South Africa Lifestyle and Culture
South Africa is quite a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society that has one of the most diversified cultures and languages in the entire world. Although in history, there have been a lot of problems over race and culture in the country.
South Africa is far away from its tumultuous past and a great future beacons on the horizon. The nation has 11 official languages recognized in the constitution and they are the only country in the world with the most official dialects.
When it comes to health and sciences, South Africa has contributed significantly to medical science all over the world today, with achievements in carrying out the first-ever heart transplant in the world done in 1967 by surgeon Christian Barnard.
Other inventions from South Africa include the swimming pool vacuum cleaner which was invented by the hydraulic engineer, Ferdinand Chauvier in 1974.
South Africa has produced two internationally acclaimed Nobel Prize winners who are highly revered all over the world, namely Dr. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Nelson Mandela is heralded globally as a cultural icon and the father of South Africa who fought endlessly to bring freedom to the highly segregated black majority during the Apartheid era. Bishop Tutu is a religious icon who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in assisting South Africa in its transition from segregation.
With over 6 million trees, South Africa’s largest city, Johannesburg is considered to have the largest man-made forest in the world. Originally a grassland that was transformed relatively quick by planting trees in the 19th century in order to provide trees for the growing mining and wood industry.
South Africa is a place of sports as well, with football or soccer being the most loved sport by the people. The country was also the first African country to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010. It is the second country on the globe to also have hosted Rugby Union, Crickets, and Football world cups after England.
South African Cuisine is tasty and full of flavors with staples like cook Koeksisters, Chakalaka relish, Biltong, Bobotie, Potjiekos, or Frikkadelle.
Although South African cuisine is known for its indigenous flavors, it has also adopted several other means of cooking from the many cultures that have influenced them such as German, Italian, Greek, British and French.
