South African Media

Safari magic in the heart of the Zulu kingdom

If you are wondering where to go on holiday at the end of the year - think Elephant Coast.

The Zulu kingdom's Elephant Coast has just launched its seven safaris marketing campaign, which offers visitors exactly what the name suggests - a choice of seven stunning safaris on the Elephant Coast.

The Elephant Coast combines the best of terrestrial and marine natural environments; the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve and the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park - a World Heritage Site since 1999 - are both world-class conservation areas.

The seven safaris consist of birding, fishing, Big Six, ocean, action, wellness and cultural safaris.

Birding safari: The Elephant Coast is regarded as a premier birding hotspot of South Africa, with over 70 different birding spots and 600 species in a huge variety of habitats. Mkhuze and Ndumo Game Reserves each have recorded more than 400 species within their respective areas.

The Zululand Birding Route, a non-profit project of Birdlife SA, focuses on conserving birds and their habitats by promoting and developing birding tourism in the greater Zululand region.

Fishing safari: The unique marine, lake and wetland ecosystems of the Elephant Coast are home to many fish species. Traditionally, domestic visitors have flocked to this area, with fishing being a prime activity.

Since the ban on driving on beaches and the drought in the area leading to the closing of the estuary mouth, fishing tourists have stayed away.

Theres fishing, birding, culture, adventure and the Big 6
The fishing safari campaign aims to highlight the wide range of angling experiences that are still available - tiger fishing on the Jozini Dam and Pongola River, fly fishing at Cape Vidal and Kosi Bay, deep-sea launches from St Lucia and Sodwana Bay and rock and surf fishing all along the coastline.

Big Six safari: The Elephant Coast offers excellent viewing of the Big Five (rhino, elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard) in reserves and the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve and Tembe Elephant Park are the two Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife properties that offer a Big Five experience.

A Big Six experience gives you the opportunity to spot the traditional large mammals as well as the sixth - the whale. Thanda Private Game Reserve and Phinda Private Game Reserve are two reserves where you will definitely find the Big Six

Advantage Tours and Charters is the sole permit holder of the SA Whale Route, and they run their boat-based whale-watching tours from the town of St Lucia. They offer money-back guarantees on the trips that they run during the whale season from June to November.

Ocean safari: Two hundred and forty kilometres of pristine coastline from Maphelane in the south to Kosi Bay on the Mozambique border offer unparalleled marine experiences.

Apart from whale watching and deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkelling and turtle tours add to the marine activity list of the Elephant Coast.

The southernmost coral reefs of Africa situated off Sodwana Bay are home to 95 identified species of hard and soft corals and over 1200 species of fish.

From the end of October to January, loggerhead and leatherback turtles come ashore to nest and in January and February the tiny hatchlings return to the sea.

Action safari: A number of product owners have started offering action-oriented activities. Horse safaris, ranging from one-hour, half-day and full-day rides to multi-day outrides, are available in St Lucia, False Bay, Sodwana Bay and Kosi Bay.

Sea kayaking and canoe trails are increasingly popular. off-road trails for quadbikes and custom-built buggies are on offer. Kiteboarding at Sodwana Bay is starting to become a serious drawcard.

Wilderness Trails offered by KZN Wildlife on the eastern shores of the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park and in the Imfolozi Game Reserve provide an amazing encounter with nature.

Wellness safari: Three properties in the Elephant Coast have developed wellness centres. Services at these lodges range from massages (kahuna, Swedish, hot stone therapy, Indian head) to facials, pedicures and manicures and body wraps.

Cultural safari: The Zulu and amaThonga cultures form the basis for an interesting cultural experience. The ancient fish traps of the Kosi Lakes are testament to an age-old interaction of human residents with their natural environment.

Cultural tourist villages and authentic walking trails through rural communities provide an insight into some of the cultural aspects of the residents of the Elephant Coast.

Important historical sites such as the Battle of Ghost Mountain, Dingaan's Grave and Border Caves add to the wealth of archaeological and historical features.

All these safaris and destinations are accessible and they are definitely affordable, offering accommodation ranging from camping, self-catering units, bed and breakfast establishments, hotels and lodges and exclusive hideaways.

The Elephant Coast is a two- or three-hour drive from Durban travelling towards Mozambique, and Gautengers intending flying can land either in Durban or at Richards Bay.

The road from Hluhluwe to kwaNgwanase (Kosi Bay) has now been tarred as part of the Lubombo Spatial Development Initiative and has thus made Sodwana Bay, Lake Sibaya and Kosi Bay much more accessible

Hector Pieterson statue presented to Mandela

A statuette depicting the famous photograph of the fatally wounded Hector Pieterson cradled in a friend's arms was presented to former president Nelson Mandela on Tuesday.

The statuette is a small replica of a life-sized bronze statue to be donated to the people of Soweto later this year, said Sweden's Thanda Foundation.

The 1.88-metre-high, 300kg statue would be a "gift of friendship" from the people of Sweden and South Africa to honour and commemorate the freedom struggle, said Swedish IT entrepreneur Dan Olofsson.

Olofsson and his wife Christin founded the Thanda Foundation which is co-sponsoring the statue with South African entrepreneur Matthews Phosa.

"Hector Pieterson and his generation will forever remain an inspiration and source of national pride for all South Africans," said Phosa.

The iconic photograph was taken by Sam Nzima on June 16, 1976, during the Soweto uprising against the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in township schools.

It shows Mbuyisa Makhubo running for help with the 13-year-old Pieterson in his arms and Pieterson's sister Antoinette at his side. Pieterson was declared dead at a nearby clinic.

The statue was sculpted from the photograph, using computer graphics, by South African artists Kobus Hattingh and Jacob Maponyane - also responsible for the statue of former president Nelson Mandela in Sandton.

"June 16, 1976, was a critical turning point in South Africa's history and it focused the international community's heart and mind on the plight of the struggle," said Olofsson.