South Africa

South Africa - Introduction

The biomes of South Africa contribute in making the country a species-rich ecosystem. Albany thickets, deserts, forests, fynbos, grasslands, the Indian Ocean coastal belt, the Nama Karoo, savannas, and the succulent Karoo provide South Africa with a diverse flora and fauna profile. Albany thickets are dense woodlands found in small patches along the southern coast. The flynbos ecoregion consists of natural shrublands located in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces. The Indian Ocean coastal belt is a narrow stretch of land running 800 kilometers from the Mozambique border in the north to the Great Kei River and features dense forest areas. The Nama Karoo biome is a semi-desert region taking up most of South Africa’s southwestern territory. The succulent Karoo is situated along the west coast of South Africa and stretches north into Namibia. This area hosts 1/3 of the world’s succulent plants. 

Gemsbok - South Africa

The Amphitheatre Escarpment is the site of Tugela Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall. It has five drops, the longest being 411 meters, Tugela Falls measures 948 meters in total drop distance. Venezuela’s Angel Falls has the longest single drop of any waterfall, but the total drop of Angel Falls amounts to 800 meters.

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Oryx gazella - Gemsboks form herds numbering between 50 to 200 individuals; higher number are relative to the abundance of a reliable food source. A dominate male leads a group consisting primarily of females and dependent young males. In larger herds, the dominate bull may tolerate the presence of a beta male. Females hide new offspring in nearby brush for the first six weeks, visiting the calf 2 to 3 times each day for feeding and cleaning. When weaned, females stay in the herd; males disperse to join or form other herds.

March Lily - South Africa

Amaryllis belladonna is a bulbous plant and one of two species in the Amaryllis genus. It is native to the Western Cape region of South Africa. The flowering plant is sometimes referred as the March lily because the flower’s shape resembles a lily, but it is not a true lily. The plant has a symbiotic relationship with carpenter bees and the hawk moth. These insects are thought to be the primary pollinators for the March lily. The March lily bulb contains lycorine, a toxic alkaloid.

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The Zulu Kingdom existed from 1816 to 1897. It was a small kingdom located in Eastern South Africa. Through its military prowess, it was able to quickly gain dominance over neighboring tribes. Throughout the 1870’s, opposing Zulu and British interests intensified and resulted in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. Although the British were defeated during the opening Battle of Isandlwana, they prevailed and absorbed the Zulu territory into the colony of Natal, one of the four founding provinces of South Africa.

African Gladiolus - Eastern Cape

The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa was created in 1994 from the bantustans of Ciskei and Transkei. The Eastern Cape Province is the primary home range for the Xhosa people. Making up almost 20% of the country’s population, they are the second largest ethnic group in South Africa; the Zulus are first. 

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Gladiolus dalenii - The name for the genus Gladiolus is derived from Latin and translates as “small sword,” a reference to the narrow sword-shaped leaves put out by most Gladiolus species. The African gladiolus is native to the moist grassy regions of the Eastern Cape province. The plant grows to heights of 2 meters and produces five spikes bearing scarlet orange to bright red flowers. The African gladiolus flowers from December to February. There are about 300 species of gladiolus and they are commonly grown for ornamental purposes.

Southern Masked Weaver - Free State

Bloemfontein is the judicial seat for South Africa and serves as one of three national capitals. Cape Town, located in Western Province, serves as the legislative seat, and Pretoria, located in Gauteng Province, serves as the administrative seat of government. Johannesberg, also in Gauteng, holds the Constitutional Court.

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Ploceus velatus - The southern masked weaver is common throughout Southern Africa. Taking on several female partners, the male has the duty of weaving each of his many nests from grass, palm, and reed. The female lines the nest with feathers and soft grass. To defeat the parasitisation of nest by cuckoos, the southern masked weaver lays her clutch of eggs in various colors. This defeats the cuckoo’s ability to place an invasive egg similar in color into the host’s nest. The southern masked weaver will easily recognize any fake egg and eject it from her nest.

