BLOGGING THE VIEW: Celebrate Heritage Month with these 7 fun facts

September is a fantastic month as we welcome the warmth of spring while celebrating tourism and our national heritage, both cultural and national.

In the Rainbow Nation, this is a particularly important time because, despite the many different backgrounds of our people, we unite to celebrate our heritage as one nation.

To get this month started on the right note, read over some interesting facts related to South Africa’s heritage.

1. Table Mountain

Nothing is quite as iconically South African (in terms of landmarks, that is!) as Cape Town’s Table Mountain. But more than just being a scenic piece of natural landscape with a cable car (just reopened after its annual maintenance, BTW), Table Mountain is believed to be one of the world’s oldest mountains, and one of 12 main energy centres on the planet, radiating magnetic, electric and even spiritual energy.

It’s believed to be anywhere between 260 and 600 million years old, is one of the world’s 7 New Natural Wonders, and is home to the unique Cape Floral Region.

2. Meteor scar

Speaking of ancient wonders, South Africa is also home to the Vredefort Dome, one of the world’s oldest meteor scars dating back around 2 023 million years.

Located in Parys around 12km south-west of Jo’burg, this meteor scar has a radius of 190km which is a result of the greatest known single energy release event, believed to have been crucial to the evolution of the planet. Its global significance has resulted in Vredefort Dome earning Unesco World Heritage Site status.

This is made all the more significant in 2024 after another meteorite fell on 25 August in the Eastern Cape, sparking a massive collaborative scientific investigation.

3. Humanity’s cradle

Sticking with ancient history, South Africa is also home to the Cradle of Humankind Unesco World Heritage Site where the oldest remains of modern humans – dating back some 7 million years – were discovered.

This site is inherently significant as this is essentially the birthplace of all modern humans – hominids. Some of the more famous discoveries of modern humans are Mrs Ples and Little Foot.

4. Dinosaur fossils

Ancient human remains aren’t the only fossils found in South Africa. Karoo National Park is home to the Fossil Trail which showcases a significant number of fossils dating back 250 million years.

The fossilised remains of 26 000 mammal-like reptiles (dinosaurs) have been found here, including great collections of whole skeletons, skulls and bones.

5. Nobel Prize winners

Moving away from ancient history to some more recent human history – South Africa is the only country in the world where two Nobel Prize winners lived on the same street.

Vilakazi Street in Soweto was home to Archbishop Desmond Tutu who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his anti-apartheid activism.

Some nine years later, Nelson Mandela (another Vilikazi Street resident) shared the Nobel Peace Prize with former president FW de Klerk for peacefully ending apartheid.

6. Capital cities

South Africa is the only country to have three capital cities representing different elements of our government.

· Cape Town – the legislative capital
· Pretoria – the administrative capital
· Bloemfontein – the judicial capital

To accommodate this, Parliamentary meetings are hosted in both Pretoria and Cape Town, with Pretoria home to the Union Buildings, the president’s official offices.

7. Bungee jumping

Our sense of adventure is celebrated at Bloukrans Bridge in the southern Cape, which happens to be the world’s highest bungee jump. Located in Tsitsikamma on the border of the Western and Eastern Capes, thrill seekers can jump 216m off Bloukrans Bridge towards the Bloukrans River below.

Take a moment to celebrate South Africa’s rich heritage this month by visiting a historical site, learning a bit about our history, or just enjoying the natural splendour that makes this country a top tourism destination.

SOURCES:
www.sableinternational.com
www.expatexplore.com