|
|
 |
 |
 |
Some fun facts about South Africa ...
- South African street produced two Nobel Prize winners –
both Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu lived in Bhacela Street
in Soweto.
- South Africa has the longest wine route in the world, namely
Route 62 between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth.
- South Africa has the most profitable nature reserve in the
world – the Kruger National Park.
- There are more plant species per hectare in the Cape Peninsula
than anywhere else in the world.
- The first successful heart transplant in the world was done
in South Africa by Chris Barnard.
- Africa's first astronaut is a South African, Mark Shuttleworth.
- The Kreepy Krauly automatic pool cleaner was invented in South
Africa.
- According to the Big Mac index, food is very cheap in South
Africa – even 13% less than in the Philippines. A Big
Mac costs 40% less in South Africa than in the USA.
- An average house of 120m2 costs less than R300 000, while
an average house of 106m2 in the UK costs R1.4million.
- South Africa has the cheapest electricity in the world.
- Bread is 66% cheaper in South Africa than the average price
in Europe.
- On a list of 230 countries, South Africa has the twentieth
largest economy. It is the largest economy in Africa.
- South Africa has the fifth most productive labour force in
the world.
- South Africa is the ninth largest internet user in the world.
- 21% of South Africans own a cellular telephone.
- The eleventh busiest flight route between two cities in the
world, is the route between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
- The British investment bank, Lehman Bros, has found that South
Africa has the fourth most stable upcoming economy. The first
three countries are Hungary, Mexico and Poland.
- The payment of national debt decreased from 20% of the annual
national budget in 1997 to 16% in 2002.
- The use of electronic video camera policing in Johannesburg
and Cape Town resulted in a 60% decrease in crime in these CBDs
within a year.
- During the past eight years, 1.2 million new houses were built,
7 million citizens gained access to clean water and 3.5 million
points were connected to electricity.
- 77% of South Africans own their own home, compared to 66%
in 1994. In the country 76% of all households have running water
and 80% electricity. In urban areas 84% of all households have
a TV, and in rural areas 45% of all households.
- Common operations (eg for appendicitis, tonsilitis and caesareans)
cost between 50% and 75% less in South Africa than in the USA.
Patients from the UK and USA often travel to SA to make use
of the professional but much more affordable plastic surgery,
hip and knee replacement operations.
- South Africa has an annual average of 7.5 to 9.4 cloud-free
hours per day.
- The world's largest number of tortoise species are found in
the Western Cape.
- Pinotage is South Africa's very own wine variety.
- The South African mining industry is regarded as the safest
and most technologically advanced in the world.
- Two CNN anchors, Tumi Makgabo and Anant Naidoo, are South
African, as are Hollywood stars Charlize Theron and Arnold Vosloo.
- JRR Tolkien (Lord of the Rings) was born in Bloemfontein South
Africa.
- South Africa has 3 000km coast line.
- Cape Town's Kirstenbosch is regarded as one of the seven most
beautiful botanical gardens in the world.
- The KWV brandy cellar in Worcester is the largest of its kind
in the Southern Hemisphere.
- The largest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere is in
Pretoria (Menlyn), as is the largest zoo and largest correspondence
university (Unisa.)
- Peppadew fruit is originally a South African product.
- South Africa is one of the very few countries in the world
where it is safe to drink water directly from the tap.
- The South African constitution is regarded as the most progressive
in the world.
- Mercedes Benz C Class, BMW 3 Series and Volkswagen Golf and
Jetta models are produced in South Africa for all right-hand
drive markets throughout the world.
- More than nine countries' coins are minted by the South African
Mint in Pretoria. The blank discs for Euro coins are produced
by the same company.
Return to Tourism
and Travel
|
|
|
