KwaZulu Natal is a highly populated region of South Africa. It is a extremely attractive sub-tropical location with fantastic landscapes and attractions including the excellent seashores of Durban, the Drakensberg mountain range and the traditional battlefields from the conflicts amongst the British, Boers and Zulus.

The people of KwaZulu Natal is undoubtedly, the most diverse in South Africa. The indigenous Zulu culture of the location is well-known for their significant warrior custom. Even today, in the phonetic alphabet, “Zulu” is used to represent the letter “Z”.

There is an obvious British effect in the province and a good number of of the individuals who reside here have a British heritage. Additionally, in Durban you’ll also find without doubt one of the largest sized populations of Indians outside of the sub-continent. Durban is also South Africa’s third biggest city and is the busiest port in Africa. The excellent weather makes Durban a renowned location over summer and winter and following the success of the FIFA World Cup, Durban will almost certainly bid to host the 2020 Olympic games.

For people travelling to KZN, Durban is a ‘must’ with so much to offer the visitor including markets, culture, shores and the newly opened uShaka Marineworld. It’s also a good base from where it is possible to check out the area. Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Game Reserve is the very best spot to go on safari while the UKlahlamba Drakensberg mountain range will offer you peace of mind and tranquillity in eye-catching surroundings.

Visitors will come across Zulu lifestyle in evidence right across the region and there are a lot of options to go to classic Zulu villages. There are around 400 miles of coast in KZN with the region in the north of the province being really unspoilt. The St Lucia Wetlands are a World Heritage Site with captivating lakes, estuaries, lagoons, woodland dunes and reefs.

The battlefields of KwaZulu Natal are famous with most likely the most widely known place being Rorkes Drift where no more than 140 British soldiers held off a prolonged assault by 4,000 Zulus.

At long last, the Midlands Meander is a route for people to travel along stopping off at various craft outlets, studios, galleries and much more established within the heart of the wonderful UKlahlamba mountains.

Western Cape tourism authorities have sounded a warning that persistent flight delays in Europe due to bad weather could result in a R360 million loss for the industry in the province.

The recent flight delays have left thousands of travellers bound for South Africa stranded.

Tourism authorities say the losses in the industry will be felt in the accommodation, catering, transport and entertainment sectors.

According to the SABC Cape Town Routes Unlimited says that the tourism industry should prepare for a 10% decrease in international visitor numbers due to the big freeze in Europe. However, they say the industry should not be crippled as they are projecting a worst case scenario.

Routes Unlimited CEO Calvyn Gilfellan says the biggest influx of foreign tourists from Europe starts in January.

He says Europe accounts for roughly 60% of foreign arrivals but despite the weather challenges they will continue to market the Western Cape as a preferred destination for other world markets.

According to various reports, South African Airways (SAA) hosted two special flights from South Africa to London’s Heathrow Airport this morning.

The flights were dedicated to SAA passengers who have been grounded since the weekend following the cancellation of flights.

SAA spokesperson Fani Zulu said the first was expected to depart from Johannesburg at 9am and the other from Cape Town at 8.30am.

Zulu also says the airline will operate its normal schedule of flights which included three flights from South Africa to London and three flights from London to South Africa.

Sapa reports that SAA acknowledged that flights out of Heathrow will be a “bit of a challenge” because one of their planes waiting at Heathrow was grounded for repairs as the freezing weather led to water in the pipes freezing and pipes bursting.

Source: News Time (http://www.newstime.co.za/Business/Flight_Delays_In_Europe_Will_Have_Adverse_Impact_On_Western_Cape_Tourism__/17344/)

MORE than 309 000 tourists travelled to SA during June and July for the Soccer World Cup, spending R3,6bn during the six-week tournament, Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk said yesterday.

The findings of a survey done by the Department of Tourism and SA Tourism, were published yesterday.

Fans stayed an average of 10,3 nights and Gauteng, the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal were the most visited provinces. The largest number of visitors came from the US, with 30000 fans, followed by Mozambique with 24000 visitors and the UK with 22000 visitors.

The World Cup boosted overall arrivals, with those between January and September reaching 5-9-million, up 16,8% year on year.

“The World Cup was a resounding success,” said Mr van Schalkwyk. “After a year of hard work the world watched in awe, after much criticism in the lead-up to the tournament, as SA hosted one of the most successful tournaments. The tournament was worth every cent and every minute that was invested in it.”

