South Africa in pictures

[Pule]

I love South Africa, I wish I had time to write dowm all the reasons why I love my country, but pictures tell more

Blyde River Canyon near Graskop in Mpumalanga


The Arch in the Cedarberg, Western Cape


Blyde River Canyon near Graskop in Mpumalanga


Misty morning in the Hex River Valley, Western Cape


Cascades on Mahai River, Royal Natal National Park, Drakensberg North, KwaZulu-Natal


Kromdraai Caves near Krugersdorp in Gauteng.


b>Long Tom Pass in Mpumalanga


Wheatfields near Caledon in the Western Cape.


Autumn in the Hex River Valley, Western Cape.


Farm near Balgowan in the Underberg region of KwaZulu-Natal.


Fruit market near Thohoyandou in the Venda region of Limpopo.

[Cape Town Guy]

very nice pictures.

[SAPAT]

FANTASTIC PHOTOS PULE !! THANKS!. Also a great thread to start. Maybe u could teach me how to post photos. I am a bit of a pleb when it comes to this kind of thing. KEEP EM COMING ! We need tons more photos on this forum and Pule has led the way !!

By the way did u guys hear that Enigma has announced that he has left Skyscraper City for good! Booo Hooo !! The guys on the Kiwi forum have even erected a memorial to him! I posted a farewell message!! I don't think anybody on this forum will shed many tears about this decision!

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...=291576&page=2

[Paulo2004]

So do I.

[mike2005]

Pule I love the pics almost as much as I love this country!

[StormShadow]

Excellent pics. I must also say, I like the landscape of South Africa, I also like the whole Southern Africa. Good pics.

[Skyline-BRN]

beautiful scenes.

[Pule]

Thanks guys, here are some.

Wildflowers, Kamieskroon, Northen Cape


Giraffes with baobab tree in the Kruger National Park, Limpopo.


Cape gannets on Bird Island in the Western Cape.


Humpback whale off Hermanus in the Western Cape.


Giraffe, Kruger National Park.


Klipspringers, Kruger National Park.


La Motte wine estate near Franschhoek, Western Cape.


Cottages in the region between Villiersdorp and Worcester, Western Cape.

[romanSA]

It seems this writer (Nigerian) loves SA too. It's interesting to read his description of SA during his visit to the KORA awards. Made me feel proud. It sad but it seems that mainly the foreigners appreciate the country and its infrastructure.

--------------------------

Daniel, Nneji, Ayuba, Cynosure of All Eyes At Kora Awards

Vanguard (Lagos)

December 18, 2005
Posted to the web December 19, 2005

Sina Ogungbambo


THE giant billboard harbouring two flute players smiles at you as you step out of the arrival lounge of Johannesburg International Airport. With an apt message "44 million people, eleven official languages, but you will never feel life a stranger", a first time visitor to South Africa gets the impression of what to expect in the Nelson Mandela land of freedom, and, throughout the three days sojourn, one feels proud and happy to be an African. With gleaming, spotless express roads, magnificent structures, 24 hours uninterrupted electricity power supply and an organised society where laws are respected and where you do not notice the presence of policemen on roads, one can fathom the reason the white minority were hell bent on relinquishing power and why the black majority fought with the last pint of blood in their veins to wrestle power from the Ian Smith, Piete Botha and later De Klerk led regimes, to breathe the air of freedom. While one was an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan 25 years ago, an opportunity to learn about South Africa and Zimbabwe had come through two roommates.

Temba Maqubela, a chemistry student was a South African while Ralph Ndebele a pharmacologist undergraduate was from Zimbabwe. Together, we had been students of Karl Marx, Lenin and Engels. The cause for the freedom of South Africa had united us together and the spirit of camaraderie exhibited by these two gentlemen, right from one's first day at the premier university, has been a testimony to the fact that amidst black dominated South Africans, you will never feel a stranger. Temba Maqubela had in those days painted the picture of South Africa as a society where the system perfectly works, singling out apartheid as the only albatross and we had thought he was exaggerating.

The government of Ogun State, under the leadership of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, however, gave the opportunity for one to discover the proof of the pudding in the eating, courtesy of an investment trip on the Olokola Deep Seaport project and an invitation from the Premier of Kwazulu Natal, Mr. Sibusiso Ndebele and the Z-Mirage organisation, to Daniel to attend the tenth anniversary of the KORA - All African Music Awards Ceremony - at Durban, capital of Kwazulu Natal, one of the nine provinces making up South Africa. The event, held on Sunday, December 4, 2005 at the theatre hall of International Convention Centre, Durban, commissioned by former President Nelson Mandela on August 8, 1997, was an African version of some other world awards aimed at showcasing and promoting excellence in music. With an audience of over 3,000 people in the unique theatre where the public address works without hiccup and the three superscreens were roomy enough to give everyone the opportunity to watch the event at ease, it was an avenue to savour the hospitality of South Africans.

