South Africa - Zulu Kingdom - (Travel Daily News)

South Africa - Zulu Kingdom - (Travel Daily News): "KwaZulu-Natal offers just about everything a tourist could want! And when better to shout its praises than during September - South Africa`s National Tourism Month!

It has majestic, rugged mountains that are, at times, covered in snow. It has rolling green countryside dotted with quaint villages, hotels, craft shops and farms. It has pristine wilderness inhabited by a huge diversity of wildlife, including the traditional Big Five - lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo. Plus whales in the waters of the marine reserve off the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park, making it the Big Six.

Then there are the beaches, ideal for swimming, surfing and sun worshipping. Of the 22 South African beaches with the international Blue Flag badge of quality, 14 are in KwaZulu-Natal. There are also stunning coral reefs for the enjoyment of diving and snorkelling enthusiasts. The climate is balmy and sub-tropical, and the sun shines all the year round - so there is never a bad time to plan a visit!

KwaZulu-Natal has a fascinating history. It is here that the Zulu nation was formed in the very early nineteenth century by Shaka, the great warrior king who built up a mighty empire and from whose clan the current Royal Family of the Zulus are descended. It is where the Anglo/Zulu War was fought and where a crushing defeat was inflicted on the British at Isandlwana. It is where decisive phases of the Anglo/Boer War were fought. Battlefields and monuments from these different military encounters are scattered about the province.

KwaZulu-Natal has the major city of Durban as entry point - and all the province`s many attractions are within a few hours` drive away from this hub. Durban is Africa`s largest harbour and itself a tourist attraction with its upmarket waterfront right in the heart of the city including the new uShaka Marine World Development - and a vibrant multi-cultural character.

allAfrica.com: South Africa [opinion]: Need a Reason?

allAfrica.com: South Africa [opinion]: Need a Reason?: "KWAZULU-Natal is an ideal investment choice for some investors because of its coastal position. However, there is so much more to the province than the obvious."

BBC NEWS | Africa | Skiing without snow in South Africa

BBC NEWS | Africa | Skiing without snow in South Africa: "Downhill skiing is a sport that requires strength, skill and guts - all prized qualities for South Africans.

In the few weeks of the southern hemisphere winter, thousands of ski enthusiasts make the long journey up into South Africa's Drakensberg mountains."

Finance24 : Lesotho, SA sign deals

Finance24 : Lesotho, SA sign deals: "Kwa Sani Pass - Agreements of transport, infrastructure development and co-operation in search and rescue operations were signed between South Africa and Lesotho on Friday.

Transport Minister Jeff Radebe and his Lesotho counterpart Popane Lebesa signed the agreements on the Lesotho side of the border on the top of the Kwa Sani Pass.

Radebe said: 'We acknowledged that implementation of the agreements needs all sectors of our countries to work together, while we as governments will forge an enabling environment.'

He said challenges that faced both countries, such as poverty, called for the constant invention of new ways and means to address them.

Lebesa said the signing of the agreements signified the culmination of a long assignment which began in 2001 at the adoption of joint bi-national commission on co-operation between the two countries.

The chairperson of Lesotho Mokhohlond District Council, Nkoebele Makhakhe, speaking through an interpreter, said for a long time the community had felt neglected by the Lesotho government, but the signing of the agreements overwhelmed them with joy.

He said the building of a road connecting the district with South Africa would increase tourism to the area and co-operation in search and rescue would help those caught on the mountain during snowfalls in winter.

He said he hoped the carrying out of the agreements would be 'crowned with success'.

Also present at the signing were William Lesly, South Africa's high commissioner to Lesotho, and Maggie Bather, mayor of the Kwa Sani municipality on the South African side of the border.

The transport infrastructure development agreement would include improvements to Kwa Sani Pass road which winds through Drakensberg mountain range.

It can take an hour-and-a-half to travel the 40km of untarred road to travel from the nearest South African town of Himeville to the Lesotho b"

Star - Nature's palette of joy

Star - Nature's palette of joy: "Nature's splendour can be discovered all over South and Southern Africa. But, writes Winnie Graham, many people still have to discover the wonders of the Drakensberg. It's all there: rock art, landscapes and biological diversity.


There was a time when lonely herdsmen watching their cattle among mist-shrouded peaks were the only ones to appreciate the
exquisite wild flowers of the uKhahlamba Drakensberg - one of South Africa's magnificent World Heritage sites.

All that has changed as more and more tourists, both domestic and international, head for the mountains.

The plants of South Africa's eastern seaboard are rapidly becoming as much a tourist attraction as those of another World Heritage site: those of the Western Cape, an area stretching from the southern tip of South Africa to Namaqualand. This has been described as 'one of the world's most precious natural assets' and has been identified as one of the top 20 key eco-regions of the world crucial to conservation. "

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Drakensberg Park Grant Grows Jobs

allAfrica.com: South Africa: Drakensberg Park Grant Grows Jobs The largest government grant for a conservation project in SA in a rural community was proving to be a success, and was likely to be expanded, an official overseeing it says.

The advances that Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife, formerly the Natal Parks Board, had shown with a R53m poverty-relief grant in spreading skills and income made it likely the scheme would be widened, said Rob Faure, project manager at uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site.

Drakensberg development

Drakensberg Development: "The government has granted R53-million to the KwaZulu-Natal conservation agency Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for a poverty relief programme within the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park World Heritage Site, the agency said on Sunday.
"