While dozens of figures were bandied about during and in the weeks after the tournament, this is the first considered and researched report to be published.

“Many of the figures showed overall arrival numbers but these figures only include those that came for the World Cup. These figures have been cleaned up by various departments and we are confident in the integrity of the data,” said Mr van Schalkwyk.

Roshene Singh, chief marketing officer of SA Tourism, said many fans were first-time visitors , particularly from the US, where 92% of travellers had never visited SA before .

Almost 90% of World Cup visitors said they would visit again while 96% said they would recommend a visit to friends and family. More than half of those who had been to other World Cups — 20% of all those surveyed — said this was the best tournament they had attended.

Mr van Schalkwyk said the World Cup was a vital building block in the tourism sector. “The World Cup really enhanced the image of SA and we see promising signs in the forward booking in the first quarter of next year.”

The departments of t ourism and s port were still identifying tournaments and sports events SA would bid for in the future, he said. The process would be managed by the n ational c onvention b ureau, due to be set up early next year.

The Olympics was on the government’s radar but no decision had been taken, Mr van Schalkwyk said. “We are still assembling the facts and it is still early in the process.

“However, in our discussions we will have to look at benefits of hosting an event that essentially takes place in one city ,” rather than many.

Source: Business Day (http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=128745)

Situated at the southern most point of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans collide is South Africa’s mother city, Cape Town. It is South Africa’s best selling tourist location with close to 70% of holiday makers from the United Kingdom making Cape Town a part of their travel plans.

Cape Town is South Africa’s earliest city and affords visitors great shopping arcades, eating at restaurants and other visitors attractions all beneath the back drop of the legendary Table Mountain. The V&A Waterfront is the perfect spot for a bit of retail therapy prior to finding somewhere to eat where you could sit outside and watch the world pass by even during the winter months.

Points of interest in Cape Town include things like the Two Oceans aquarium, a craft market or you may prefer to relax and watch the local artists perform at the amphitheatre. Robben Island was the prison where Nelson Mandela spent numerous years and it is open to visitors who can arrive by a short boat trip.

Cape Point has claimed numerous shipwrecks through the years and it is well worth going to the place that is at the very bottom of Africa. The journey over Chapman’s Peak is as spectacular as the sight from Cape Point with its hairpin twists and turns and sheer cliffs.

In addition to finding a great deal of things to do in Cape Town, it is also a fantastic base to investigate the immediate area of the Western Cape. The winelands of Paarl, Franshoek and Stellenbosch are popular with both self drive and escorted tours. Between July and October, the town of Hermanus is considered certainly one of the very best spots around the world where you are able to whale watch from the coastline.

The stunning landscape of Cape Town makes it a great location to spend your getaway for individuals in search of action, entertainment or relaxation. A full selection of accommodation is available geared to all budgets.

The Blue Train journey travels in between Pretoria and Cape Town which is a 27-hour route of 1,600 kms (994 mls), through part of the most different and remarkable landscapes provided by the African sub-continent. The world-class Blue Train carries holidaymakers across the exceptional surroundings that stretches between Pretoria and The Mother City providing service that features wonderful food and spacious accommodation. The Blue Train has been carrying passengers since 1939 and takes it’s name from its blue engines, carriages and leather seats. The Blue Train owes it’s origin to the Union Limited and the Union Express, that, from 1923, connected Joburg together with the mail ships sailing from The Mother City for the UK. In days gone by when the Union Castle boat docked at Cape Town, you might possibly have taken the Blue Train to Joburg, South Africa’s economic powerhouse figuratively and literally built on gold.

The new Blue Train is the most magnificent train globally and the very best way to travel. In 1947 the 3 month long tour by the British Royal Family saw the acquiring of 8 ivory-painted air-conditioned saloons from Great Britain, 3 of which were constructed to Blue Train sleeping car specifications, while the other 5 were specialized saloons to be used by the Royal Family and Field Marshal Jan Smuts, the Prime Minister of South Africa. It is no surprise these prominent travellers take the Blue Train. Falling asleep with a Karoo moon above and waking up to a fresh pot of coffee as the Blue Train passes Cape vineyards really is a sensation that is difficult to beat.

