 Saturday, 12th Jun 2010 11:24 by Elaine Dean With the World Cup finally underway and the launch of our new site, it seems a perfect time to re-publish our roving reporter's adventures during her recent visit to the host nation in which she discovered what you should see (besides football) while in South Africa. There may be many of you who are going (or already there) to South Africa who are wondering what they can do in the days between games and see something more of the fabulous country they are visiting. All of the stadia are in reasonably large towns & cities and there are lots of things to see and do. Rustenburg, where the England team is based is about a 2 hour drive from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo airport – assuming that the journey is not made during the rush hour when the sprawling conurbation is gridlocked. The nearest tourist attraction in this area is Sun City, South Africa’s answer to Las Vegas. However, with care, there is a lot to be seen in Johannesburg and it is home too much of the recent history. Tours can be booked in all of the hotels although self-drive is better if one has some local knowledge. We have recently returned from a long tour of South Africa and the last 5 days were spent in JoBurg. The first must-see here is the Apartheid Museum which is in Gold Reef City and at least 3 hours should be devoted to this thought provoking reminder of how life used to be in South Africa until only 20 years ago. Unprepossessing from the outside and stark inside, it is an essential insight of how society can go so wrong. We also visited one of the latest museums – the buildings of Lilies leaf Farm in Rivonia where Nelson Mandela hid disguised as a farm labourer for months. It is also where most of the ANC’s high command were eventually arrested, leading to the famous Rivonia Trial where Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Govan Mbeki, Ahmed Kathrada and others evaded the death sentence but were imprisoned for life. The buildings had fallen into disrepair but they have been well restored. No visit to Johannesburg is really complete without going to Soweto, not just where Soccer City is located but to see some of the main locations of the freedom struggle. Tourists are advised to only visit the main sights unaccompanied and to book a Soweto guide for anything involving straying from the tourist path. That means that the Hector Pieterson Memorial and the Mandela and Tutu houses are well signposted and perfectly possible to visit. There's a real atmosphere of community in this area of Soweto, they are so proud that this is the only street in the world that was home to TWO Nobel Peace Prize winners. Away from the recent history, the Cradle of Humankind, about 30 km out of the city is also well worth a visit, especially the restaurant which is completely open to the bush. Museum Africa is also worth a visit although care should be taken when walking around that area and it is located close to the new iconic Nelson Mandela Bridge. Much is made of security issues and fears of crime in Johannesburg but it is perfectly safe if care is taken much the same as in any other city in the world. Don’t be alarmed by the fact that everyone lives behind fencing – it’s a national obsession. It’s a great vibrant city, one of the greenest I have ever seen and although there is still a huge divide between rich & poor, it is well worth visiting. The hotels around the airport are a long way from all the sights and the best areas to stay are north of the city in the Sandton, Rivonia & Randberg areas. Make the most of the World Cup being held for the first time in Africa and see as much as you can of a nation that has emerged from a dark period into a new age of reconciliation and democracy. One of the world’s most wonderful cities plays host to England’s second game on 18th June. Capetown is more ‘Africa Lite’ in that it has a Mediterranean climate (which means it will be cool & wet in June!) and a café culture. The new Green Point stadium is located in the most superb position right on the water’s edge and close to the famed Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. This is very much tourist Africa with its plethora of shops, restaurants, malls, craft markets and visible ‘tourist police’. It is also the point, through the Nelson Mandela Gateway by the red clocktower, for possibly the number one ‘must do’ in Capetown – Robben Island where Mandela & co spent around 18 years of their 27 years incarceration. It is not possible really to turn up on the day as only ‘no show’ & cancellation tickets will be available but tickets can be booked either online at or by telephone and collected at the desk. Crossings are subject to weather conditions in Table Bay but take three and a half hours in total, half an hour each way to cross and with a two and a half hour tour of the island and a visit to the former maximum security prison with a talk by a former political prisoner. Simply seeing Mandela’s cell and imagining 18 years spent in there reduces most visitors to tears – it is a truly emotional experience especially for anyone who was involved in the freedom struggle either in South Africa or abroad. We were lucky enough to see a whale out of season on the return journey. If Robben Island is the top attraction then it must be closely rivalled by the trip to the top of Table Mountain by revolving cablecar. This again is subject to weather conditions which can change very rapidly on the Cape Peninsula especially when the famous ‘tablecloth’ of thick mist drops down. The views are absolutely stunning and the journey to the top is not stressful even for those with vertigo.
