DESTINATION SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa is a big wallop of a country, extending nearly 2000km from the Limpopo River in the north to Cape Agulhas in the south and nearly 1500km from Port Nolloth in the west to Durban in the east. Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland run from west to east along South Africa's northern border and Lesotho soars above the grassland towards the south-east. The country can be divided into three major parts: the vast interior plateau (the highveld), the Great Escarpment at its edge (the Kalahari Basin), and a narrow coastal plain (the lowveld).

Its position just south of the Tropic of Capricorn makes South Africa a mostly dry and sunny place but the climate is moderated by its topography and the surrounding oceans. Basically the further east you go, the more handy your raingear becomes, but there are also damp pockets in the south-west, particularly around Cape Town. The coast north from the Cape becomes progressively drier and hotter, culminating in the desert region just south of Namibia. Along the south coast the weather is temperate, but the east coast becomes increasingly tropical the further north you go. When it gets too sticky, head for the highlands which are pleasant even in summer. The north-eastern hump gets very hot and there are spectacular storms here in summer. In winter the days are sunny and warm.

Although Khoisan tribes of nomadic hunters, gatherers and pastoralists have lived in southern Africa for around 40,000 years, they didn't reach the Cape of Good Hope until about 2000 years ago. By the 15th century most arable land had been settled by encroaching Bantu pastoral tribes.

Southern Africa became a popular stop for European crews after Vasco de Gama opened the Cape of Good Hope spice route in 1498, and, by the mid-17th century, scurvy and shipwreck had induced Dutch traders to opt for a permanent settlement in Table Bay on the site of present day Cape Town. The mostly Dutch burghers pushed slowly north, decimating the Khoisan with violence and disease as they went. Towards the end of the 18th century and with Dutch power fading, Britain predictably jumped in for another piece of Africa. It was hoped that British settlers would inhabit a buffer zone between skirmishing pastoral Boers and Xhosa, but most of the British immigrant families retreated to town, entrenching the rural/urban divide that is evident in white South Africa even today. Although slavery was abolished in 1833, black/white division of labour served all whites too well for any real attempt to be made to efface it.

Upheaval in black southern Africa wasn't generated only by the white invaders. Difaqane was the name given to a terror campaign masterminded by the Zulu chief, Shaka. This wave of disruption through southern Africa left some tribes wiped out, others enslaved and the lucky ones running. Into this chaos disgruntled Boers stomped on their Great Trek away from British rule. Most of the pastures they trekked through were deserted or inhabited by traumatised refugees; they were easily turned into cattle runs. The Zulus were no pushovers, however. They put up strong and bloody resistance to the Boers before eventually ceding to superior firepower. Boer republics popped up through the interior, and were annexed one by one by Britain in a chaotic kerfuffle of treaties, diplomacy and violence through the middle part of the 19th century. Just when it looked like the Union Jack was going to fly from Cairo to the Cape, diamonds were discovered in Kimberley, and the Dutch resistance became suddenly stronger.

The First Anglo-Boer War ended in a crushing Boer victory and the establishment of the Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek. The British backed off until a huge reef of gold was discovered around Johannesburg and then marched in again for the Second Anglo-Boer War, dribbling with Empiric greed. By 1902 the Boers had exhausted their conventional resources and resorted to commando-style raids, denying the British control of the countryside. The British quashed resistance with disproportionate reprisals: if a railway line was blown up, the nearest farmhouse was destroyed; if a shot was fired from a farm, the house was burnt down, the crops destroyed and the animals killed. The women and children from the farms were collected and taken to concentration camps - a British invention - where 26,000 died of disease and neglect. The Boers were compelled to sign an ignominious and bitter peace.

Soon after the Union of South Africa was established in 1910, a barrage of racist legislation was passed restricting black rights and laying the foundations for apartheid. After a last flutter with military rebellion during WWI, the Afrikaners got on with the business of controlling South Africa politically. In 1948 elections the Afrikaner-dominated and ultra-right National Party took the reins and didn't let the white charger slow down until 1994. Every individual was classified by race, and race determined where you could live, work, pray, learn and shit. Irrespective of where they had been born, blacks were divided into one of ten tribal groups, forcibly dispossessed and dumped in rural backwaters, the so-called Homelands. The plan was to restrict blacks to Homelands that were, according to the propaganda, to become self-sufficient, self-governing states. In reality, these lands had virtually no infrastructure, no industry and were therefore incapable of producing sufficient food for the black population. There was intense, widespread suffering and many families returned to squalid squatter camps in the cities from which they had been evicted. Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi was pivotal in the Inkatha movement, a failed attempt to unite Homeland leaders. Black resistance developed in the form of strikes, acts of public disobedience and protest marches, and was supported by international opinion from the early 1960s after 69 protesters were killed in Sharpeville and African National Congress (ANC) leaders including Nelson Mandela were jailed.