The men manning the entry gate were courteous and friendly. Once you flash your invitation card adorned with two needle-like porcupine skin, you were ushered in with smiles, while the pretty chaperons led you to your seat. The co-members of your table were eager and willing to converse with you, displaying their knowledge of Nigeria and appreciation for the leading roles of President Olusegun Obasanjo and Thabo Mbeki in Africa. Their appreciation of good music was also unparalleled. Each time an artiste mounts the stage to perform; the response was a frenetic outburst of joy. The same frenzy of jubilation and ovation accompanied the invitation of the Ogun State governor, to the stage to present the Artiste of the Decade Award. The parade and performance of world renowned stars like American sensational hip hop star, Missy Elliot; Reggae star, Shaggy; K'Melia, Eedress Abdulkareem; Leanne and Martin Hood; Romano; Mafkizolo; Sammy Okposo of Nigeria, Angelique Kidjo, Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Malaika, Werrason and Afrotenors electrified the ceremony.

When the South Africans dance, you notice the impact of the militancy for the struggle in those days, in their steps and the exclamation of joy vibrating through the hall. Throughout the event, no one was molested and neither did anyone exhibit any unruly behaviour. There were no area boys hanging around and despite the several warnings about the high rate of violence in Durban, Johannesburg, Soweto, Pretoria, Cape Town, Nesprit, etc, there was no ugly incident before and after the ceremony. One was proud to be a Nigerian at this KORA award where the country's flag was hoisted aloft, as seven of her music ambassadors clinched various awards out of the available 30 for Africa, Europe and Carribean. Innocent Utah Idibia (Tu Face) won the Revelation of the Year Award with his African Queen music album, Sunny Nneji - Best West African Artiste, D'Banj - Most Promising Male, Adewale Ayuba - Best Group West Africa (in conjunction with Bantu), Kefee - Best Traditional Artiste (in conjunction with Jolidon), Sammy Okposo - Best Spiritual Male Artiste, Folake Umosen - Best Spiritual Female Artiste. Other awardees include Kaysha (France) - Best Europe and Caribbean Diaspora, Koba (Gabon) - Best African Hip-Hop Group, Will Smith (USA) - Best African American Diaspora Artiste, Kaz (Kenya) - Most Promising Male, Afrotenor (South Africa) - Best Video, Adja Soumane (Mali) and Zeynab (Benin) - Best Female Artiste West Africa, Lady Smith Black and Mambazo (South Africa) - Best Traditional Group and Maximum Melodies (Kenya) - Best Spiritual Group. In his address, Premier Sibusiso Ndebele said the KORA award; which was broadcast live in over 100 countries to about 720 millions viewers, represents an important element of our arts and culture to a very large extent and contribute to the growth and sustainability of his province.

Ndebele, who expressed his gratitude to Daniel for honouring his invitation, revealed that the governor had, for sometime now, been making efforts to develop a cordial relationship between South Africa and Ogun State, adding that he is optimistic that the relationship would blossom to the mutual and economic benefits of the countries. He stressed that even though each African country has to depend on its human and natural resources for its development, there was the need for co-operation between all African countries. Daniel, a strong believer in African music and culture, expressed joy that the KORA award was introduced to showcase music talents as well as to promote African culture. He told newsmen that he was highly impressed about the excellent organisation and the massive crowd it attracted. He expressed optimism that Nigeria will be able to host KORA award in a not too distant future while he said he has invited the Premier of Kwazulu to witness the Gateway Games holding in Ogun State in April 2006.

The governor who after the Kora award in Durban left for Johannesburg for an investment meeting with some South African organisations, disclosed that the SST-JUUL Africa has shown deep interest in the Olokola Deep Seaport jointly owned by Ogun and Ondo states. Both states, he said, would be providing infrastructure like roads and other amenities as counterpart funding for the 400 million dollars investment.

Those who attended the meeting along with Daniel include Otunba Alex Onabanjo, chairman Ogun State Oil and Gas, Mr. Yosola Akinbi, the special adviser on Economic Matters to Ogun State governor, Mr. Trevor David Juul, chief executive officer of SBT JUUL Africa, Mr. Reuben Demetrio, associate director of SBT JUUL, Thokoane Tsolo, Senior Account Manager of IDC, Mr. Mkhulul Mazibuko, Executive Director of IDC, Mr. Moeletei Mbeki, Executive Director of Areko, Mr. Anthony Hewat, Director of Meties Advisory, Mr. Uzoma Dozie of Diamond Bank, Nigeria and Mr. Adegboyega Adebanjo, Head, Investment Banking, Diamond Bank of Nigeria. The governor also took time to commission Afrisat Media Office owned by Kenny Ogungbe and Dayo Adeneye (D1) of Kennis Music.

He also featured on TranxAfrica Media Holdings Radio, owned by Lemmy Adebule, an Ijebu-Ode-born media magnate, who of recent donated a studio with lightening grid and props worth thousands of dollars to Gateway Television, Ogun State because of his love for the excellent performance of Governor Gbenga Daniel in office. For Governor Gbenga Daniel and his team, the trip was a unique opportunity for attracting investment to Ogun State while savouring the thrills and fun of the 10th KORA award.