Fulvous Whistling Duck - Gauteng

The Golden Arc describes the geological area stretching from the cities of Johannesburg to Welkom. Once a large inland lake, the alluvial soils contain large deposits of gold and became the source for the Witwatersrand Gold Rush of 1886. Thousands of gold prospectors poured into the area and helped found Johannesburg.

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Dendrocygna bicolor - The fulvous whistling duck is one of about eight species in the whistling duck genus. Whistling ducks are gregarious birds gathering in large flocks and emitting distinctive whistling calls when traveling to and from their roosting sites. The fulvous whistling duck is found throughout the tropical regions of Africa, the Americas, and the Indian Subcontinent. Breeding pairs mate for life and share in caring for the chicks. There is no noticeable difference in plumage color, but males are larger and their call has a different acoustic style. 

Common Rain Spider - KwaZulu-Natal

Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, with about 1,000 square kilometers, is one of Africa’s smallest nature reserves, but it has the distinction of being the oldest nature preserve in Africa; it was established in 1895. Efforts to protect the white rhino from extinction has made the reserve home to the largest white rhino population in the world.

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Palystes superciliosus - Female common rain spiders have a body length between 15 to 35 millimeters and a total leg span of 10 centimeters; males are slightly smaller. Color variation ranges from cream to dark brown with a light covering of velvety hair, setae. The legs are crossed with black and white bands. The spider’s name is derived from its habit of seeking shelter during rainy days. It is generally docile, but females aggressively guard their eggs. Nests are woven together from silk and leaf material in the early summer; the spiderlings emerge in about 3 weeks.

Kori Bustard - Limpopo

The source of the Limpopo River are the Crocodile and Marico Rivers. With a length of 1,750 kilometers, the Limpopo is the second longest African river to drain into the Indian Ocean; the Zambezi is first. The Limpopo’s drainage basin is 415,000 square kilometers and draws from South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. 

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Ardeotis kori - The kori bustard is one of the heaviest birds capable of flight. A male stands 71 to 120 centimeters in height, has a wingspan ranging from 230 to 275 centimeters, and can weigh between 7 and 18 kilograms. When a kori bustard senses danger, it will lower its head and evade the situation by silently walking away. Being a heavy bird, it will avoid having to fly. When it does take to the air, the initial attempt will be awkward and the flight will be low level and cover a short distance. When landing, the wings stay outstretched until the bird reaches a walking speed.

Spotted Harlequin Snake - Mpumalanga

The Blyde River Canyon is located in the northern region of South Africa’s Drakensberg Escarpment. It is about 25 kilometers in length and reaches an average depth of 750 meters. Blyde River is one of the largest canyons on earth and the dense subtropical landscape makes it the world’s largest “green canyon.”

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Homoroselaps lacteus - Known as Gespikkelde Harlekynslang in Afrikaans, the spotted harlequin snake, one of two species in the Homoroselaps genus, is found throughout the southern regions of South Africa. Adults grow to 65 centimeters in length; newborns start life at about 14 centimeters. Females lay 6 to 9 eggs during the summer breeding season. The spotted harlequin snake is venomous, but not deadly to humans. A bite will cause mild pain and swelling. Mostly active during the night, it prefers hunting legless skinks, lizards, and other small snakes.

South African Springhare - North West

The Tswana people comprise the majority population in South Africa’s North West Province. Setswana, the language spoken by the Tswana people, is part of the Bantu family and one of South Africa’s eleven official languages. It is also the official language in Botswana and has a large audience in neighboring Namibia and Zimbabwe.

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Pedetes capensis - The South African springhare is not a hare and despite its appearance, it is not related to kangaroos; it is a rodent. Along with the East African springhare, it is one of two living species in the Pedetes genus. The large and powerful hind legs allow them to cover a distance of two meters with a single bound. The small forelimbs have sharp claws used to dig nesting burrows. Females breed year round, but give birth to a only one well- developed young during each 77 day gestation cycle. On average, females give three births each year.