The Blue Train suites live up to their reputation for magnificence and splendour. The Blue train brings you to an ageless world of high-class living, incorporating the romance of travel by rail together with the lavishness of a grand hotel. Much of the attraction of the Blue Train is based on its history and it can with ease lay claim to being undoubtedly one of the top 3 deluxe trains on earth. The Blue Train equals the majority of five star hotels with regards to elegance, grace, comfort and style with decorations created by a leading interior design business. An a la carte South African selection is simply just part of the Blue Train service and also comes with butlers looking after your every need as well as a exquisite suite. Taking only 2 days, the Blue Train travels from Pretoria to Cape Town or the opposite way round.

With menus boasting a selection of local dishes, food on the Blue Train is an encounter itself — from Karoo lamb and ostrich fillet to Knysna oysters — accompanied by award-winning cultivars from the Winelands of the Western Cape. The royal blue menus with their gold cord undoubtedly are a colour representation of the area through which the Blue Train passengers are voyaging. The Blue Train is equipped with the finest bone china in white, cut-crystal and classic silver cutlery engraved with the familiar “B” insignia. Wonderful South African wines enhance a gourment food list offered in a classy atmosphere making dining a wonderful experience on the Blue Train. It’s a showcase for South African wines and following thoughtful deliberation with top South African wine professionals have been selected to accompany every course on the menu.

Guests are requested to check-in 60 minutes prior to leaving in the Blue Train lounges in Pretoria and Cape Town. The Blue Train management team is at your disposal to ensure each and every passenger has a wonderful experience during the journey. The personal suite brings together the desires and needs of a contemporary world with the enchantment and style of classic luxurious train travel in Africa. Your Blue Train suite is a day time high-end lounge. Your own Blue Train butler will convert your private suite into a high class bed room through the night. The suites aboard the Blue Train meet its track record with regard to magnificence and splendour.

The Blue Train still links Pretoria and Cape Town a few times per week but nowadays is targeted fairly and squarely at holidaymakers. Blue Train guests are offered an out of the ordinary trip in high-class style and comfort that they can could reminisice over for many years. The mystique, the feeling of luxury and history that come with one of the planet’s most celebrated trains is part of the appeal for first timers and returning guests. The boutique on board the Blue Train is often a treasure trove of gems and minerals as rich as Africa itself. Unique branded gifts are given to Blue Train passengers on the end of the journey. As a memento passengers receive an engraved sherry glass with the Blue Train company logo. A lifetimes desire for numerous is a journey on the notable Blue Train of South Africa.

The defining feature of the Free State is undoubtedly it’s fantastic sense of open spaces. It’s vast open plains combine with the Drakensberg mountains giving a beautiful contrast of scenery.

Evidence of the ancient San people who lived here thousands of years ago can still be seen in the rock art they left behind. This rock art heritage of South Africa is recognised by art historians as among the world’s fantastic cultural treasures.

The capital of Free State is Bloemfontein and it lies in the very heart of the province offering a relaxed urban lifestyle with a country feel.

Outside of the city, there are several places that are highly recommended. The fantastic outdoors is a big attraction and one of the finest driving routes is the 150 mile stretch from Harrisburg through the fantastic Maluti Mountains passing through Ficksburg and Clocolan on the way.

The Golden Gate National Park is yet another of South Africa’s many national parks. This wondrous place features magnificent sandstone sculptures created by Mother Nature herself. There is also a museum, amphitheatre and tea garden but don’t forget to keep a look out for the magnificent Black Eagles and Bearded Vultures.

An additional national park worth visiting in Free State is the QwaQwa National Park. Taking the Sentinel Trail through QwaQwa is one of the easiest ways to reach the Drakensberg plateau and on the way, you should drop at the Basutho Cultural Village to acquire a feel of the way the native men and women live.

The town of Clarens is known as a getaway for artists. Flanked by sandstone cliffs, you will discover a good number of art studios, fantastic craft shops, discos and places to eat.

In general, the tempo of lifestyle in Free State is not so quick with the rhythm of the farming calendar taking over activities. It is just a destination where you can easlily take pleasure from excellent meals, brilliant hospitality with dramatic environments just like the Golden Gate Park and the Maluti Mountains.

Cape Town is leading the country’s local authorities in providing basic services to households and the Western Cape is the top province in service provision.

This is according to a monitoring project for the period 2001 to 2007 by the national Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), the Business Trust and the University of Stellenbosch.

