20 interesting facts you didn’t know about South Africa

South Africa is a beautiful diverse country with an abundant amount of wildlife, stunning scenery, enjoyable food, a range of cultures and friendly people.

Officially called, Republic of South Africa, the country has a pulsating history, since 1652 when Jan van Riebeeck set up a refreshment station in Cape Town.

Facts

South Africa produces the world’s most macadamia nuts.

Three of some of the world’s fastest animals are found to be roaming the plains of Africa – the cheetah, the wildebeest and the lion.

Table Mountain, found in Cape Town, is believed to be one of the oldest mountains on the planet.

Table Mountain, Cape Town.

About 850 species of birds are found in South Africa; some permanent residents, some are yearly visitors.

South Africa has 560 wineries and 4 400 wine producers. The world’s longest wine route is Route 62, found in the beautiful Cape Winelands.

Kruger National Park has the leading diversity of wildlife species in Africa.

The Cape Floral Kingdom is the planets smallest of the six floral kingdoms.

There are more than 2000 shipwrecks off the coast of South Africa, most dating back to at least 500 years ago.

There are 3 capital cities in South Africa; Pretoria - administrative, Bloemfontein – judicial, Cape Town – legislative.

The country is five times the size of Japan and three times the size of the US state, Texas.

Lesotho is its own country surrounded completely by South African borders.

South Africa was the first country to build their own nuclear weapons and then voluntarily give up and dismantle their nuclear programme.

The country is one of the world’s top gold producers.

Durban's port. 

Durban has the largest port in the whole of Africa, and the ninth largest in the world.

South Africa has one of the world’s most official languages in a country, with 11 official languages.

SABMillers is a South African brewery and the second largest in the world.

Rooibos meaning red bush, is a tea which is only grown in the Cederberg area of the Western Cape.

There are about 280 000 windmills on farms across the country.

Chris Hani-Baragwanth Hospital is situated in Soweto and is the third biggest hospital in the world.

Cape Town has the fifth-best blue sky in the world according to the UK’s National Physical Laboratory.