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South Africa Travel Guide - Cape Town Information
South Africa is one of the richest countries on the African continent. For decades, it was the symbol for racism; sanctions were imposed because of the Apartheid laws. With the end of the Apartheid era at the beginning of the nineties, South Africa was able to regain its international recognition.
Thabo Mbeki took over the presidency from Nelson Mandela, who was the first president elected from free and fair elections. Every South African citizen over the age of 18 is now eligible to vote. Elections take place every 5 years. The newly elected ruling party is the ANC (African National Congress), which is starting its third five-year period as ruling party. The opposition is made up from the PAC (Panafrican Congress), the DA (Democratic Alliance) and the NNP (New National Party).
Every person in South Africa between the age of 7 and 16 must go to school. There are numerous Universities in South Africa, like UCT (University of Cape Town), the UWC (University of the Western Cape) and the University of Stellenbosch, just to name those based in Cape Town. In April 1994, all these facilities were opened to the numerous cultures and ethnic groups found in South Africa. In 1997, University and Technikon reforms were established.
The cultural development is varied, due to the strict race separation in South Africa in the past. The so-called “African Renaissance” enjoys a high reputation in the culture and art fraternities since the African culture was “reinvented’. The aim is the separate from the Apartheid structures and to support the numerous and diverse cultures that are found in South Africa.
Whilst white families often live close together, black families are frequently spread over a wide area and still have a strong bond between them. These family-bonds are of high importance when it comes to the survival of the families. | 
