Last Sunday, South Africa’s ‘greatest son’ Nelson Mandela was laid to rest. The state funeral was attended by politicians, celebrities, princes, friends and relatives.
An estimated 4,500 people bade goodbye to their leader of peace. There was a tight security during the funeral of the 95-year old former president and freedom icon of South Africa.
People in South Africa
There are about 48 million of people living in South Africa wherein there is a mixed race in the area: white Afrikaners (descendants of German , French and Dutch settlers), black African (Bantu speakers), Coloured Africans (descendants of European, Asian, and Southeast Asian settlers), and Indian immigrants. The nation is regarded as the “Rainbow Nation”.
South African people are known for their polite way of speaking especially in urban areas where they usually express a form of respect as well as social propriety.
About 80% of the population is following Christianity. But since they have diverse culture, they have unique traditions.
South African Spiritual Healing:
About 80% of the population believes in traditional, spiritual healing usually performed by a “sangoma” or “nyanga” which is their version of “shaman” most of us know. It is strongly based in cosmology. Visitors around the world are welcome to witness the healing which happens all year round.
Knowing Your Way Around
There are eleven different officially recognized languages in South Africa, English being one of the main languages spoken and the other most widely used is Afrikaans. Afrikaans is mostly a derivative of Dutch and is the only other West-Germanic language spoken in the country other than English. All of the roads and major landmarks are written in English so you won’t really have that much of a hard time to get around.
Recommended Articles:
Interesting Places to See in South Africa