Cape Town mayor Dan Plato said the city was “very proud” of its number one ranking but warned there was “much room for improvement”.

“By any measure, this municipality has much to be proud of in the way in which it contributes to the day-to-day well-being of residents. We will not, however, rest on our laurels – we can and will do better,” he said.

The uHabs Index – an acronym for the monitoring of universal household access to four basic services (water, sanitation, refuse and waste removal, and electricity and energy) – has been compiled as a 2009 baseline measure so that the department can track levels of access to basic services and how these are changing over time.

It is one of the tools that the national government plans to use to help meet its commitment to halving poverty and unemployment by 2014, and also deliver universal access to these four basic services by this date.

The uHabs Index is based on an analysis of Statistics SA data (censuses, community survey 2007 and general household surveys), and data from the Demarcation Board and poverty data from Stats SA interpreted by the University of Stellenbosch.

It defines the poverty line as R5 350 per capita per year as at February 2007 (R3 864 in 2000 prices).

According to the report, none of the nine provinces scored more than 90 percent in terms of universal access to all four basic services in 2007.

Western Cape, Gauteng, Northern Cape and Free State scored between 60 percent and 89 percent. North West, Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal scored between 30 percent and 59 percent, while Limpopo came in last at significantly less than 30 percent.

The Western Cape ranked first, with 88 percent universal basic access and 83 percent universal higher access. (See accompanying box for an explanation of “basic” and “higher”.)

The corresponding figures for Gauteng are 79 and 75 percent; Northern Cape 71 and 62 percent; Free State 60 and 53 percent; KwaZulu-Natal 45 and 38 percent; Mpumalanga 40 and 34 percent; North West 38 and 34 percent; Eastern Cape 33 and 29 percent; and Limpopo 15 and 13 percent.

Overall for South Africa, 40 percent of the 12,4 million households (47,37 million individuals) were below the poverty line in 2007. Just 54 percent of these households enjoyed universal basic access to all four services, while 49 percent had higher access to all four.

The 129 448km2 Western Cape had 1,38 million households in 2007, with 24 percent living below the poverty line.

Some 99 percent of these households had basic access to water and 91 percent higher access to water; 93 and 92 percent respectively for sanitation; 95 and 90 percent for refuse collection; and 95 and 95 per cent for electricity.

Cape Town ranked first among the 52 district and metropolitan municipalities and was the only one with a performance level above 90 percent for universal access to basic services.

But 24 percent, or a shade under one quarter, of the 921 560 households in the city were below the poverty line in 2007.

All Cape Town households had basic access to water and 91 percent had higher access; 94 percent basic and 93 percent higher access to sanitation; 98 percent and 94 percent respectively for refuse collection; and both 95 percent for electricity.

Overall, 91 percent of households had basic access to all four services, while 87 percent had higher access to all four.

Vuyelwa Qinga Vika, spokeswoman for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka, said the report contained no surprises.

Western Cape Premier Helen Zille said: “… It’s good to put things into perspective for the bigger picture, especially in the context of where people talk about ‘service delivery’ protests”.

“The question is: ‘Are things better or worse?’ I believe we’re going in the right direction, but we can only go step by step.”

Top five ranking:

The Western Cape’s five district municipalities all feature in the list of the top 10 district and metropolitan municipalities in the country, according to the uHABS Index.

The Overberg district municipality ranks 2nd after Cape Town, the Central Karoo 4th, West Coast 6th, Cape Winelands 7th and Eden district municipality 10th overall.

The City of Johannesburg ranks 3rd nationally, Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth) 5th, Namakwa (Springbok) in the Northern Cape 8th, and Fezile Dabi in the Free State (centred on Sasolburg) 9th.

The Frances Baard district council (including Kimberley) in the Northern Cape comes in at 13th nationally, eThekwini metro (Durban) 14th and the City of Tshwane (Pretoria)17th.

Limpopo’s five local authorities are ranked 29, 44, 47, 48 and 51 respectively, while those in the Eastern Cape are 5, 16, 32, 40, 42, 50 and 52.

The worst-performing local authority — at both national and provincial level — is the Alfred Nzo district council, in the Eastern Cape, where 68 percent of the 153 000 households were below the poverty line in 2007. Just 2 percent had universal access to all four basic services and just 1 percent had higher access.

