Rugby, a South African symbol
When you think of sport in South Africa, the first thing that comes to mind is the famous green and gold jersey of the Springboks (named after the "spring antelope" that can be seen in the Kalahari Desert), one of the most famous rugby teams in the world, the team was immortalized on the big screen by Clint Eastwood in the film Invictus, which tells the story of the local rugby team's amazing success in the 1995 World Cup, won in post-apartheid South Africa and under the eyes of Nelson Mandela (played by the brilliant Morgan Freeman). The historic victory in the final against the mythical New Zealand All-Blacks precedes those of 2007 against England in France and that of 2019 in Japan, still in front of the English. This last World Cup was also another historic one for the Boks, as they won the Webb Ellis Trophy with a black captain for the first time, third row Siya Kolisi. This is a powerful symbol, as for several decades rugby symbolised apartheid, as it was worshipped by white Afrikaners. No black or mixed-race person was allowed to wear the national team jersey. The South Africans from Kolisi will now try to keep their trophy at the next edition, organised in France in 2023.
Football, the other national sport
The first major success came in 1996, and it was on home soil once again! One year after the rugby players won their World Cup, the Bafana Bafana ("the boys" in slang) national team won the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in its first appearance. Led by Mark Fish, the idol of an entire nation, the national team wrote an important page for football in the country. Since then, a national league has been established. The Premier Soccer League consists of 16 clubs and is played from August to June. Pretoria's Mamelodi Sundowns, champions in 2020, are the most successful team (ten wins). But it was the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the world's biggest sporting event after the Olympics, which was a unique event in the history of the country and even the continent. The eyes of billions of television viewers, three million foreign visitors and the cream of the world's sports media were focused on the southernmost tip of Africa, a continent never before chosen to host sporting events of this scale. A total of nine stadiums hosted the 2010 World Cup matches to a cacophony of vuvuzelas. Five of them underwent major renovations: Soccer City and Ellis Park in Johannesburg (Gauteng), Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria (Gauteng), Royal Bafokeng in Mafikeng (North West) and Vodacom Park in Bloemfontein (Free State). Two new stadiums were built: Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit (Mpumalanga) and Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth (Eastern Cape). Three stadiums were completely rebuilt: the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane (Limpopo), the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban (KwaZulu-Natal) and the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town (Western Cape). The South African national team may not have made it out of their group, but it was a historic moment on home soil. Although they did not qualify for the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, Bafana Bafana will be back in the news in 2019 by reaching the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations.
A passion for cricket
For a long time reserved for the white elite like rugby, cricket has become a true national sport with its legendary Newland Stadium at the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town. With the massive influx of Indians and Pakistanis in the 20th century, the apartheid nature of the sport began to diminish over the years. Today, the national cricket team is increasingly mixed.
Long live the noble art!
Boxing has long been popular. Mandela, as a young lawyer, was already warming up his gloves! Today, with the TV broadcasting rights and the arrival of international promoters, boxing is enjoying a new lease of life. For the kids in the slums, boxing is the hope of pocketing a few hundred rands in one go. It is said that there are a thousand professionals in the country, all children of Joe Gumede, the man who organized the first fight between a black and a white man on November 4, 1978 (in the middle of apartheid) - Segkapane-Steyn: Segkapane won. More recently, we can mention Zolani Tete who won in 2017 at the WBO World Cockerweight Championship and confirmed this success by winning on points in April 2018, before losing in 2019 to Filipino John Riel Casimero.
Renowned golfers
Gary Player remains the most famous South African golfer with three British Opens, three Masters, two USPGAs and one US Open to his credit. The man who also won the South African Open 13 times did a lot for his sport and his country in the 1960s and 1970s. Ernie Els took over from him. Winner of the US Open in 1994 and 1997, winner of the 1996 World Cup with Wayne Westner, winner of the British Open in 2002, "Big Easy" was a South African prodigy with a renowned swing. Other talents followed: Louis Oosthuizen, Retief Goosena, Trevor Immelman or Charl Schwartzel.
Activities to discover a breathtaking nature
Hiking and Trails. South Africa, with its incredible landscapes, is a paradise for hiking enthusiasts. Whether it's in the Cape Mountains, the Drakensberg or the Blyde River Canyon, the views are breathtaking and there are hikes and trails to suit all abilities. For those who have the time and opportunity to go to Lesotho, be prepared to discover friendly locals and spectacular cliffs. For the more courageous, there are walking trails through the wildlife of the Kruger Park, accompanied by rangers armed to the teeth.
Canyoning, rafting and climbing. The KwaZulu-Natal and the Drakensberg offer magnificent sites for you to explore. A combination of sliding, climbing, swimming, jumping and hiking. For the thrill-seeker!
Horseback riding. Horses have been bred in South Africa since the dawn of time, so it's easy to do this activity just about anywhere. One of the best areas to ride is Lesotho, which offers fabulous scenery, but you can also take a ride in the country's many parks for an original safari, on the beaches, on the shores of lakes or in the vineyards.
Golf. Want to play golf on sublime courses surrounded by antelopes and giraffes? South Africa, with its exceptional courses, is made for you. In the Cape region, where the climate is favourable, you can practice your swing at very affordable rates and in optimal conditions. Most courses also offer wine tasting after the game.
Hunting. The country is very popular with lovers of great hunting. Although this sport is supposed to contribute to the regulation of the herds, everyone will make their own opinion. In any case, the reserves open to hunters are generally not the same as those where you will go... to photograph the impala.
Skiing. In June-July or even August, snow falls on the Maluti, on the border with Lesotho. The Afriski Mountain Resort with its five lifts is located here. In the southern Drakensberg, above the village of Rhodes, the small resort of Tiffindell also awaits you with its hotel, 2 km of slopes, snowpark and snow cannons
Underwater or on the water, activities of choice
Diving. Welcome to the shark paradise! Gansbaai, located 2 hours east of Cape Town, is known worldwide as the Mecca of great white shark diving. Whatever the season, the spectacle offered by the lord of the oceans on the surface or underwater in the cage will leave you with unforgettable memories! But it would be a shame to be satisfied with cage diving only in Gansbaai. In fact, the dives in the Durban area are just as magnificent, if not more impressive, because in addition to the great white shark, this area has a very large variety of other sharks: tiger shark, hammerhead shark, blacktip shark, etc. So, during your dive in KwaZulu-Natal, you have every chance that your cage will be encircled by a dozen sharks at the same time. Unforgettable!
But sharks will not be your only encounter. It must be said that at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans (and their respective currents) lives a unique population of marine animals, whose stars are also whales, penguins, seals, sea lions, dolphins..
A colony of penguins has been established at Stony Point, about fifteen kilometres west of Kleinmond. They are cousins of those of Boulders Beach, the famous protected representatives of the only African species, Spheniscus demersus. What can we say about the spectacle of the whales, which sometimes come within a few metres of the shore? The southern right whale(Eubalaena australis) is the most common in Walker Bay, south of Cape Town. It gives birth here, between June and November, 8,000 km from its summer home in Antarctic waters. A unique spot to observe them from land and sea!
Surf-kitesurfing. Surfing enthusiasts and speed freaks meet in South Africa, especially in Cape Town, to take advantage of the windy spots and big waves in the area, but also around Durban. It's impossible to walk along these beaches without noticing the surfers in the waves, from the smallest wave to the biggest tube, like on the world famous spot of Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape. Attention riders!
