tourism

About South Africa
Lifestyle & Culture
Cultural Roots
The mingling and melding in South Africa's urban areas, along with the suppression of traditional cultures during the apartheid years, means that the old ways of life are fading, but traditional black cultures are still strong in much of the countryside. Across the different groups, marriage customs and taboos differ, but most traditional cultures are based on beliefs in a masculine deity, ancestral spirits and supernatural forces. The new South Africa is being created on the streets of the townships and cities. Hopeful signs include gallery retrospectives of black artists, both contemporary and traditional, and musicians from around Africa performing in major festivals.

		Music
		The first known musicians were the San people, whose language is filled with unusual click sounds and who produced a variety of musical instruments. As western cultures came to settle here, music types were mixed to create the unique African sounds and world musical trends you hear today. South Africans have music in their blood and like to express and enjoy it. An interesting way to listen to local music is at one of the many outdoor summer concerts - at the Kirstenbosch, Durban and Roodepoort Botanical Gardens or the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre in Stellenbosch. It is very popular to take a picnic, sit on the lawns and listen to anything from a symphony concert or opera to kwaito, reggae, blues or jazz.

Festivals
Festivals are very popular in South Africa. The National Festival of the Arts, usually just called the Grahamstown Festival, is the second biggest arts festival in the world, after Edinburgh. Music, visual arts, dance, theatre and much more keeps the town awake 24 hours a day for 10 days in July. Rustler's Valley hosts alternative music festivals over the Easter weekend. Splashy Fen is held in the Drakensberg mountains in May, Oppikoppi in North West in August, the Woodstock youth music festival in September, and the Klein Karoo Kunstefees in Oudtshoorn in late March. Then there's the Aardklop - Afrikaans for "earth beat" - festival in Potchefstroom in late September, and the FNB Vita Dance Umbrella in Johannesburg in late February, just to name a few.

		Theatre
		Theatre opportunities usually concentrate in the cities. The main venues are the Market Theatre, Civic Theatre and Liberty Theatre on the Square in Johannesburg, the State Theatre in Tshwane, the Baxter, Artscape and On Broadway in Cape Town, and the Playhouse in Durban. But also smaller towns feature home-grown productions and performances. In one field especially, the new freedoms of post-apartheid South Africa have brought new life - dance has became a prime means of artistic expression. Music and dance are pulling in new audiences and a number of national productions have taken South Africa and, in some cases, the world, by storm. Richard Loring's African Footprint and the musical, Umoja, created by Todd Twala and Thembi Nyandeni are good examples.

Art Galleries
The visual arts have a rich history in South Africa, and the contemporary art scene is no less exciting. From the traditional artefacts of ancient cultures to the cutting-edge work of today's practitioners, South Africa's art museums and galleries offer visitors a rich artistic feast. The country's flagship institution is the South African National Gallery in Cape Town. The lack of state or civic funding are problems that afflict the majority of South Africa's national galleries. In the major cities, regional galleries showcase collections of indigenous, historical and contemporary works from the respective provinces. The universities also play an important role in acquiring works of national interest. There are also several corporate collections of national interest, including those of Standard and Absa banks and the cellular phone network MTN.

		Museums
		South Africa has a rich social and cultural history reaching back to some of the earliest human settlements in the world. More than 300 museums all over the country reflect this heritage in a range of places - from elegant 18th century homes to caves in majestic mountain ranges, cultural villages in rural settings to state-of-the-art buildings in major cities. Visitors can find exhibits both conventional and eccentric, on every conceivable topic from beer to beadwork, from fashion to food. The flagships of these cultural sites are the country's national museums - the National Cultural History Museum and the Transvaal Museum of Natural History in Pretoria, the South African National Museum of Military History in Johannesburg, the National Museum and the Anglo-Boer War Museum in Bloemfontein or the South African Cultural History Museum in Cape Town.

African Cuisine
Many visitors to South Africa are overwhelmed with the wide array of cuisine available. From the deliciously diverse flavours of local cuisine to fusion food from around the world – eating in South Africa is definitely a mouth-watering experience. Cape wines are immensely popular, hugely affordable and of good quality, as are seafoods such as mussels, oysters, crab and crayfish or South Africa’s famous marbled beef and fragrant Karoo lamb. Exotic offerings such as warthog, crocodile, ostrich, goat and guinea fowl place South African fare firmly within the context of the African continent. The influx of immigrants from around Africa has resulted in an explosion of African flavour and the legacy of the early Dutch and English Settlers and later Portuguese, combined with the open-fire (barbeque/braai) method of cooking adopted from the indigenous populations, make for a kaleidoscope of tastes befitting a rainbow nation.

		Restaurants
		Indulge in fine dining at one of the award-winning venues or go for pizza, pasta, sushi or curries in each city. Choose an elegant eatery with sophisticated ambience or a laidback restaurant offering an accompaniment of live music. The outstanding feature of modern-day South African restaurants is its value for money. Expect to pay about a third of what you would anywhere else for a gourmet meal. Good Italian dishes are probably the most accessible cuisine locally, but there are Greek, Portuguese, Chinese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, German and French eateries in all the major cities. African-inspired establishments are flourishing on the local scene. Moyo in Johannesburg and Stellenbosch serves specialties from all over Africa. Wandie’s in Soweto has become an institution and The Africa Café and Mama Africa in Cape Town are also very popular.

Nightlife
When it comes to relaxing and enjoying time out in the evening, South Africa has something for everyone. The cities offer a variety of cinemas, concerts, theatres, restaurants with life-music, pubs and many other night spots. The nightclubs and discos rival the best in the world and South Africa has a party vibe all of its own, with options to fit every budget and all tastes. Dance, trance, drum ‘n bass, R&B, jazz or classical – whichever melodies move you, they’re here. If gaming gets you going, pick from a dazzling array of luxury casinos, like the Roman-themed Caesar’s Palace in Johannesburg or the awesome Grand West Casino in Cape Town.

Shopping

South Africa is a shopper´s paradise. Large shopping malls, boutiques and shops generally coexist with a mass of street traders selling arts, crafts and anything else profitable. Stores are modern. Special purchases include gold, diamond and semi-precious stone jewellery, leather, suede and fur goods, ceramics and crafts. The imaginative handmade goods created by craftsmen and women from rural areas are especially sought after, so be sure to experience authentic Africa by browsing through the arrays of local craft markets. Local wine and brandy directly from the vineyard are cheap and usually excellent. General shopping hours: Mon-Fri 09.00-20.00, Sat 09.00-16.00, Sun 09.00-14.00 although there is an increasing trend to open later and all weekend in major tourist spots.