Situated on the southernmost tip of Africa, the Republic of South Africa has become the international gateway to an enchanting continent. With its spectacular scenic beauty, sophisticated tourism infrastructure and charming people, it is not difficult to see why the country has been rated one of the must-see destinations on the globe. The awarding of the 2010 Soccer World Cup Finals to South Africa was a final confirmation that the country was ready to take its place as a major international player.

Tourists stream to South Africa for its famed game reserves and lodges, beautiful beaches and historic cities. Seen in an African context, the country has always been something special. Blessed with a wealth of diamonds and minerals such as gold and uranium, it attracted scores of immigrants from Europe. They came not only to share in the country’s bounty, but to enjoy its great climate and high standard of living. The new settlers and the many African tribes that inhabited the country ensured a remarkably diverse population.

The political situation in the country, which led to international boycotts and internal strife in the past, has become one of its major selling points today. Known by many as the 'Rainbow Nation', South Africa is seen a model of how intense rivals can join forces to transform a country. The nation’s “apartheid past” is not hidden, but commemorated in monuments and museums that are major tourist attractions.

First-time visitors to South Africa are often surprised by the sophistication of its tourism industry. With three international airports, it is the gateway to the entire southern African region. Glitzy shopping malls are packed with designer goods and fabulous restaurants rival those in major cities around the globe. Hotels and game lodges are world class. In fact, South Africa regularly dominates polls of the world’s top hotels and, more often than not, one of the exquisite game lodges is voted the number one hotel on the globe! However, part of the charm of the country, is that you can also experience the “real” Africa, the rural lifestyle that has lasted for generations. Small towns and rural communities welcome visitors with open arms and they, in turn, form friendships and bonds that can last forever.

Whatever the reason for visiting the country, few can fail to be enchanted by the scenic beauty. From Cape Town’s magnificent Table Mountain to the farmlands, vineyards, beaches, desert plains and the bushland, this is a destination just waiting to be discovered. The call of nature is strong – and you won’t get any closer to it than in South Africa.

South Africa’s overall climate is very pleasant. Summers are hot and winters are generally mild, although there can be snow in mountainous regions. Rainfall mostly occurs during the summer months of November to March. Peak holiday season is during December and January, especially over the Christmas and New Year celebrations. This is when South Africans head for the coastal resorts and the number of visitors from Europe reaches a peak. But this does not mean that this is the only time to visit the country. For those going on safari or visiting game reserves, the best game viewing takes place from July to September.

If you want to catch the Cape flower season, when the countryside is ablaze with colour, then August and September are the best months. The school holiday months of June/July are busy along the warm west coast of the country, predominantly Durban and the Kwazulu Natal coast. Finally, outdoor activities like diving, hiking and surfing are usually at their best after the summer’s peak, during March and April. Overall, though, if you are after sunny weather, South Africa experiences one of the highest amounts of sunshine per year in the world, making it a popular year-round destination.

The telling of South Africa’s history is a controversial issue and has long been a point of contention among historians. The claim is that it is usually seen through a “European perspective” and ignores the history of the African people who inhabited the continent for generations before any settler arrived. This debate is mostly focused on how to record the country’s past in school textbooks and academic journals. Most facts about the European settlers are not in dispute.

European settlement in South Africa began in Cape Town and gradually expanded north. The British were the first to land here, but they decided against setting up a colony at the Cape of Good Hope, leaving it open for the Dutch. Holland realised both the strategic and economic importance of the area and in 1652, they sent Jan van Riebeeck, a successful merchant, to establish a settlement. Riebeeck, along with 82 men and eight women, made the Cape their new home.

These new settlers rapidly developed the port, increasing the need for labour. Slaves were brought in to help out, but as word spread of this new colony, people regularly arrived from Holland and across Europe. These new arrivals replaced the slaves on the construction sites and it was not long before a thriving port was operational. By the beginning of the 18th century, the settlement had grown to such an extent that the Trek Boers (white farmers from Holland) had penetrated the surrounding areas looking for suitable land.

The Trek Boers liked to roam around the country on their carts, but this often caused conflict among local tribes and frequently the indigenous people were forced to fight for their land. This, however, was not the only conflict taking place. In towns and villages, local citizens opposed the corrupt and virtually bankrupt colonial government and demanded independence from the administration.

This conflict ended in 1795 when the British landed on the Cape and declared the colony British. The British continued their rule free from conflict until the mid-19th century. In 1835, over 10,000 Boers left the Cape and travelled northeast. This was largely due to economic problems and the discontent felt for the British who, in 1833, had declared the slave trade to be illegal and suggested equality between whites and non-whites.

The Boers were fighting with a native tribe called the Xhosa and when the British refused to give the Boers sufficient military protection, the Dutch began to feel that the British were destroying their social order of racial separation, or ‘white superiority’. The Boers separated themselves from the British, but this only lasted until 1910, when the South African Union was founded. A democratic state was formed, but only white people had the right to vote.

Racial separation was soon enforced, with the native people being forced to live in an area where no white people were allowed to purchase land and, likewise, they were forbidden to purchase land in the other 87 per cent of the country. In 1948, apartheid was born. This was not only about the separation of races in economic situations, but was increasingly about people’s private lives. Mixed race marriages and any mixed race relationship in general were strictly forbidden. Racial segregation in all public areas was introduced and a new education system was enforced to keep all non-whites at a very low standard. Subjects included dish washing and weeding.

Resistance from the black people came in the form of the African National Congress (ANC). Mass protests resulted in the government banning all opposition groups, forcing them underground. After the Soweto uprising of 1976, the ANC struggle became militant and South Africa became a police state.

In 1989, the then president, FW de Klerk, finally admitted the failure of apartheid policies and the old regime collapsed. This led to the first ever general elections in South Africa. The ANC was unbanned and Nelson Mandela was released from prison after 27 years. Both the ANC and the government agreed to work peacefully together and after two turbulent years, a new constitution was drafted.

In April 1994, the first democratic elections were held, with the ANC gaining the overwhelming majority. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of the new South Africa. The party has won successive elections and appointed the next two presidents, Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma. These days, with little racial conflict, the country’s is considered by many as a “miracle” and a model for others to follow.