Source: iol News (http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/cape-is-sa-s-best-performer-by-far-1.876247)

With it’s warm winters, hot summer temperatures and golden shores stretching as far as the eye can see, Durban is a really fantastic leisure holiday destination. It is an attractive urban centre where a blend of local cultures “African, Asian and European” is mirrored in a mosaic of architectural variations, a melting pot of traditions and colourful dishes to satisfy any tourists dream. Durban is no more than sixty minutes flying time from Joburg, it’s fortunate setting on the eastern shores making it South Africa’s single holiday destination which promise warm winters and subtropical summers.

Durban covers the area from the globally renowned Umhlanga Rocks in the north to without doubt one of the recommended scuba diving attractions around the world, Aliwal Shoal, in the south and west to the regal Valley of a Thousand Hills.

Durban was initially developed around a natural harbour which happens to be without doubt one of the most admired in Africa. It is home to a sizeable array of yachts and pleasure craft, a passing stop for ocean liners and the southern hemispheres most frantic port. Pubs and places to eat make the most amazing waterside location.

Amanzimtoti has expanses of golden sands with dunes and rock pools, in addition to popular fishing spots that deliver sports and adventure for the daring. Durban is blessed with a large quantity of vegetation and a subtropical local climate with sunshine for about 320 days per year and average temperatures up to 25 Celcius in the winter.

uShaka Marine World is the newest component to Durban’s beachfront water family. It is home to an underwater aquarium, a place to eat on a sunken shipwreck and many different water pursuits along with a shopping mall with a lot of speciality boutiques.

Durban is a lively urban centre featuring the ideal area and climate for all varieties of sporting events including the July Beach Festival with international surfing event, music concerts and a good number of beach sports, the Comrades Marathon, the most unrelenting marathon around the world with without doubt one of the biggest fields of entrants.

Inside the urban centre, you will stumble on a world-class sporting precinct including rugby and football stadia, athletics tracks, Olympic swimming pools, cycling track, archery range, cricket stadium and a modern top rated A1 Grand Prix street track.

Durban unquestionably is South Africa’s beach play ground.

The Walt Disney Company has been involved in talks with South African business delegations about hosting a theme park that could attract millions of visitors. It is believed that two South African provinces are vying to host the theme park.

Both the Free State and Mpumalanga are believed to be in the running although Mpumalanga, which hosts 19 game parks including the Kruger, claims that it is the favourite.

Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency CEO Charles Ndabeni said the agency was negotiating terms of reference with Disney World, after which a feasibility study would be carried out. He also claims that it could be ready by 2020 and would generate an investment of 25 billion rand (2.6 billion euros).

However, the move was criticised by the Free State Democratic Alliance opposition which says that the “provincial funds should be spent on building houses rather than playgrounds.”

Disney says that is continually on the outlook for opportunities to grow its business although denied on Monday that it had specific plans to open a park in Africa .

However, both states have confirmed they sent delegations and that the race has begun to attract the multi-billion dollar theme park founded in 1966 by Walter Elias Disney.

Source: rfi English (http://www.english.rfi.fr/africa/20101116-south-africa-talks-host-disney-theme-park)

LIMPOPO will rock when the annual Limpopo Music Festival, featuring the best Afro-pop and Afro-jazz musicians, takes place this month.

Called The Party Event of the Year in the North, the festival, which was inaugurated in 2008, will take place on November 27.

This festival has a huge following and attracts music lovers from as far as Mpumalanga, North West and Gauteng.

Presented by Capricorn FM, with support from Absa, MTN and White Star, the Limpopo Music Festival will be staged at the Seshego Stadium in Polokwane.

An organiser of the event invited the entire province and South Africa “to come and celebrate the beginning of the holiday season and the end of 2010 in style”.

Featuring a sensational line-up of South Africa’s most popular superstars, the Limpopo Music Festival is showcasing the best of the best in a programme that will be packed with powerful performers.

These include Lira, Malaika, Thandiswa Mazwai, Ntando, Nhlanhla Nciza, Jaziel Brothers, Zamajobe, Jeff Maluleke, Thembisile Ntaka, Colbert Mukwevo as well astwo development bands.

Gates will open at 11am.

Tickets are already available, so run along to Computicket or Shoprite Checkers to secure your seats immediately because tickets will not be sold at the gates.

Source: Sowetan Live (http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/entertainment/2010/11/10/polokwane-is-ready-to-rock)