Ten little known facts about South Africa
1. South Africa has the hardest golf shot in the world. This tee-off point on top of a 430m mountain is based at the Legends Golf and Safari Resort, within the Entabeni Safari Conservancy in the north-eastern Limpopo Province. More than $US1 million awaits the player who can score a hole in one. Players take a helicopter to the top to play the longest – and highest – par three on the planet. The Extreme 19th Hole is so high the ball takes almost 30 seconds to reach the ground. The other 18 holes were designed by world golfing legends including Trevor Immelman, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington and Australia’s Robert Allenby.
2. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique are tearing down fences between the countries’ game parks to create a 13,500 square mile game park, which will become the largest conservation area in the world. It will be bigger than Switzerland, Belgium or Taiwan.
3. South Africa has the cheapest electricity in the world.
4. Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world – and the largest green one. The Grand Canyon in the U.S. is the biggest, and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia the second, but both are very dry.
5. South Africa and its neighbors are some of the most generously endowed geographic solar hotspots in the world, soaking up just over half of the world’s highest category of solar wattage per square metre of land.
6. Mossel Bay is in the Guinness Book of records as having the second most moderate climate in the world.
7. South Africa is the world’s leader in mining and minerals. It has nearly 90% of the platinum metals on earth, 80% of the manganese, 73% of the chrome, 45% of the vanadium and 41% of the gold.
8. South Africa has 19,004 miles of railway track – 80% of Africa’s rail infrastructure.
9. Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world.
10. South Africa has the highest commercial bungi jump in the world (710 feet).