South Africa is one of the richest countries on the African continent. For decades South Africa was synonymous with racism and sanctioned by the EU and US. With the end of the Apartheid era in the 1990’s, South Africa was able to regain international recognition.    Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first free-election president and was followed by Thabo Mbeki. Every South African citizen over the age of 18 is now permitted to vote. The national election takes place every four years with the governing party being the ANC (African National Congress). Opposition parties include the DA (Democratic Alliance), the PAC (Pan-African Congress) and numerous others.   South Africa has 11 official languages amongst which are Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans, sePedi, English and seTswana. The population size runs up to over 43 million, of which over 1 million people have German ancestors.   Schooling from the age of 7 up to 16 years is compulsory. Tertiary education can be achieved at UCT (University of Cape Town) and UWC (University of the Western Cape) as well as in Stellenbosch, Durban, Sovenga, Johannesburg and Pretoria. Tertiary institutions were made accessible to all races and cultures in April 1994 and in 1997 a university and technical college reformation was introduced.   As a result of the strict racial divisions in South Africa, cultural development in the country went very different ways. With the rediscovery of the African culture, the so-called “African Renaissance” has gained high esteem in the fields of arts and culture. The goal is to break away from the old Apartheid’s structures and to support and build the diverse existing cultures.   The most important communication medium in South Africa is the radio. Television companies operating in South Africa are SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) with three channels and private broadcasters M-Net, ETV and DSTV (Satellite TV).   The most widely read daily newspapers are The Cape Times, The Argus and Die Burger.   Sport and other activities South Africa considers itself to be a sports nation and its people love supporting their national sports heroes. The rugby and cricket teams are amongst the best in the world, while soccer is also hugely popular. Other sport activities in the country are squash, hockey, boxing, swimming, sailing, tennis, bowling, dancing and golf. Water sports, horse riding and car racing are also popular.   South Africans also love their beaches and other leisure destinations such as swimming pools, parks, bookstores, and cinemas. Throughout the year one can enjoy many music and dance festivals.   The South African Industry Main export goods in South Africa are minerals, gold, metals, fresh produce, chemical products, wool and precious and semi-precious stones. Main destinations are Japan, Italy, USA, Germany, England and other European countries.   Main imports are machines, transport and electronic equipment, chemical products, rubber, paper, textiles and precision instruments. Supplying countries include Germany, Japan, England, USA and Italy.   South Africa plays a fundamental role in the mining industry and serves as the most important supplier of platinum, gold and chrome. Other industrial branches adding vital contributions are oil refineries, machine and chemical factories, produce suppliers and paper suppliers. Additionally South Africa possesses a large supply of raw materials needed in many production processes.    Tourism The tourism industry in South Africa is flourishing and is currently providing over 250 000 employment opportunities. Amongst the most popular tourist attractions are Table Mountain, Camps Bay, Cape Agulhas, the Drakensberg, Augrabies Falls (Orange River), the Big Hole of Kimberley, diamond and goldmines around Johannesburg, Chapman’s Peak Drive and the Garden Route. The Stellenbosch and Paarl wine farms, the ostrich farms in Oudtshoorn and the numerous national parks are definitely worth a visit.    Please visit: