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Although those of us who consider ourselves social progressives would like to believe otherwise, the reality is that South Africa is a bastion of social conservatism. Indeed, one of the most obvious contradictions of South Africa's post-apartheid 'transition' is that the widely acknowledged (and regularly lauded) social progressiveness of the constitution does not reflect the beliefs and views of the majority of the population. This is fundamentally contradictory. South African himself. Until a few years ago, this was one of our best-kept secrets. If the heady Rainbow Nation era of the mid-1990s primarily served to obscure the political and economic…

Twenty years ago Thursday, Nelson Mandela was released from prison and democracy ushered in South Africa, but intractable social divisions dimmed the country's rainbow miracle. Mandela's African National Congress led the country from the brink of civil war to a thriving democracy, a transformation that will be exemplified at this year's soccer World Cup. But 20 years after Mandela was freed, and as the South African government struggles to live up to the high expectations of its people, especially the poor, there is little hope that South Africa has broken free from the domination of its white minority. Joy has…

It's gritty, stylish, and located downtown in one of the most dangerous cities in the world.Johannesburg's New Town Cultural District is at the heart of the city's life, and a visit here will show you why it's one of Africa's great metropolitan centres.Newtown is home to theaters famous for their role in the fight against apartheid, some of the continent's best jazz clubs, and restaurants offering all the flavors of South Africa.Its roads are named after some of the country's greatest writers, painters and voices, including the late African songbird Miriam Makeba, whose faces are adorned in colorful murals on…

South Africa has a vibrant multiparty political system, with 13 parties represented in the National Assembly of Parliament.South Africa’s  parliament in Cape Town. (Image: Wikipedia)Brand South Africa reporterThe African National Congress is the majority party, with 264 of the 400 National Assembly seats. The party also controls eight of the country’s nine provinces, with the exception of the Western Cape, where the Democratic Alliance won the majority in the 2009 elections. The ANC also controls five of the six metropolitan municipalities. Nonetheless, South Africa’s opposition parties remain robust and vocal.South Africa’s Parliament is made up of two houses: the National…

South Africa has a vibrant multiparty political system, with 13 parties represented in the National Assembly of Parliament.South Africa’s  parliament in Cape Town. (Image: Wikipedia)Brand South Africa reporterThe African National Congress is the majority party, with 264 of the 400 National Assembly seats. The party also controls eight of the country’s nine provinces, with the exception of the Western Cape, where the Democratic Alliance won the majority in the 2009 elections. The ANC also controls five of the six metropolitan municipalities. Nonetheless, South Africa’s opposition parties remain robust and vocal.South Africa’s Parliament is made up of two houses: the National…

Four men and women have been shortlisted for the 2007 South African Social Entrepreneurship Awards for their solutions to combat the social and economic challenges facing South Africa today. Helen Lieberman (pictured) and her colleague Sipho Pwani of Ikanva Labantu are one of four South Africans shortlisted for the 2007 South African Social Entrepreneurship Awards. (Image: Antoine Gazeau via Roger E. Joseph Award) brand south africa reporterFour innovative South Africans have been shortlisted for the 2007 South African Social Entrepreneurship Awards in recognition of the positive impact their work in the fields of social change and sustainability is having. .…

I have just become friends with an incredible 21-year-old rhino. While we were in a densely forested valley in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, Africa's most famous black rhino, named Sibula, shared a very closely guarded secret with me.Sibra was born in the Namibian wilderness in 1984, but was captured five years later and sent to the Lisbon Zoo. She was rescued in 1990 and taken to Augrabies Falls National Park in South Africa, where she subsequently mated with a wild male and gave birth to her first calf at the ripe old age of 10, a major milestone…