South Africa is a large country extending nearly 2000 km from the Limpopo River in the north to
Cape Agulhas in the south and nearly 1500km from Port Nolloth in the west to Durban in the east.
Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland run from west to east along South Africa's
northern border and Lesotho soars above the grassland towards the south-east.
The country can be divided into three major parts: the vast interior plateau (the highveld), the Great Escarpment
at its edge (the Kalahari Basin), and a narrow coastal plain (the lowveld).
Its position just south of the Tropic of Capricorn makes South Africa a mostly dry and sunny place but the climate
is moderated by its topography and the surrounding oceans.
Basically the further east you go, the wetter it becomes, but there are also damp pockets in the south-west,
particularly around Cape Town.
The coast north from the Cape becomes progressively drier and hotter, culminating in the desert region south of Namibia.
Along the south coast the weather is temperate, but the east coast becomes increasingly tropical the further north you go.
When it gets too sticky, head for the highlands which are pleasant even in summer.
The north-eastern area gets very hot and there are spectacular storms here in summer.
In winter the days are sunny and warm.
For the first time traveller to Africa, South Africa is not a bad place to start. The infrastructure is very good,
the climate is kind and there are few better places to see Africa's wildlife.
But South Africa is, in my opinion, not 'Africa'.
The wildness and sense of adventure you get in other parts of Africa are sadly missing here.
South Africa has been 'civilised' and made 'tourist friendly' to the point of ridicule!
Just about everything worth seeing has a fence around it and requires you to pay an entry fee, even trees!
