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Education is a major aspect of every country. In South Africa, education has been praised, encouraged and respected. This is due to the fact that many South African parents come from a previously disadvantaged background and were never granted access to a decent education. Nelson Mandela famously said,“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

The reality is that Year 1 is a big deal for parents who didn’t have the same opportunity. This is still a great joy to many South African parents. However, for some, the joy fades away as their child progresses through school.

South Africa spends more on education than the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK).

South Africa’s education system performs worse than poorer nations such as Zimbabwe, Kenya and Swaziland. This clearly shows that their education system does not reflect the money they’ve put into the system. Regardless of this fact, their government continues to build more schools.

The department should look into changing the curriculum to similar models used by independent schools. Although independent schools only make up about 5% of school population in South Africa these schools absolutely excel compared to the public system throughout the country.

The department should look into creating a system that supports the kids who drop out and/or stay stuck in certain grades. Perhaps there should also be a system for those who fail.

South Africa cares a lot about its education as it helps children and their families to live their lives without worry of poverty or homelessness.
- https://educonnect.co.za/the-issues-with-south-africas-education-system/

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South Africa has the highest standard of healthcare in Africa. There are over 200 private hospitals across the country, and expats ( a person who lives outside their native country) who take out private health insurance can expect the standard of care to be equal to their home country.

Throughout South Africa there is a two-tier (a type of payroll system in which one group of workers receives lower wages and/or employee benefits than another) health care system with a large public sector and small but very high quality private sector.
The public system is so large in fact that around 80% of South Africans use public healthcare, but most expats take out private health insurance.

The skills and funding gap in the South African healthcare system places a burden on the public system, with understaffing and long waiting times a consistent problem. This has resulted in the government encouraging those who can afford it to sign up for private medical insurance. - https://www.expatica.com/za/healthcare/Healthcare-in-South-Africa_105896.html

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South African cuisine is a fusion of African, European, Indian, and Malay influences. What brings everyone together though is the practice of braai, which is similar to barbeque. What sets braai apart is that purists only do it on open wood fires, feeling that it is more authentic. It is a communal event, where South Africans come together to talk and be merry while the meat, usually lamb or beef, is sizzling on the fire. On these occasions people take the opportunity to enjoy some wine, beer or the South African cream liqueur Amarula. An inexpensive staple food in the country is pap (the Afrikaans word for porridge), which is made from ground maize and has a thick consistency, being enjoyed as a breakfast dish while it is also eaten as a side/main dish with chakalaka (spicy vegetable relish).

A sticky treat that is well known in the country is koeksisters. It is fried dough, worked into distinctive knots, which are submerged in a cold syrup that makes it very gluey. Also in the sweet category there is the melktert – a tart that has a light crust with a custard filling.

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Most households in South Africa have access to improved sanitation, piped water, electricity, health and education, according to a report released by Statistics South Africa in 2016.

But from my first hand experience in South Africa this year in April, I have come to know that in certain parts of South Africa just like all different places around the world, there is people living in poverty and do not have access to these basic living resources.

South Africa compared to other places throughout Africa is quite an established, well-off country.

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South Africans are very warm and accommodating, very much like the country’s climate. Even though there are 11 official languages in reality English is most citizens’ second or third language, so visitors are able to get along fine if they are proficient in that language.

South Africa’s culture isn’t homogenous; rather it’s a collection of different cultures, with different ones being predominant in different regions. Among the Bantu/African cultures the largest two groups are the Zulu (their homeland being in Kwazulu-Natal) and Xhosa (originating from the Eastern Cape). Among the other African cultures of the country are the Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Ndebele, and Pedi.

The population of South Africa is made up of people from a wide range of backgrounds, including people that are of mixed African, Asian and European descent. The first languages spoken by the particular group are Afrikaans (a version of Dutch) or English, and they are mainly found in the Western Cape and Northern Cape.

White South Africans (people of predominantly European descent) are divided in two groups: English South Africans and Afrikaners. English South Africans are white people who are first language English speakers, whereas the Afrikaners speak Afrikaans and are predominantly of French/Dutch/German descent (settlers from the Dutch East India Company rule 1652-1795).

There is also a significant Indian population in South Africa, who were brought to Kwazulu-Natal to work the sugar cane fields by the British in the 1800s, and most of them are still living in this very province. Mahatma Gandhi in actual fact spent 21 years in South Africa, working for the promotion of civil rights for the Indian population. - https://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/guides/guide-to-south-africa-etiquette-customs-culture-business/

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When it comes to crime and corruption, South Africa isn't doing very well.

South Africa stands among the top ten murder rates worldwide and fourth-ranked in absolute numbers said by the Globalist this year.
South Africa’s murder rate is estimated to be nine times higher than the United States.
There have been half a million murders committed since 1994, including many thousands of children. Targets also include white landowners (a person who owns land, usually a large amount of land), who still overwhelmingly control South Africa’s farmable land (over 70%). The attacks on white landowners in particular contribute to negative perceptions by foreign investors, but also speak to a need for further efforts to combat old inequalities. They have been murdered or attacked as continued racial resentments merge with crime moving beyond the cities.
When speaking to local farmers they told us that themselves and there families living on their farm all have guns in their houses as attacks and murders are quite common on white landowners.

Certain places around South Africa are very unsafe, particularly Johannesburg is very unsafe and from talking to locals (black and white South Africans) they themselves do not go to Johannesburg as it is to unsafe.

Corruption throughout the police force within South Africa is very common. Nearly half of South Africans indicate they perceive most or all police officers as corrupt. Traffic fines are the single most common event in which bribes are requested in South Africa in which my family have first hand experience with. Costs arising from crime and violence can be challenging for companies in which the police sometimes request bribes to protect businesses. Even corruption at borders and not allowing tourists into the country is very common.

In a recent turn of events, Former President Jacob Zuma will be prosecuted on 12 counts of fraud, one of racketeering, two of corruption and one of money laundering. Zuma will face corruption charges involving the 2.5 billion dollar South African Arms Deal.
- https://www.business-anti-corruption.com/country-profiles/south-africa/
https://www.theglobalist.com/south-africa-violent-crime-apartheid/