Ogunbambo is the special assistant on Media Affairs to Ogun State governor.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200512190523.html

[Pule]

Sport is one of the tools that makes us the RAINBOW NATION

Winning African Nations Cup in 1996


Dancing fro glory, Soccer fans



Winners of Rugby WC in 2005


Watching Cricket at Newlands


The Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour is famous for its spectacular scenery

[Mo Rush]

That is true and that passion will culminate in the cape town 2020 olympic games...

[goodmood10]

great country !

[Pieter_Van_Classen]

Those are some awesome pics, Pule. Thanks. Go South Africa!

[romanSA]

Hey, who said it's a foregone conclusion that CT will be the local bid city????

[Mo Rush]

Originally Posted by romanSA

Hey, who said it's a foregone conclusion that CT will be the local bid city????

internationally...cape town is one of the three contenders for 2020...regarded as africas best chance..my eyes and ears have been open .....selecting another city at this stage would be disaster....apart from the quality of its bid in comparison to other south africa cities....cape town is on the lips on the internationall community...check out gamesbids.com....those people are olympic fanatics...willing to hand the games to cape town if it meet the requirements ....its foregone..but not officially...durban is out of the question....and joburg has no international appeal..its synonymous with crime, congestion and pollution...those are not my words...

[romanSA]

Well, I wouldn't go as far as saying "Durban is out of the question". It has better sporting facilities than CT in close proximity to hotels and if a new stadium gets built, it will have better overall sporting infrastructure too (not to mention a bigger and better airport by 2009). Remember, when Durbs competed against CT and JHB for the 1996 Olympic Games bid, it was remarked that if it had won the bid, it would have been the most compact Olympics city in history because all the sports stadia are within walking distance of each other (including golf [Durban Country Club is a short walk away from Kings Park] and rowing [if Umgeni River were to be used for the latter, like the Dusi does]. It also has better weather during the traditional Olympic months (June/July) when CT has piss weather. This period is lucrative as it favours international broadcasting schedules (especially the world's biggest commercial market, the US). CT would host a games in Aug/Sept, which clashes with major North American sporting seasons/schedules. The last time Durban competed against CT and JHB it was let down by an inadequate airport, low international recognition, and political infighting. Those factors have or are quickly disappearing now for a variety of reasons. The only thing CT currently has going for it is its outstanding natural beauty and international fame. But those factors alone don't win Olympic bids (remember Athens vs. Atlanta?). Until such time as CT gets a major infrastructure upgrade (including its public transit system and sports stadia in close and convenient proximity to hotels etc) I will not be convinced it's the best city in SA to host an Olympics. In CT's favour, however, is its experience in mounting a past bid, which will count in its favour.

In short, however, I will be happy if ANY city in SA wins the Olympic Games as it boosts the profile of the whole country and continent. The whole country must support that city, regardless of their personal feelings. The big two wide-spectrum international games are the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. If Cape Town MUST be the SA city to bid for the Olympic Games (for whatever reason, logical or otherwise), I will be happy if Durbs wins a Commonwealth bid and CT wins the Olympics. That way both cities benefit and SA's profile scores big time.

[joburg]

In short, however, I will be happy if ANY city in SA wins the Olympic Games as it boosts the profile of the whole country and continent. The whole country must support that city, regardless of their personal feelings.

First.. I agree 100% with you.. We all love our own cities, but not supporting each other isn't going to get the country as a whole anywhere, isn't it?

Second.. I don't think you guys should write Joburg off. We might be the ugly sister at the moment, but we're still the most powerful sister out of all three cities. Already, we have the extension of the Ellis Park Sports Precinct at a very advanced stage, and once it's complete it's going to be one of the best, if not the best, sports precincts in the country.

So yeah.. be proud of your city, but don't rip off everyone else because that's just not ubuntu. This thread is, after all, titled "I love SOUTH AFRICA.."

[romanSA]

I agree Joburg - I think JHB definitely has the CAPACITY to host the Olympics, probably more so than CT and Durbs. However, the one factor that it cannot escape (regardless of crime, grime and preceptions etc), is its high altitude which doesn't favour most sports. The last time an Olympics Games was held in a high altitude city, it was Mexico City and many athletes and officials said "never again". Remember how much the Wallabies and the All Blacks hate playing in Guateng because of that factor? That's one factor JHB can't work on. Nothing to do with infrastructure or crime etc.

[Pule]

Gents can we please post pictures and not debate other facts as this is the thread were by we tell and show the reason why we love South Africa.

[Pule]

Some of the ART in South Africa

Zulu craftwork, KwaZulu-Natal.


Decorated ricksha cart, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.


Ricksha driver in elaborately beaded and painted headdress, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.


Bowls made from telephone wire.


Ndebele dwelling in Mpumalanga.


A Zulu beehive dwelling at Shakaland in KwaZulu-Natal.