There are many beautiful places on earth, and many filled with great history and culture, but with South Africa’s rare and true diversity and spectacular natural resources and wildlife, it is certainly not surprising that this fantastic country should be home to 8 truly unique and special World Heritage Sites!
The Cradle of Humankind, Gauteng (1999) The Cradle of Humankind was awarded World Heritage status in 1999 and the network of caves in the surrounding area is renowned as a fantastic collection of hominid fossils. There are more than 500 hominoid fossils, as well as thousands of animal fossils and Stone Age and other tools. It was here, in the Sterkfontein Caves, one the most famous of the Cradle’s cave systems, that the fossilized skull of Mrs Ples was discovered in 1947. It was this discovery, of an ancient fossilized skull, believed to be more than 2 million years old that added credence to the speculation that humanity originated in the area.
The Greater St Lucia Wetlands Park, KwaZulu Natal (1999) This new World Heritage site stretches from the St Lucia estuary to Maputaland. It contains five distinct eco systems and boasts a spectacular diversity of plant, animal and bird species. The name has recently been changed from Greater St Lucia Wetland Park to iSimangaliso Wetland Park to reflect the many areas that make up its 220 000 hectares, such as Kosi Bay, Lake Sibaya, Sodwana Bay, Mkhuze Game Reserve, False Bay, Fanies Island, Charters Creek, Lake St Lucia, Cape Vidal and Kosi Bay and Maphelane. It offers an unparalleled flora and fauna experience in this special corner of Africa.
Robben Island, Western Cape(1999) From the 17th to the 20th century, Robben Island, 12 km from the Cape Town shore, served as a place of banishment, isolation and imprisonment. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years of his life in exile on Robben Island. Today it is a World Heritage Site and museum, a poignant reminder to the newly democratic South Africa of the price paid for freedom. Robben Island has come to symbolise, not only for South Africa and the African continent, but also for the entire world, the triumph of the human spirit over enormous hardship and adversity.
The Ukhahlamba- Drakensberg Park, KwaZulu Natal (2000) This site was proclaimed a world heritage site because of its outstanding beauty and wealth of evidence of early San life, the park contains an estimated 600 rock art sites. The diverse scenic splendour includes the famous Amphitheatre at Royal Natal and the magnificent southern Drakensberg scenery at Cobham and Lotheni. This park is home to black eagle, bearded vulture and herds of eland, besides the priceless legacy of many other indigenous plants and animals. It is an amazing place to lose yourself and then find your true self again!
Mapungubwe, Limpopo (2003) Unesco describes Mapungubwe as the centre of the largest kingdom in the sub-continent before it was abandoned in the 14th century. ‘What survives are the almost untouched remains of the palace sites and also the entire settlement area dependent upon them, as well as two earlier capital sites, the whole presenting an unrivalled picture of the development of social and political structures over some 400 years,’ Unesco said. Mapungubwe is probably the earliest known site in Southern Africa where evidence of a class-based society existed (Mapungubwe’s leaders were separated from the rest of the inhabitants). The site was discovered in 1932 and has been excavated by the University of Pretoria ever since. Today, the university has a rich collection of relics made of gold and other materials, as well as human remains, discovered there. One of the most recognized gold discoveries is the gold rhinoceros, made of gold foil and tacked with minute pins around a wooden core. The rhino is a symbol of leadership among the Shona people of Zimbabwe. The site is well worth a visit!
Cape Floral Kingdom, Western Cape (2004) The Cape Floral Kingdom, found mainly along the Cape Peninsula and especially on Table Mountain, is one of only six floral kingdoms in the world. It is the smallest of the six floral kingdoms, but is certainly no less important! This recently proclaimed World Heritage comprises eight protected areas stretching from the Peninsula to the Eastern Cape. It is home to more types of indigenous plants than any other similar sized area on Earth. At least 70% of the 9 600 plant species of the Cape Floral Kingdom are found nowhere else on Earth. Fynbos, meaning “fine bush”, is a unique and strikingly beautiful group of flora prevalent to this small section of the Western Cape of South Africa. Proteas, South Africa’s national flower, are part of the fynbos family, as is rooibos, a plant increasing in international popularity as a herbal tea!
Vredefort Dome, Free State / North West (2005) Vredefort Dome, approximately 120 km south-west of Johannesburg, dates back 2,023 million years, it is considered to be one of the largest meteorites that has hit the earth and it is one of the oldest meteorites found on Earth. With a radius of 190 km, it is also the largest and the most deeply eroded. Vredefort Dome bears witness to the world’s greatest known single energy release event, which had devastating global effects including, according to some scientists, major evolutionary changes. It is a fascinating experience.
Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, Northern Cape (2007) The Richtersveld is situated in South Africa’s Northern Cape province, a mountainous desert landscape characterised by rugged kloofs, high mountains and dramatic landscapes. It is a place of contrasts! It is full of changing scenery from flat sandy plains, to craggy sharp mountains of volcanic rock and the lushness of the Orange River, which forms the border with neighbouring Namibia. Uniquely, this land has been returned to its original inhabitants, the Nama people who are direct descendants of the Khoi-Khoi people and they together with the South African National Parks board have made a huge success of managing this land to its full potential. This is a harsh and unpredictable land where water is scarce and life-sustaining moisture comes in the form of early morning fog – called ‘Ihuries’ or ‘Malmokkies’ by the local people, remarkably this moisture sustains an amazing range of small reptiles, birds and mammals. A staggering assortment of plant life, some species occurring nowhere else, is to be found here, with gnarled quiver trees, tall aloes and quaint ‘half-mens’ keeping vigil over this inscrutable landscape. Because it is so very different to anywhere else, this National Park is definitely well worth a visit!
So, next time you are looking for an interesting or unique Africa Holiday, why not consider South Africa and its 8 World Heritage sites!
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