South Africa photograph

South Africa

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Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa
Capitals Cape Town
Pretoria
Bloemfontein
Dialing code +27
Currency South African rand
Population56. 72 million (2017)
Date of Reg.
Date of Upd.
ID734428
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About South Africa


South Africa is a country on the southernmost tip of the African continent, marked by several distinct ecosystems. Inland safari destination Kruger National Park is populated by big game. The Western Cape offers beaches, lush winelands around Stellenbosch and Paarl, craggy cliffs at the Cape of Good Hope, forest and lagoons along the Garden Route, and the city of Cape Town, beneath flat-topped Table Mountain.

South Africa: The region where political violence is on the rise ahead of elections

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Dec 3,2023 8:41 pm

...By Fergal KeaneBBC NewsThirty years after the transition from apartheid to a democratic South Africa, Fergal Keane returns to a country experiencing increasing political violence in a key region to see what happened to the hopes and promises of a better nation...

BBC Sound of 2024: Tyla, Last Dinner Party and Kenya Grace tipped for success

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Dec 3,2023 7:21 pm

... South Africa s Tyla also makes the cut, hot on the heels of her hit single Water; as does Nigeria s Ayra Starr...

Israel-Gaza war: The Red Cross's delicate role in hostage crises

Israel-Gaza war: The Red Cross's delicate role in hostage crises
Nov 27,2023 12:11 pm

... Global hotspotsDuring Nelson Mandela s long imprisonment in apartheid South Africa, the ICRC visited him regularly on Robben Island...

Argentina election: Javier Milei's radical proposals face test of reality

Argentina election: Javier Milei's radical proposals face test of reality
Nov 26,2023 11:41 am

... Mr Milei s predecessor, outgoing left-wing President Alberto Fernández, had carefully nurtured ties with Beijing and had welcomed an invitation to join Brics, the China-led group which also comprises Brazil, Russia, India, and South Africa...

Oscar Pistorius to be freed on parole

Oscar Pistorius to be freed on parole
Nov 24,2023 6:41 am

... Pistorius, now 37, was sentenced by a South African court in 2016 to serve 13 years in prison...

Climate change: Rise in Google searches around ‘anxiety'

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... Countries in the Global South - such as Chile, the Philippines and South Africa - represented smaller shares of search queries...

Obama, Clooney and Gates: 'We can end child marriage in a generation'

Obama, Clooney and Gates: 'We can end child marriage in a generation'
Nov 20,2023 10:51 pm

... " The three women spoke exclusively to BBC 100 Women during a visit to Malawi and South Africa...

Hannes Strydom: Ex-South Africa rugby star dies in car crash

Hannes Strydom: Ex-South Africa rugby star dies in car crash
Nov 20,2023 7:31 am

...By Gem O ReillyBBC NewsSouth Africa s former rugby star Hannes Strydom has died in a car accident at the age of 58...

Black Coffee - the South African DJ who made history at the Grammys

Nov 17,2023 3:21 am

South African DJ Black Coffee has always decried the pigeon-holing of African Music onto the side-stage as opposed to what he called the " main stage" of music events and festivals.

Now, the musician, whose real name is Nkosinathi Maphumulo, is celebrating a long-held ambition after winning a Grammy award for Best Dance/Electronic Album for his seventh studio record, Subconsciously - The First African to win this category. Most previous African Grammy winners have achieved their awards in the World Music category.

" My phone went absolutely crazy The Second the award was announced, " Black Coffee told The Bbc . " Hearing that I had won, And Then going up On Stage to accept the award, still feels incredibly surreal and probably will for a little while. "

The superstar DJ - who has performed to hundreds of thousands of people at the prestigious Coachella Music Festival , in Ibiza and clubs around The World - had wanted his latest record to gain international recognition.

Wearing an all-white suit and accompanied by his son to collect his first Grammy, the DJ, producer and songwriter was for once lost for words and simply started his acceptance speech with The Word " wow".

On His Way up to get the award he embraced French DJ David Guetta , who featured on The Album : " I saw David On My Way up to The Stage to accept the award and we shared a brief, special moment. "

He gave special thanks to all those who featured on Subconsciously, including another global star, Pharrell Williams .

" The main reason I do what I do is to carry The Flag of My Country . To be recognized in this way outside of a 'World Music ' category makes all of the Hard Work Worth It , " said Black Coffee .

Now, he wants to use his music, which he describes as " home-brewed but future focused" to help more African musicians get recognition on a global stage.

Success did not come overnight for Black Coffee , who describes his music as an acquired taste.

The 46-year-old was born in The Port city of Durban, but at the Age Of eight, he moved to A House in The Town of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape , where there was no running water or outside toilets and he had to carry out daily chores such as milking his grandmother's cows. He was desperate to Get Out and Do Something greater with his life.

Being part of his cousin's sound system crew for parties offered him The First glimpse into his future. But at the Age Of 14 tragedy struck. On the eve of Nelson Mandela 's release from prison, Black Coffee was out celebrating With Friends . Suddenly a car ploughed into The Crowd and inflicted permanent injury, causing him to lose the use of his hand.

But this did not stop him from pursuing his music dream. He was driven and continued to practise.

'I wasn't feeling The Music '

It wasn't until 1994 that his music career began in earnest, and it would be another 10 Years before his Big Break .

" I knew him in the early 2000s and like lots of other kids he would give me his demo tapes and I wasn't feeling The Music , " DJ Oscar Mdlongwa, known as Oskido, told The Bbc .

Mdlongwa is considered one of The Pioneers of kwaito, a gritty fusion of low-tempo House Music and urban African vibes, which preceded the now globally recognised Afro-house and amapiano genres.

A few years later, Black Coffee found out where Mdlongwa lived, went there and made him sit down to listen to his new project - a retake of old classics by legendary South African artists.

Mdlongwa was impressed and gave the young musician an opportunity, helping him to create his Record Label Soulstic, from which his award-winning debut album Black Coffee , was released in 2005. The Album featured a remix of Hugh Masekela 1970s classic, Stimela.

" When I met him, he was a guy who was looking to be heard, for The World to hear him and Some People didn't believe in what he was doing, " Mdlongwa recalls, highlighting Maphumulo's willingness to " sacrifice".

After huge success in South Africa , Black Coffee start marketing himself overseas, sometimes playing for free, even in Europe, not knowing anyone and willing to starve, until he made it.

He is now one of The Most famous DJs in The World .

'African musicians are unmatched'

Black Coffee hopes his win will help shine a light on African musical talent: " More and more artists from The Continent are starting to break through to a more mainstream audience, and I'm hoping this will just continue to increase over time, " He Said , highlighting the what he calls the unmatched talent Coming Out of Africa.

His success has inspired other South African musicians.

" We were due for a Grammy win of this magnitude and it will open new markets for South African artists, " Afro-jazz artist Simphiwe Dana told The Bbc .

President Cyril Ramaphosa agrees.

" Thank You for flying The Flag and inspiring a New Generation of talent to take over The World , " He Said .

His success comes at a time when The Influence of South African Music is already growing around The World , thanks to a new genre called amapiano. A fusion of soul, Afro-House Music and heavily synthesised piano, shares of global streams on the AmaPianoGrooves playlist on Spotify have increased 116% globally over The Past year, according to Rolling Stone magazine.

Helping African children is a recurring theme of his. On Sunday he had a message to them, as well as for all those from an impoverished background who do not think they stand a chance.

" It's not about Music Alone but anything that they want to do. The Grammy is a symbol that [it] is possible to get here. "

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Source of news: bbc.com

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