After withdrawing from the British Commonwealth in 1961, South Africa became increasingly isolated. Paranoia developed through the 1960s and 70s, as the last European powers withdrew from Africa and black, often socialist, states formed around South Africa's northern borders. South Africa's military responses ranged from limited strikes (Mozambique, Lesotho) to full-scale assault (Angola, Namibia). When Cuba intervened in Angola in 1988, South Africa suffered a major defeat and war looked much less attractive. As the spirit of Gorbachev-style detente permeated southern Africa, Cuba pulled out of Angola, Namibia became independent and a stable peace was finally brokered in 1990.

The domestic situation was far from resolved. Violent responses to black protests increased commitment to a revolutionary struggle and the United Nations finally imposed economic and political sanctions. But in the mid-1980s, black-on-black violence in the townships exploded. Although bitter lines were drawn between the left wing Xhosa-based ANC and the right wing Zulu-dominated Inkatha movement, such distinctions are too simplistic in the context of the massive economic and social deprivation of black South Africa. There were clashes between political rivals, tribal enemies, opportunistic gangsters, and between those who lived in the huge migrant-workers' hostels and their township neighbours. President PW Botha detained, tortured and censored his way to 1989 when economic sanctions began to bite, the rand collapsed and reformist FW De Klerk came to power. Virtually all apartheid regulations were repealed, political prisoners were released and negotiations began on forming a multiracial government. Free elections in 1994 resulted in a decisive victory for the ANC and Nelson Mandela became president. De Klerk's National Party won just over 20% of the vote, and the Inkatha Freedom Party won 10.5%. South Africa rejoined the British Commonwealth a few months later.

Despite the scars of the past and the enormous problems ahead, South Africa today is immeasurably more optimistic and relaxed than it was a few years ago. The international community has embraced the new South Africa and Mandela's apparently sincere desire to create a truly non-racial nation. Among whites there is dazed relief, and among blacks there is the exhilaration of freedom gained. Although it will be some time before the black majority gain much economic benefit from their freedom, the political structure seems strong enough to hold the diverse region together. There are huge expectations for the new South Africa.

Events

Public holidays underwent a dramatic shake-up after the 1994 elections. For example the Day of the Vow, which celebrated the massacre of Zulus, has become the Day of Reconciliation (16 December). The officially ignored but widely observed Soweto Day, marking the student uprisings which eventually led to liberation, is now celebrated as Youth Day (16 June).

The National Arts Festival transforms Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape each July. As well as mainstream art, opera and theatre, there are fringe and student components to the festival, including theatre performed in many of the languages spoken in South Africa. The big Arts Alive Festival is held in Johannesburg in September and October. This is a great time to hear excellent music, on and off the official programme. There are also a lot of workshops exposing South Africans (and visitors) to the continent's rich cultures, so long denigrated during the apartheid years. Pretoria hosts the Jacaranda Festival during the third week of October when the petals are peaking. The immensely popular Pretoria Show is held during the third week of August.

Apartheid-induced cultural boycotts starved South Africa's mad sports fans - and competitors - of competition. Any international cricket or rugby game is therefore a big event.

Money & Costs

When to Go

Summer can be uncomfortably hot, especially in the lowveld. Higher altitudes are pleasantly warm over summer, but the mountains are rain and mist-prone. The north-eastern regions can be annoyingly humid, but swimming on the east coast is a year-round proposition. Spring is the best time for wild flowers in the Northern and Western Cape provinces. Winters are mild everywhere except in the highest country, where there are frosts and occasional snowfalls.

Durban

Apart from the sandy strip, 'Durbs' has a fair bit to offer. The impressive city hall houses an art gallery which has a good collection of contemporary South African works and a patchy natural science museum (check out the cockcroach display). Also in the city centre, the local history museum has interesting displays on colonial life and the African Art Centre features exciting work by rural artists. The Indian area, to the west of the city centre, has a bustle and vibrancy that's missing from most commercial districts in South Africa. The Victoria Street Market is the area's focus, but other must sees are the Juma Mosque, the largest in the southern hemisphere, and the Alayam Hindu Temple, South Africa's oldest and biggest. Unfortunately the area is not considered safe at night.

Marine Parade, fronting the beach, is Durban's focal point. Most places to stay and eat are on the parade or in the streets behind it, and much of the entertainment is here as well. At night, most people head to the restaurants in the northern suburbs, or the big hotels and clubs along the beachfront. Durban has an international airport, and is well serviced by buses and trains to all of South Africa's major cities.

Garden Route

Heavily promoted and heavily scented, the Garden Route runs along a beautiful bit of coastline in southern Western Cape Province. The narrow coastal plain is well-forested and is mostly bordered by extensive lagoons which run behind a barrier of sand dunes and superb white beaches. The Garden Route has some of the most significant tracts of indigenous forest in the country - giant yellowwood trees and wildflowers - as well as commercial plantations of eucalypt and pine. The area is a favourite for all watersports and the weather is kind year round. There are some tacky developments dotted along the Route, but you can steer clear of the worst of it and hostel accommodation isn't too hard to find. Some of the quieter places are Mossel Bay, Herold's Bay and Buffalo Bay.

