South Africa is an African country located in the southernmost region of the continent. It has a rich abundance of diverse wildlife, beautiful scenic parks, natural reserves, and one of the world’s most unique cuisines.
The top reason people love this country is its excellent safari destinations such as the Kruger National Park. Like most African countries, South Africa also boasts a big game in its vicinity.
Besides, the country also offers awesome adventure activities such as bungee jumping, rappelling, scuba diving, and more. You can also hike the craggy cliffs, forests, and lagoons at some of the most beautiful destinations of South Africa. For example, the Garden Route.
It has beautiful beaches where you can relax. It is also famed for its wine. Wander the lush vineyards and do some wine tasting at the wineries of Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Constantia.
In addition, South African cuisine is unique and diverse, influenced by tastes from all over the world. The South African cuisine is known as Melting-Pot Cuisine, with influences from various other dishes, such as Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, Moroccan, and Portuguese dishes.
The nation has three capital cities: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial).
Geography
Botswana and Zimbabwe border this country to the north, Namibia to the northwest, and Mozambique and Swaziland to the northeast and east. Its coastlines are bordered by the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast and southwest, respectively.
Climate
South Africa lies within the temperate zone, meaning the extreme heat and cold are rarely faced by the country. It has stable atmospheric conditions, and the climate is usually dry.
Since most of South Africa’s area lies at a high elevation, the tropical and near-tropical northern areas have a cool temperature.
South Africa’s climate is also influenced by the oceans that surround the country. Winter occurs from June to August, and the summer season begins from December and lasts till February.
Best time to visit South Africa
The best time to travel to South Africa is during the winter season, starting in May, which lasts till September. These months are dry and great for going on big game drives.
The mornings and nights will be cold; however, you’ll see wild animals gather around waterholes and rivers during the day.
The monsoon season begins from November to February. As much as it’s best to avoid traveling in rainy seasons, it is also an excellent time for birdwatching.
Wildlife
South Africa houses rich flora and fauna in its vicinity.
There are more than 200 species, including the Big Five. You will also get to see the small wild animals like mongooses, jackals, and caracals.
There are more than 800 bird species and 100 snake varieties.
The natural vegetation of the country also varies from Savannah to desert. South Africa is truly a naturally diverse country.
People
The original tribes of South Africa are Khoekhoe and San tribes. However, these tribes scarcely exist today as many intermarried with other African people.
More than three-fourths of Bantu-speaking Africans entered the country from the north around 1,800 years ago.
Today the ethnic composition of South Africa constitutes 80.7% black, 8.8% mixed white/black, 7.9% white, and 2.6% Asian/other people.
Read more about what to do and how to stay safe in South Africa here
