30 reasons to be proudly South African

September marks the annual Heritage Month in South Africa. Heritage Month recognises aspects of South African culture that are both tangible and intangible: our music, our history, our languages, the food we eat and the things we love doing. Here are a few more reasons to be proudly South African.

1. South Africa has the only street in the world that housed two Nobel Peace prizewinners. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both had houses on Vilakazi Street in Soweto.

2. Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world and boasts over 1 500 species of plants, more than the entire United Kingdom.

3. Our constitution is one of the most liberal and free constitutions in the world.
4. South Africa has the oldest meteor scar in the world, called the Vredefort Dome. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5. The Cape Floral Kingdom has 9,600 plant species, 70% of which are not found anywhere else in the world.

6. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world.

7. South Africa is the world’s largest producer of macadamia nuts.

8. South Africa has the longest wine route in the world and the oldest wine industry outside of Europe, featuring Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cinsault, Riesling, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage varietals.

9. Kruger National Park supports the greatest variety of wildlife species on the African continent, including the three of the five fastest land-mammals – the cheetah, lion and wildebeest.

10. South Africa has a penguin colony, which thrives thanks to the cold Antarctic currents on the west coast near the Cape.

11. South Africa is rated 3rd in the world in supplying safe, drinkable tap water.

12. South Africa generates two-thirds of Africa’s electricity and has the cheapest electricity in the world.

13. The deepest mine is a gold mine in South Africa. in 1977 the Western Deep Levels Mine reached a depth of 11,749 feet. Most mines descend to about 3,300 feet.

14. South Africa is the only country in the world to voluntarily abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

15. South Africa has 19,004 miles of railway track – 80% of Africa’s rail infrastructure.
16. The Tugela Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world, where the water tumbles down 2,789 feet. First place goes to the Angel Falls in Venezuela at 3,212 feet.
17. Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world – and the largest green one. The Grand Canyon in the U.S. is the biggest, and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia the second, but both are very dry.

18. Kimberley has the biggest man-made hole in the world, and Jagersfontein has the deepest vertical man-made hole.

19. South Africa is the world’s leader in mining and minerals. It has nearly 90% of the platinum metals on earth, 80% of the manganese, 73% of the chrome, 45% of the vanadium and 41% of the gold.
20. South African grasslands have approximately 30 species per square kilometer, greater than the biodiversity of rainforests. South Africa has the third highest level of biodiversity in the world.

21. South Africa has deserts, mountains, escarpments, plateaus, grasslands, bush, wetlands and subtropical forests.

22. Dr. Christiaan Barnard, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, performed the first human heart transplant in the world in 1967. He was also the first to do a “piggyback” transplant in 1971, and he was the first to do a heart-lung transplant.

23. The world’s largest diamond was the Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless color and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.

24. Most of the world’s proto-mammalian fossils are found in the Karoo region. The oldest remains of modern humans were found in Klasies River Cave in the Eastern Cape. They are well over 100,000 years old.

25. In eastern South Africa, scientists have found traces of blue-green algae dating back 3,500 million years. This is some of the earliest evidence of life on Earth.

26. Approximately 900 bird species are found in South Africa alone, which represents 10% of the worlds total bird species.

27. South Africa has the highest commercial bungi jump in the world (710 feet).

28. Mossel Bay is in the Guinness Book of records as having the second most moderate climate in the world.

29. South Africa has bunny chows, braais, melktert, bobotie, slap chips  and Mrs Ball’s chutney.

30. We invented the kreepy crawly, Pratley’s putty, cats-eyes and Dolosse bloc