Johannesburg

Jo'burg, Jozi, eGoli or 'the city of gold' (never Johannesburg) is by far the largest city in South Africa. It's brash, fast-growing and often ugly, but it's got wealth, energy and a beautiful climate. Many would suggest you go through Jo'burg as quickly as possible with your valuables plugging all available orifices. However, if you want to see the real South Africa - and try to understand it - Jo'burg has to be on your itinerary. While the colour lines are etched so deeply, you stand a better chance of meeting blacks on relatively equal terms in Jo'burg than almost anywhere else. Unlike many South African cities where there are so few black faces you could forget that you are in Africa, the centre of Jo'burg has been reclaimed and the sidewalks are jammed with black hawkers and stalls of every description. There's also a growing multiracial music and theatre scene.

The city centre is laid out in a straightforward grid, so it's not hard to find your way around. The northern suburbs are white middle-class ghettos; they're antiseptic and isolated, manicured and Merc'ed, and the only blacks around are in neatly pressed maid and chauffeur kit. The so-called black townships, where conditions range from basic to appalling, ring the city and are a grotesque contrast to the northern suburbs. Soweto is the main township. It's an enormous, sprawling and sometimes grim spread of bungalows, houses, huts, shacks and dorms. Most white South Africans are completely ignorant of life inside the townships and few have ever been inside one. Although the townships are still in a state of acute social trauma, outsiders are not automatically targeted and it is possible to visit one. It is wise, however, to get local (and non-hysterical) advice before heading on in, and to either hook up with a tour or a trustworthy black friend.

Warning

Many people don't have any problems walking around Jo'burg, but there are enough true-life horror stories to make caution essential. A combination of common sense and cowardice will always be your best defence. Don't advertise your wealth or tourist status - moon bags and dangling cameras are a dead giveaway. Be aware of what's going on around you. Don't hesitate to cross the road to avoid an alleyway or a threatening individual or group. Avoid the city centre at night and on weekends when the shops close and the crowds drop. If you do get held up, don't try to be a hero. Give your assailants any possessions they want and try not to make any threatening moves. Jo'burg is inundated with guns and knives and their owners don't hesitate to use them.

Kruger National Park

As well as being one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world, Kruger National Park is amongst the biggest and the oldest - it's about to turn one hundred. You can see the 'big five' here (lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos) as well as cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, all sorts of antelope and smaller animals. Although most people will have seen African animals in zoos, it is impossible to exaggerate how extraordinary and completely different it is to see these animals in their natural environment. That said, Kruger is not quite a wilderness experience: it's highly developed, organised, accessible and popular.

The park runs for 350km along the Mozambique border and has an average width of 60km. There are about 2000km of roads in the park, so even on weekends and school holidays, it's possible to isolate yourself and just see what comes along (it could be a fleet of BMWs). The main entry points to the park are through Skukuza and Nelspruit, both about a day's drive from Johannesburg. Accommodation is usually in well-managed huts run by the National Parks Board. Facilities vary from communal and basic to private and air-conditioned.

Drakensberg

The awesome Drakensberg (Dragon Mountain) is a basalt escarpment forming the border with eastern Lesotho. Although people have lived here for thousands of years - there are many San rock painting sites - some of the peaks and rocks have only been tackled by Europeans in the last few decades. Much of the range is taken up by national parks, perhaps the most spectacular of which is Royal Natal National Park. The southern boundary of the park is formed by the Amphitheatre, an 8km stretch of cliff which is spectacular from below and even more so from the top. Here the Tugela Falls drop 850m in five stages (the top one often freezes in winter). There are some superb wilderness trails in the area, the flora is rich and varied and the mountain-climbing opportunities are heart-stopping. Bergville is the jumping-off point for Royal Natal. It's accessible by minibus taxi from Ladysmith.

The Shipwreck Coast

This stretch of coast in Eastern Cape Province, the graveyard for numerous ships, is largely unspoilt. There are a couple of resort towns and the inevitable casino, but it is still easy to get away from it all. The Shipwreck Hiking Trail extends for 64km, but there are several easy entry and exit points for hikers. This is one of the few walking areas in South Africa where you can set your own pace, camp more or less where you choose and light fires. Those who make the effort are rewarded with wild, unspoilt surf beaches, rich coastal vegetation, beautiful estuaries and diverse birdlife. Try not to burn it all down. East London and Port Elizabeth are the main entry points to this area.

Kalahari Gemsbok National Park

This national park extends from Northern Cape Province well into neighbouring Botswana, making up one of the largest protected wilderness areas in Africa (almost three million hectares). It's a long way from civilization along dusty, unsealed roads. The size of the park is crucial for the unhindered migration of antelopes which are often forced to travel great distances to reach water and food. Although the countryside is described as semi-desert, it is richer than it appears and supports large populations of birds, reptiles and small mammals. The vegetarians support predators such as dark-maned Kalahari lions, cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, jackals and foxes.

The best time to visit is in June and July when the weather is coolest (it gets below freezing at night) and the animals mooch along the dry river beds. The closest major town is Upington, but it's still a slog of a drive - be careful on the dirt roads. All accommodation is run by the National Parks Board and it ranges from camping spots to chalets with private facilities.

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