There is plenty to see and do in the Capetown area, from the penguins at Boulders Beach, to the treacherous Cape of Good Hope, the magnificent beach at Camps Bay and the tropical gardens at Kirstenbosch. There’s the Cathedral where Archbishop Tutu preached and the City Hall where Mandela first addressed the frenzied thousands after his release. Time really should be taken to visit the Winelands as not only is the scenery magnificent but there are now many co-operative vineyards where black and white work together for the good of the community. The Cape wine scene has come into its own in the last fifteen years. Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 impacted positively on the South African Wine Industry and on the acceptability of South African wines internationally. The lovely towns of Stellenbosch, Franschoek & Paarl are well worth visiting for their own worth and the ‘picnic’ under the plane trees at Boschendal has to be the best ever! Another attraction in the area for the more adventurous is ‘shark cage diving’ - but unfortunately whale watching will be totally out of season during the World Cup. Capetown and its surrounding areas are relatively safe for tourists. Of course you would take the same precautions as in any city and keep off side streets at night and certainly do not wander into the shanty towns, flash camera, wallet, money or jewellery. This is still a country with a huge divide between rich and poor but in the Western Cape they welcome tourists and are excitedly awaiting the World Cup. Most of the focus of the World Cup will probably be on the stadia in Soweto and Capetown – but there are other new venues which merit a mention in places well worth a visit. I was lucky to see a few more of South Africa’s stadia but not all. Johannesburg is the most amazing, Capetown’s is stunningly located, Durban the most reminiscent of Wembley but for sheer originality and fun, Nelspruit takes the prize. Situated a good four hours drive east of Johannesburg, this city is close to the Kruger National Park and because of its location in Mpumulanga, the stadium has been designed so that the supporting girders around the outside are shaped like giraffes and painted bright orange. The interior seating plan is black and white and representative of a zebra’s stripes. It really does look amazing. Unfortunately it only hosts a few first round games but as Italy play in Nelspruit it should get some coverage. Anyone going to any games in Nelspruit will surely try to find time to spend at least one day on safari in the Kruger and also to visit the Blyde River Canyon and ‘God’s Window’ – reputed to be one of the best views in Africa. England is playing at another of the new stadia – Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth. The city of PE itself is not one of the country’s finest but it has the advantage of being very close to the Garden Route and it is possible to visit Plettenberg Bay (or Johannesburg-on-Sea as it is known as so many JoBurgers holiday there) the delightful little town of Knysna – where France & Denmark are basing themselves – and the Storms River. Those who are going to base themselves in Durban will probably have the best weather as it has a warm climate all year round and the temperature rarely drops below 20 degrees C. The newly-built Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban has a Wembley style arch and this is meant to symbolise that a divided nation has been united. Durban itself is noisy and brash and fans may be well advised to base themselves in the Umhlanga Rocks area of the city which is more touristy but there are plenty of opportunities for surfing and shark diving. Moses Mabhida himself was an ANC hero during the struggle against apartheid and Durban is in the province now known as KwaZulu Natal where not surprisingly, Zulus are in the majority. Rustenburg is about two hours north of Johannesburg and Pretoria (Tshwane) about 45 minutes from JoBurg. Rustenburg itself is no great attraction but South Africa’s answer to Las Vegas, Sun City, is just up the road. The most isolated stadia are those in Bloemfontein and Polokwane so we should perhaps be thankful that England are not scheduled to play in either – and France are due to play in both! If you are going to the World Cup I hope you have a fantastic time and make the most of your opportunities to see as much of the wonderful country of South Africa as possible. Just stay safe – and please try to bring the Jules Rimet Trophy back with you! To see some pictures from Elaine's South African adventure, take a look here!Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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