Aardwolf - Northern Cape

The Big Hole, one of the largest mining pits in the world, is an open and underground mine excavated in Kimberly, South Africa. The search for diamonds began in 1871 and ended in 1914. Using only picks and shovels, the Kimberly Mine displaced 22 million tons of earth and has yielded almost 3,000 kilograms of diamonds.

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Proteles cristata - Despite being related to hyenas, an aardwolf sustains itself on a diet consisting of insects and insect larvae, especially termites. Aardwolves are primarily nocturnal and prefer spending the day in one of the cooler burrows maintained in their territory; aardwolves pair for life. When feeding, the aardwolf uses its sticky tongue to lap up insects from the ground. Unlike the unrelated aardvark, the aardwolf will harvest a termite nest without destroying it when feeding. This allows the termite population to rebuild itself for a future feast.

Blue Antelope - Western Cape

Cape Agulhas, located in the Overberg region of the Western Province, is the southern most land tip on the African Continent and serves as the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. Portuguese navigators traveling to the Spice Islands name it “Cabo das Agulhas” in reference to the needle readings of their compass. 

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Hippotragus leucophaeus - When first encountered by Europeans in the 17th century, the blue antelope was restricted to a narrow band across South Africa; fossil records indicate a larger range. The blue antelope became extinct in 1800; it was the first large African mammal to succumb to extinction. Two close relatives from the same genus, the roan and sable antelope, can still be found on the African savannahs. Measuring 120 centimeters at the withers, the blue antelope was the smallest of the three species and was named for the blueish-grey tint of its coat.  

Cities in South Africa

Durban has the largest and busiest shipping terminal in South Africa. The port facilities include berths for cargo ships and cruise liners. It also serves as a naval base for the South African Navy. The area was first sighted by Europeans when Vasco da Gama sailed along the coast in 1497. The city was named in honor of Benjamin Alfred D’Urban, a British general and former governor of the Cape Colony; 1834 to 1838.

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Cape Town was founded by Jan van Riebeeck, a navigator working for the United East India Company, Vereenigde Oost-indische Compagnie. In 1652 he sailed into Table Bay and established a way station to provision Dutch ships with fresh supplies. The Cape colony strengthened the Dutch trade route stretching from Europe to East Africa, India, and the Far East. The Dutch ceded Cape Town to the British in 1814.

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Johannisburg was established in 1866 when gold was discovered on the Witwatersrand, a 56 kilometer scarp. Early reports and findings of gold did not generate much interest until Jan Gerrit Bantjes discovered large amounts of gold at Langlaagte. The Witwatersrand Gold Rush quickly became the biggest rush in history and resulted in the unearthing of the largest deposit of gold ever found.

Jacaranda - Pretoria

Jacaranda mimosifolia - Although native to South America, the jacaranda tree is grown throughout the world as an ornamental plant. Mature trees grow to heights of 20 meters. The lavender blue flowers are 5 centimeters in length and clustered in panicles 30 centimeters in diameter. The tree is well known for its spectacular display of blooms and carpet of blue left on the ground when the flowers fall. The hardy blue jacaranda is able to survive freezing temperatures for short periods and if damaged, can easily resprout as a multi-branched shrub. 

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Pretoria is one of three cities serving as capitals of South Africa. Each branch of South Africa’s government, administrative, judicial, and legislative, is based in a different city. Pretoria is the administrative capital of South Africa. The city was founded in 1855 by Marthinus Pretorius and was named after Boer leader Andries Pretorius, the father of Marthinus. Pretoria is located along the banks of the Apies River and lies in a fertile valley nestled on the foothills of the Magaliesberg Mountains. Pretoria and Johannesburg, the seat of South Africa’s Constitution Court, are located in Gauteng province and are separated by 55 kilometers.

