The People of South Africa
Since its Dutch colonization in 1652, South Africa has been quite an eclectic country, home to native blacks and whites. South Africa's beautiful climate and culture draws in people of all sorts of race, religion, and ethnic background. They are coined the "Rainbow Nation," in celebration of their multicultural diversity ("Rainbow"). This is an important and integral part of the people's day to day lives. Black South Africans makeup 80% of the population and English and Afrikaans are the most popularly spoken languages (Hofmeyr). Black African culture is well know for its art, music, and dance which is a huge part of their day to day lifestyle. There are many different ethnic groups and nine recognized local languages in South Africa ("Rainbow"). This allows for many different oral traditions, including stories and poems, which have been integrated into written literature ("Rainbow"). This promotes extensive cultural diversity and a sense of pride in one's ethnic group. Going to South Africa for its tourism aspects only, will leave you in for quite a surprise when you meet the amazing people there. |
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South African Challenges
Though beautiful and diverse, this country, like all countries, has its downfalls. Violent crime in South Africa is at an all time high and is skyrocketing compared to other countries. Their murder rate is steadily increasing and this is a big issue for the inhabitants of the country (Chutel). All this crime can cause a feeling of unease and discontent from South Africans. South Africa's education system is also one of the worst in the world. Whites generally receive a better education than blacks and this is because "many of the problems have their roots in apartheid," or the separation of whites and blacks in South Africa ("South"). Children don't receive a good education, which sets them up to fail in certain aspects of their life that they could potentially succeed in. |
Beautiful South Africa
South Africa is home to the most incredible beaches, parks, reserves, canyons, and coral reefs. It is a tourism hub. From exploring all of the amazing national parks to taking safaris and scuba diving in clear water, South Africa can't seem like anything than a paradise. Even when you aren't participating in the many tourist attractions, you can be swept away by the beauty contained in the towns. Gorgeous street art covers towns like Johannesburg and you can get lost taking picturesque drives down the Cape ("The"). All pictures from: "CN Traveler" |
Works Cited
Chutel, Lynsey. “South Africa's High Crime Rate Is down but No One Feels Safer.” Quartz, Quartz, 24 Oct. 2017.
Hofmeyr, Andrew. “South Africa’s Marine Big 5.” African Budget Safaris, 5 Nov. 2016.
“'Rainbow Nation' of Diversity.” Our Africa, Our Africa.
“South Africa Has One of the World's Worst Education Systems.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 7 Jan. 2017.
“The 20 Most Beautiful Places in South Africa.” Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2017.
Chutel, Lynsey. “South Africa's High Crime Rate Is down but No One Feels Safer.” Quartz, Quartz, 24 Oct. 2017.
Hofmeyr, Andrew. “South Africa’s Marine Big 5.” African Budget Safaris, 5 Nov. 2016.
“'Rainbow Nation' of Diversity.” Our Africa, Our Africa.
“South Africa Has One of the World's Worst Education Systems.” The Economist, The Economist Newspaper, 7 Jan. 2017.
“The 20 Most Beautiful Places in South Africa.” Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Apr. 2017.