On Monday, March 19, the San Antonio Chamber’s delegation returned from an insightful and educational nine-day tour of the beautiful country of South Africa. This was the first trip to this picturesque country, where an excited group of 44 learned about the South African culture.
The trip proved to be an eye-opening experience for all. Upon arrival in Johannesburg, the biggest city in South Africa and also the financial hub of the country, the group spent the night near Mandela Square. The following day, we left the city for Hazyview, and along the way stopped in Soweto (South Western Township), the largest black residential area in South Africa. The group visited the Orland Children’s Home and gave several items for the orphaned children living there. The journey continued as we prepared for an exciting safari ride in Kruger National Park, one of Africa's leading game sanctuaries that covers more than 7,700 square miles of land. It also boasts the greatest species diversity in Africa with more than 140 resident mammal species, including the iconic Big Five (lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and rhino). The group took two 4x4 vehicle rides that provided nearly unlimited photo opportunities to snap pictures of zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, wild dog and vast antelope herds.
After two days at Kruger National Park, the group flew to explore the wine-producing region of the Cape Winelands in Stellenbosch, where they visited picturesque vineyard estates and sampled some of the finest South African wines. The stroll through Stellenbosch exposed the group to a charming vineyard village that boasted splendidly preserved Cape Dutch and Georgian-Victorian architecture.
The next stop took the group to Cape Town, one of the world's most picturesque tourist destinations and most beautiful cities. Snug between hilly mountains and pristine white beaches, Cape Town is often called the cosmopolitan hub of Africa. Here, they climbed one of the “Seventh Wonders of The World,” Table Mountain, where they were able to see one of the region’s most dramatic panoramic views over the city. From there, the group drove to Hout Bay for a relaxing boat ride to watch seals swim and play in their natural environment. Afterwards, the group continued to the Cape of Great Hope Nature Reserve, the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent, and the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach. They were also honored to hear from Christo Brand, a former prison warden and friend of Nelson Mandela.
A large part of the group extended their trip to Victoria Falls and will return tonight. The beauty of this Chamber South Africa tour was that the group was able to fit so much of Africa into so little time.
