editing my essay

February 25,2016

South Africa is a Wonderful Country

South Africa is a country with unique attractions among nations in the African continent. Besides the Indian Ocean and the South Atlantic, its neighboring countries include Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho. The study is set to discuss three essential concepts that define South Africa, the wonderful and interesting people there, exotic wildlife, and beautiful Cape Town city.

South Africa is an interesting nation because of its diverse cultural background, which has earned it the pseudonym, “The Rainbow Nation.” Apart from the blacks that make up at least 75% of the population, and the rest of them are whites, which shocked me because I never heard that South Africa had white people. Religion also defines the extent of the country’s diversity with Christians, Muslims, and Hindus. It awesome how there were many religions to take by, whereas most of countries have one or two religions to take. What is more, language presents South Africa as one of a kind on the globe. Besides English, other ten official languages include Afrikaans, Zulu, Ndebele, Swazi, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Tswana, Tsongo, Venda, and Xhosa. They talk really fast then what I imagined, I felt it too hard to understand them.

The aspects that highlight the interesting part about South Africa entail etiquette and customs. Because every country has different way of greeting, I was stunned at the way the local people greeted me it was awesome: they shaked my hands with foreigners whilst maintaining direct eye contact and shine smile. Occasionally, women decline to shake hands with foreigners, as they prefer nodding. Actually, it is the some in my country with women; this compels an individual to wait and determine whether a woman will nod or extend her hands. Based on gifts especially during marriage, culture dictates that one ought to take to a South African home, flowers, wine, or chocolate.

Interestingly, they seem too more hospitable when compared to Americans. In business transactions, South Africans are trustworthy and initiate long-term business pacts without having prior knowledge of one another. In addition, their commercial dealings utilize the notion of egalitarianism, which calls for respect in relation to seniority in business settings.

In spite of the above positives, Xenophobia blights the reputation of South Africa as a “rainbow nation,” since some South Africans perceive foreigners as hindrances to their economic empowerment. They believe that foreigners take job opportunities meant for them. Surprisingly, South African's are harsher to Africans from other African countries than Whites and Asians. Besides, a small number of Africans have had to cope with racial abuse from their white counterparts, mostly at places of work.

The wildlife sector is another source of South Africa’s spectacle despite the various challenges it is encountering such as widespread poaching, urbanization, and farming. Environmentalists have ensured that they protect the country’s wildlife heritage that consists of the big five, cats, birdlife, reptiles, and mammals. The big five consists of lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, and rhinos. They are found in parks like Kruger National Park and the Hluhluwe Umfolozi and other major reserves such as Pilanesberg in the North Western region. The big cats consist of leopard and cheetahs. While leopards are found in Northern parts and Southern Cape, Cheetahs are mostly found in the Kruger National Park, KwaZulu-Natal reserves, and Kgalagadi Trans frontier Park in the Northern Cape. A wider part of South Africa’s conservation area accommodates other big animal species such as zebras, kudus, wildebeests, giraffes, and hippos.

Mammals such as samango monkeys, vervet, nocturnal bush babies, chacma baboons and meerkats can be found in the country. Furthermore, South Africa has marine mammals in abundance, with the biggest ones being the blue whale that is 33 meters long. Other fish species such as rock lobsters and abalone which has over 2,000 species makes up 16 % of the world’s total fish population. Crocodiles are the most charming of all the reptiles and are mostly found in the KwaZulu Natal shoreline in the north. Other reptiles include tortoises, turtles, and snakes. In terms of birdlife, the country has approximately 850 endemic and near-endemic bird species for example kingfishers and cuckoos. The main challenge facing wildlife conservation in the region is poaching, with elephants, rhinos, and cape hunting dogs being the most endangered animals. For instance, the country now has around 120 elephants, compared to more than 10,000 it had in 1920.

South Africa has magnificent cities such as Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg. Nonetheless, Cape Town is the most beautiful of all the cities in the country. Situated at the Table Bay, the city traces its roots from ancient Boer commercial entities, which operated sailing ships in the Far East, India, South Africa, and East Africa. Its population is only exceeded by Johannesburg and Durban. Primarily, Cape Town serves as the political, social, and economic center in the region. Notably, the city hosts the South African National Assembly as well as being the seat of the City of Cape Town Metropolitan Municipality.

Socially, the city is renowned for its racial tolerance, due to influx of immigrants after the abolition of slave trade. The liberal nature of Cape Town explains the huge number of Black population in the area. It is also a sporting center with world-class stadia, which can host global sporting events. For instance, the city held nine football world cup matches in 2010. In relation to its economy, it is among the country’s critical economic hubs, based on its annual economic activity and its economic growth rate of approximately 3.7 %. Economic advancement in the city is attributed to the continuous growth of financial, transport, logistics, and other business services. Precisely, the city has a competitive edge in sectors such as electronics, hospitality, and furniture. The above aspects make South Africa a suitable destination for tourists in Africa.