trance’ state. Some of these are up to 25 000 years old. 
  • THE SAYING "WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST" COMES FROM SA: The practice of “women and children first” originated off the coast of Hermanus when the British ship, the Birkenhead, sank in 1852. Of the approximately 600 people on board, all 200 women and children survived. Unfortunately, almost 400 men went down with the ship. 
  • SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE: Detailed documentation from travelers and researchers in the Cape in the 1600s shows that more than 350 years later the traditional “maatjieshut” residence of Namaqualand is still being built in precisely the same manner and proportions as those of the KhoeKhoe people of the past.
  • SOUTH AFRICA THINKS AHEAD OF THE WORLD: South Africa is one of the first countries in the world to formally protect places associated with “Living Heritage” that is based on stories passed down from generation to generation by for e.g. Grandmothers telling children stories about the places in which they live. One of the first projects in South Africa that looked at how we can protect such sites took place in Dukuza (formerly Stanger) in KwaZulu-Natal. The town was the site of King Shaka’s royal residence and interviews with old people in the community revealed an amazing store of information passed down over nearly 180 years concerning things like from which spring the royal water was drawn, where the King swam, under which trees particular events and councils occurred.
  • THREE MILLION!: South Africa’s history and pre-history goes back more than three million years.
  • KAROO BOASTS THE BEST DINOSAUR FOSSILS: The Karoo region is home to some of the best fossils of early dinosaurs. 
  • TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK has more plant species in its 22 hectares thatn the British Isles or New Zealand.
  • THE DRAKENSBERG has both the highest mountain range in Africa south of Kilimanjaro and the continent's richest concentration of rock art.
  • SOUTH AFRICA IS HOME TO SEVEN OF THE WORLD'S OFFICIAL HERITAGE SITES, as determined by UNESCO'S World Heritage Committee.
  • INTERNATIONALLY, THERE ARE 812 WORLD HERITAGE SITES in 137 countries. Africa has 65 sites and South Africa a total of 7 (Robben Island, Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, Cradle of Humankind, uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park, Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, Cape Floral Region and Vredefort Dome) - 3 cultural, 3 natural and 1 mixed.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL FACTS ABOUT SOUTH AFRICA

  • Of the 45 million South Africans, 31 million are black, 5 million are white, 3 million are coloured and 1 million Indian.
  • The population density is 32.9 people per km2.
  • The black population is separated into four major ethic groups:
    • Nguni
    • Sotho
    • Shangaan-Tsonga
    • Venda
  • Majority of the white populatin is of Afrikaans decent, approximately 50-60% and the remaining 30-40% are of English (British) decent.
  • The Afrikaner population is clustered more in Gauteng and the Orange Free State, while the English population is centred more in the Eastern and Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
  • The coloured community is prominent in the Northern and Western province of the Cape.
  • Most of the Indian population lives in KwaZulu-Natal.
  • The eleven official languages in South Africa include:
    • English
    • Xhosa
    • Zulu
    • Afrikaans
    • Venda
    • Swazi
    • Ndebele
    • Tswana
    • Tsonga
    • Northern Sotho
    • Southern Sotho

Virtually possible
Scientists in South Africa are digitising Africa's rich cultural heritage sites to provide a virtual tour to those who cannot visit in person, while benefitting preservation of the sites.
According to Africast, using the latest laser-scan and computer technology, they are creating 3D models and virtual landscapes of the sites in Sub-Saharan Africa, including a coral-stone fortress in Tanzania, and an ancient mosque in Timbuktu, Mali.
They hoped to eventually create walk-through capabilities, like a computer game, to familiarise African school children with these sites. The digital models and historical resources will be stored in an African cultural heritage and landscapes database that African scholars, libraries, and universities will be able to use free of charge.
UNESCO convened the 29th session of the World Heritage Committee in July 2005 in Durban, South Africa, finding that 16 of the 33 endangered World Heritage sites are in Africa -- due to conflicts and lack of funds and protection.
A Heritage Fund for Africa will be established soon to provide funding for the preservation of African heritage.

Source:
www.sahra.org.za
Southafrica.info
http://whc.unesco.org
www.topics.developmentgateway.org

 
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