The Zulu

The Kraal was a typical design for Zulu homesteads. The word is derived from the Portuguese “curral” and is similar to the Spanish “corral.” In the Zulu language they were known as Isibaya. Kraals were built as two circular stockades. The inner stockade protected the livestock during the night from wild animals and thieves. The outer stockade served as a fortified barrier to protect the settlement against enemy attack. The huts were constructed in a beehive shape and featured mud brick walls with grass domes. The outer walls were made from thorny acacia trees and were tightly compacted to create an impenetrable shield. The huts were arranged in ranking order and the one nearest the entrance was reserved for the village chief. Kraals were built on gentle slopes with the entrance facing downhill. This position allowed rainwater to drain away faster and made it difficult for an enemy having to attack uphill.

Burchell Wagon

Taking his exploration of South Africa seriously, William Burchell relied on two custom built wagons for his journey through Africa. The basic design of the ox wagon, known in Afrikaans as kakebeenwa, was modified to carry the various scientific instruments necessary for Burchell’s intended work. Burchell, a botanist and naturalist, with secondary talents as an artist, geographer, cartographer, linguist, and ecologist, began his four-year adventure in 1811. The trek took him north from Cape Town to Kuruman then south to Algoa Bay and back to Cape Town. Burchell collected 50,000 specimens of plants and 10,000 specimens of animals. His botanical collection was donated to the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew and his entomological samples were donated to the University Museum at Oxford. Several species are named in his honor: a zebra, a cuckoo, a sand grouse, a lizard, a wader, a fish, and a species of ant.

Historical Flags of South Africa

The Boers, Dutch colonists living in South Africa, wanted to establish their own country independent from British rule. The Natalia Republic was a Boer state and existed from 1839 to 1843. The territory had been part of the Zulu Kingdom and was ceded to Piet Retief, a Boer leader in 1838. The Natalia Republic was taken over by the British in 1843. The Boers, determined in having their own country, set up the Orange Free State in 1854. This entity prospered politically and economically until the outbreak of the Second Boer War; 1899 - 1902. With a British victory in the Second Boer War, the Orange Free State was also absorbed into Britain’s South African holdings. The Red Ensign was South Africa’s flag from 1902 until 1928. The flag from 1928 to 1994 featured three banners on the center horizontal stripe: the British Union flag, the Orange Free State flag, and the South African Republic flag.

Bantustans - South Africa

The Bantu Authorities Act of 1951 established the creation of 10 different homelands, Bantustans, for the various ethnic groups within South Africa’s Black population. The same principle was applied to South-West Africa, now the country of Namibia, from 1968 until 1989 when South-West Africa was under South African administration. This concept of Bantustans quelled inter-tribal conflict and allowed a degree of self-government, but the primary objective was to reinforce the ruling government’s overall control without offering a true representative voice in shaping national policy by those living in the homelands. By 1986, only 39% of South Africa’s Black population lived in one of the 10 Bantustans. The South African government realized the failure of the separation policy and withdrew plans for developing additional homelands. The Bantustans were dismantled and reassigned or absorbed to provincial status in 1994.

Plants of South Africa - Red Disa

Disa uniflora - The red disa, also known as the pride of Table Mountain, is a member of the orchid family. The genus disa contains about 180 species with most originating from Southern Africa. It has a native range confined to the Sandstone Mountains of South Africa’s Western Cape province. It prefers areas near waterfalls, moist cliffs, small streams or mountain seeps; a seep is a wet area or pool fed by an underground aquifer. A perennial plant, the red disa grows to heights ranging from 15 to 60 centimeters and puts out new plants through runners, stems growing on or just below the soil. Flowering occurs during the summer months, December to March, and results in large scarlet or deep red blooms measuring almost 10 centimeters in length; pink, orange and yellows blooms are rare. The red disa relies solely on the Table Mountain beauty, a butterfly in the Aeropetes genus, for pollination.