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National Flower
The king protea is the national flower of South Africa and has several colour forms. Its adapted to survive wildfires by its thick underground stem. So far there are 81 garden varieties known.
Houses of Parliament
Cape Town houses the Parliament of South Africa. In 1853 Queen Victoria granted permission to establish a parliament in the Cape Colony.
Slave Bell
Monument in the Company’s Gardens to remind visitors of slavery. The sound of a bell marked the beginning and the end of their working day.
Cape Town
On 6th April 1652 Jan van Rieebeck set foot on the shore of table bay and established the first permanent European settlement in South Africa.
Cape Town
On 6th April 1652 Jan van Rieebeck set foot on the shore of table bay and established the first permanent European settlement in South Africa.
Cape Town
Nowadays Cape Town is the second-most populous urban area in South Africa after Johannesburg.
Major General Sir Henry Timson Lukin
The South African military commander fought several wars during his military career and was finally knighted for his war service.
Wild Flowers
Located on the Western Cape the small belt of natural vegetation called Fynbos is home of nearly 6,000 endemic species.
Wild Flowers
Located on the Western Cape the small belt of natural vegetation called Fynbos is home of nearly 6,000 endemic species.
Giant Spider Crab
Very little is known about the largest crustaceans in the world. Males grow to 1 meter in length - with a leg stretch of 4 meters. They live at depths of approximately 400 meters.
Great white
Children are fascinated by watching sharks so closely. The two oceans that surround South Africa are home of the great white shark. Attacks on humans are reported every year.
resistance
Oldest cathedral in Southern Africa. For its role in the resistance against apartheid St. George’s Cathedral is known as the “People’s Cathedral”.
Cape Malays
Originally from Maritime Southeast Asia the community's first members were enslaved Javanese transported by the Dutch East India Company.
Cape Malays
The Malay quarter with its colourful houses nowadays is one of the main tourist attractions in Cape Town.
Stormy Sea
Situated on the Atlantic seaboard Misty Cliffs is known for its mystic atmosphere and rough sea.
Table Mountain
430 million years old the mountain range is home to approximately 1,400 plant species which is more than can be found in Great Britain.
Cape Town
In South Africa it is said that you earn your money in Johannesburg and you live in Cape Town.
Western Cape
In fact the Western Cape is especially attractive to companies as employers and individuals because of its Mediterranean climate.
Boulders penguin colony
It all began with a single brace of African penguins in 1983. Nowadays the colony close to Simon´s Town counts more than 2,500 of the also so called Jackass penguins.
Watsonia
Genus of plants native in southern Africa. They are named after the 18th century British botanist Sir William Watson.
Cape Dutch Architecture
Found mostly in the Western Cape the style was prominent in the early days of the Cape Colony. The style was named after the initial settlers who were primarily Dutch.
Poor mass
With the Mandela houses Nelson Mandela started a campaign to provide the poor people with basic houses. Nevertheless ever since the government has not found an appropriate answer to the question how to provide the mass with jobs and adequate salaries.
Good hope
In 1488 Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias originally named the southern tip Cape of Storms. Because of the opening of a sea route to India and the East it was later renamed to Cape of Good Hope by King John II of Portugal.
Duiker Island
Seal colony that lives on a small island of about 95 x 77 meters close to Hout Bay.
Surf country
Due to perfect natural training conditions some of the best surfers of the world come from South Africa.
Muizenberg
Famous for its colourful small beach houses and hot spot for surfers.
Huguenots
Monument in remembrance of the Huguenots and their cultural influences after they immigrated in the 17th and 18th century.
Franschhoek
When the Huguenots had to flee from France they especially settled in the Franschhoek valley.
Blue crane
National bird of South Africa, also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane. The species is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Wildlife protection programs
Fortunately the awareness of the necessity to protect endangered species is growing.
Wildlife protection programs
Fortunately the awareness of the necessity to protect endangered species is growing.
Canned hunt
There has been lots of international criticism about so called canned hunts who are still not entirely stopped.
South African Cheetah
Also known as the Namibian cheetah the South African cheetah live mainly in the lowland areas and the Kalahari desert the savannahs of Okavango Delta and the grasslands of the Transvaal region. Since 1986 it has been classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.
Marabou
Largest stork believed to reach a height of 152 cm and a weight of 9 kg. With a wingspan up to 3.7 meters the species has the largest wing-spread of any living bird.
One of the last
South Africa is home to nearly 70 percent of the 29,500 rhinos left on Earth down from several hundred thousand in Africa before the 1800s. Unlike the horns of many species including cattle rhino horn is not made of bone. It is made of keratin a protein also found in our hair and fingernails and if you trim a rhino’s horn it grows back.
Illegal hunting versus legalized trade
Although selling rhino horn is illegal if you have a permit you can cut off a rhino’s horn. Every year or two South African rhino farmers tranquilize their animals with darts cut as much as four pounds of horn from each rhino and store it all in bank vaults and other secure locations - hoping for a day when it’s legal to sell horn.
Blue African lily
Some species of Agapanthus are commonly known as lily of the Nile although they are not lilies and all of the species are native to Southern Africa.
Street vendors
Although regularly praised different most of the goods come from Central African countries.
handicraft
Especially the poor benefit from many small handicraft businesses.
Education
Numerous national and international initiatives support efforts to raise the education level.
Montagu
Situated in the so called Little Karoo this town is known for its hot mineral springs and scenic mountains.
Victoria & Alfred Waterfront
Situated in South Africa’s oldest working harbour the Waterfront attracts more than 23 million visitors a year. Prince Alfred, second son of Queen Victoria, visited the Cape Colony harbour in 1860 as a sixteen year-old Royal Navy Midshipman. The first basin of the new Navy Yard was named after him and the second after his mother.
Bush fire
Cape Town area constantly suffers from severe bush fires. Some are caused by heat but many others by carelessness or intent.
Green Point Stadium
The Cape Town Stadium originally known as the Green Point Stadium – which was partly demolished in 2007 - was entirely new built for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It has a seating capacity of 64,100.
Colourful
Traditions are colourful, lively and connected to vibrant music.
Bloubergstrand
In Afrikaans the name literally means "blue mountain beach" and is derived from the nearby mountain Blaauwberg. It attracts large numbers of visitors as the beach is known for its popular views of Table Mountain across the bay.