Ten fun facts
¤There are about 900 different avian species in South Africa, which represents around 10% of the bird species of the world
¤The magnificent Tugela Falls are the second-highest on the globe, measuring some 850 metres (or 2 789 feet).
¤Table Mountain is acknowledged as being one of the oldest mountains on the planet.
¤Dr Christiaan Barnard performed the first heart transplant in the world in 1967. This took place at the renowned Groote Schuur Hospital.
¤South Africa is home to eight World Heritage Sites
¤South Africa is the largest producer of macadamia nuts in the world.
¤The country is five times the size of Japan and three times the size of Texas.
¤About a fifth of the world’s gold hails from the mines of South Africa.
¤South Africa is responsible for the generation of two-thirds of the continent’s electricity.
¤Vilakazi Street in Soweto was the residential address of two Nobel Peace Prize winners – Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
¤There are more than 1 500 plant species on Table Mountain in Cape Town alone. This represents more floral species than the whole of the United Kingdom.
