As the Fifa 2010 Soccer World Cup finally reaches the African continent, thousands of passionate fans are sure to follow, bringing with them the hopes of victory and all their misconceptions regarding the country’s offerings.
Any one asked to comment on South Africa is quick to mention rich landscapes, thick bush and awe inspiring wildlife. Although rightly so (after all, South Africa does have all these things), visitors often fail to recognise the depth of what the country has to offer.
Gold, the world’s first heart transplant, Nobel peace prize holders, wine routes, an enormous man-made hole and Retinal Cryoprobe are just a few other important elements making up this diverse, vibrant and passionate country.
As the producer of almost half the gold in the world, South Africa is a world leader in gold and diamonds, proving that it is a diamond in the rough, fraught with possibility.
Few people realise the medical expertise the country has housed. Some notable South African medical professionals include Dr. Chris Barnard, who successfully completed the world’s first heart transplant in 1967, and Dr. Percy Amolis, who invented the Retinal Cryoprobe used successfully on former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to repair a detached retina. That same type of surgery was also used to successfully remove a cataract from Nelson Mandela’s eye, enabling the former president to – for the first time – read a speech without glasses.
In addition, South Africa is the only country in the world to have two Nobel Peace prize winners from the same region. When they won their awards, both former president Mandela and Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu lived in Soweto, a township situated near Johannesburg.
South Africa also boasts the largest man-made hole and the longest wine route in the world.
So next time South Africa enters the topic board, one should dig deeper and consider the country’s other hidden talents, beyond the bush. Many would be surprised to discover South Africa’s other “wild” achievements.
