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Our heroes
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Godfrey Mokoena, Olympic long-jumper
South Africa’s Olympic silver medallist Godfrey Khotso Mokoena is triple-talented, beginning with the high jump and successfully moving on to the long- and triple jump. more
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Francois le Vaillant: 18th Century explorer
With sponsorship and a wide-eyed attitude to travel, the 18th Century explorer Francois le Vaillant had the time of his life in South Africa. more
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Ladysmith Black Mambazo
The music of Ladysmith Black Mambazo has won numerous awards and accolades over the last 4 decades and they are recognised as among South Africa’s most successful cultural exports. more
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Thomas Bain
19th Century road engineer Thomas Bain is the man responsible for most of the elegantly built mountain passes of the Western Cape – and many other local infrastructure projects. more
More about Our heroes
Nelson Mandela
It is impossible to bring tribute to our great Madiba by only using words, especially after a lifetime of unparalleled generosity and forgiveness of this great soul. more
James Kitching: fossil hunter of the Karoo
James Kitching led a full life, most of it in the wide open spaces of the Karoo, looking for fossil remains of the pre-dinosaur Permian Period. more
Esther Mahlangu
Esther Mahlangu has dedicated her life to develop, promote and evolutionise traditional Ndebele wall painting. Her art has been on walls, a car and a plane across the globe. more
Top 10
Architectural masterpieces
1Nelson Mandela Bridge, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Jo’burg dwellers just love the futuristic Nelson Mandela Bridge in Braamfontein, the longest cable-stayed bridge in the country.
2Union Buildings, Pretoria, Gauteng
Built by Sir Herbert Baker in 1913, the crescent-shaped Union Buildings in Pretoria are an impressive example of imperial architecture in South Africa.
3Jumma Musjid Mosque, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal
A Durban icon – this place of worship with its twin minarets was for many years the largest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere.
4Tumulus Building, Mogale City, Gauteng
The twin-sided, underground museum at Maropeng in the Cradle of Humankind, blends cutting-edge architecture and landscape, and symbolises mankind’s journey from prehistory to the space age and beyond.
5St George’s Anglican Cathedral, Cape Town
One of the Cape’s finest buildings, this impressive church is designed the French Gothic style.
6Constitutional Court, Johannesburg, Gauteng
Built on the site of the Old Fort Prison Complex, in Hillbrow Johannesburg, this building offers a dramatic take on our modern history.
7Voortrekker Monument, Pretoria, Gauteng
A Pretoria icon built in honour of the Voortrekkers who made their way to the highveld from the Cape during the Great Trek.
8Pietermaritzburg City Hall, KwaZulu-Natal
A beautiful example of Victorian architecture, this building is said to be the biggest red-brick building in the Southern Hemisphere.
9Red Location Museum, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape
An award-winning architectural tour de force in the midst of New Brighton Township in Port Elizabeth the museum is dedicated to the apartheid struggle.
102010 FIFA World Cup™ Stadia
Our 2010 stadia are sporting architectural masterpieces and symbols of our national pride as the host nation of the first-ever African FIFA World Cup™
