Inspiring South Africa

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." -- Nelson Mandela 

The Republic of South Africa is a multi-ethnic nation of 51 million people at the southern tip of Africa. Eleven official languages are recognized in the Constitution. Two of these are of European origin: English and Afrikaans, a language which originated mainly from Dutch that is spoken by the majority of white and Coloured (or mixed) South Africans. Though English is commonly used in public and commercial life, it is only the fifth most-spoken home language.

Left: A group of Semester at Sea students and adults pose at the southern most point of South Africa

About 80 percent of the South African population is of black African ancestry, while whites and Coloured account for about 9 percent each. The remaining population is Indian and Asian. (See Wikipedia's page on demographics.) Ranked by the World Bank as an upper-middle income economy, South Africa has the highest gross domestic product in Africa and the 28th-largest in the world. It is considered a newly industrialized country.

However, about a quarter of the population is unemployed and lives on less than US $1.25 a day. In post-apartheid South Africa, unemployment has been extremely high as the country has struggled with many changes. While many blacks have risen to middle or upper classes, the overall unemployment rate of blacks worsened between 1994 and 2003. Poverty among whites, previously rare, increased. In addition, the current government has struggled to achieve the monetary and fiscal discipline to ensure both redistribution of wealth and economic growth. Since the African National Congress-led government took power, the United Nations Human Development Index of South Africa has fallen, while it was steadily rising until the mid-1990s. Some of the decline may be attributed to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the failure of the government to take steps to address it in the early years.

This is my third visit to Cape Town, famous for its Table Mountain (below), formed by a volcanic thrust but flattened by water millions of years ago. Hiking to the top takes four hours, while a cable car ride is 20 minutes. Because of strong winds, the cable cars were out of service the first and the last day we were in Cape Town.

South Africa is rich in natural beauty and natural resources. Boulders Beach (left), outside of Cape Town, on the coast of False Bay is the only penguin-breeding colony on the African mainland. It is within the Table Mountain National Park. The breeding season kicks off in March and lasts until May. The highly endangered African penguin is monogamous and returns to the same breeding spot each year.

The county has attracted a fair amount of foreign investors, though this is waning because of the stagnant economy and uncertain political future. It has made incredible contributions in the fields of literature, medicine and peace, recognized by Nobel committee.

Here's a little quiz: Can you name the four Nobel Peace Prize winners from South Africa?

Nelson Mandela    1993

F.W. de Klerk      1993

Desmond Tutu      1984

Albert Lutuli         1960

Other South African Nobel laureates are J. M. Coetzee, literature, 2003; Sydney Brenner,  physiology or medicine, 2002; Nadine Gordimer, literature, 1991; Allan M. Cormack, physiology or medicine, 1979.

Question #2: What is the capital of South Africa?

South Africa has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Bloemfontein (judicial), and Cape Town (legislative). Johannesburg is the largest city.

Victoria Harbor is within a 10-minute walk from where our ship docked. It is filled with boats, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and night clubs. It is where the rich and tourists gather. Chicago is only 13,662 kilometres from this spot.