South Africa is a country of contrasts with eleven main cultures, eleven official languages. Climate differences range from desert to semi-desert all through to lush subtropical rainforests with savanna grasslands in between. In the dryer areas thorn trees, dry shrubs and succulents dominate. To the south-east where the rainfall is normally much higher than any other region, we find large forests with tall trees of all kinds, creepers and a variety of flowering shrubs.

With a total of over twenty-three-thousand-four-hundred plant species South Africa, it is the sixth most species rich region in the world (according to Wikipedia). The Western Cape region has a dense concentration of species with the Erica the largest family of fynbos, (small to average sized shrub with small leaves). One-hundred and fifty-eight species are recorded on the Cape Peninsula alone, of which sixty-six are on the endangered list. The most popular of fynbos species is the Protea which is also South Africa’s national flower. There are at least ten Protea varieties of which the King Protea, the Pincushion and the Suikerbos (sugarbush) the best known varieties are.

Moving north from the Western Cape, the climate changes dramatically. The Northern Cape is hot and dry and the plant species are completely different. When the winter rains are good, the whole region is covered in flowers as far as the eye can see. From late in August up to October it looks as if a giant floral carpet was spread over all of Namaqualand. This is an enormous tourist attraction. Busloads of tourists from overseas as well as local visitors in cars, combis and campers criss-cross the area bringing necessary economic relief to a very poor part of the country. Further north, north-east the vegetation changes to mostly scrub and thorn trees.

 

In the far north of South Africa, the Limpopo Province, the plant variety includes grasslands, shrub and tall trees. The best known tree of this region is the Baobab, or upside-down tree as some call it. The  bark, flowers and seeds – which are popular among monkeys and birds – have, among others, medicinal use. During dry summers, elephants eat the bark for extra moisture when water is scarce. The trunk of a Baobab tree can hold up to six-hundred litre of water per square meter.

The oldest and possibly the biggest Baobab in the country, is near Mojajiskloof , (Mojaji being the local “raingoddess”). This tree is estimated at well over a thousand years and at seventy-two feet high and hundred and fifty-five feet in circumference. It is so big, you dare say it takes: “Eighty days around the wood”. Round about the age of a thousand years Baobab trees begin to hollow from the inside. This tree on the Sunland farm has hollowed such a big cavern that the owner set up a bar that can comfortably sit fifteen people for a pint or two. With a ceiling thirteen feet high, no one can feel cramped. Sadly, due to its age, the tree partially collapsed but the bar is still there.

South from the Baobab area, the plant life changes to busveld, with open grassy spaces dotted with various species of thorn trees. To the east, going over the escarpment we are back on the Lowfeld and enter rainforests where everything is lush and green for miles before the bare, sandy stretches of Mozambique begins. Driving south through the stunningly beautiful country of Swaziland, we’re headed for Natal, but only after we’ve taken a detour.

 

Talking about flowers, we cannot skip the Free State Provence. From the Lowveld we take the route back west and south, crossing the Vaalriver into the flat planes and large stretches of grasslands of the Free State. During the autumn months of March and April, cosmos flowers are in full bloom all over. As far as the eye can see, the felt is covered in pale pink, dark pink, purple-pink and white. While the west coast have a large variety of small flowers beneath knee level covering the landscape during spring, the Free State has mostly tall cosmos -up to more than six feet – and only during this time of the year. The flowers have inspired more than one poet to describe the feeling of peace and serenity they experience driving or walking through a field of cosmos.

Back on the Highveld the detour takes us through to the mountainous eastern part of the Free State where we reach the province of Kwazulu-Natal. The road snakes two thousand meters down the Drakensberg Mountains, (Dragon Mountains), past the Valley of a thousand Hills on our way to the coast.

Twelve years ago we went on a hiking trail near Cathedral Peak in the Drakensberg. We had the option to climb a ladder like the one in the picture above, one of the most difficult routes. I declined the offer and went the opposite way, finding the easiest trail far away from any sheer cliffs. The rest of the group might never admit it, but I’m sure they were relieved to have had to follow me. On this trail we found numerous species of small wild flowers, some red, most of the others white or bright yellow and orange on a carpet of short, bright-green grass. After half a day of climbing we rested our feet in a rock pool fed by a waterfall under tall trees. I cannot recall the name, but the trees were beautiful to look at.

The closer to the coast, the warmer and more humid it gets and once again the vegetation changes dramatically. Tall, subtropical trees and big flowers of all kinds and colours are everywhere. Flowering climbers and creepers with big leaves, make a sight for sore eyes.

 

Before we turn inland and westward a walk on the beach with its biscuit-coloured sand is a must. Let the warm water of the Augullas current splash over your feet.

Since the largest biome in South Africa is savanna, which includes the biggest part of Kwazulu-Natal. Originally the vegetation in this province consisted of savanna, but forest and scrub forest lines the edge of the coastline. As the African people migrated south over six-hundred years ago, the scrub and forests were removed in favour of grazing for cattle. In the 1800’s, farmers contributed to the removal of forest to cultivate sugarcane and pine-forestry for paper-making.

The journey takes us through the forests of the Eastern Cape Province where we find the tallest trees and home to the tiny bloubokkies and Addo Elephants. The Knysna forest and the Amatola forest have remained largely the same, untouched by deforestation developments. In these forests we still find stink-wood, yellow-wood and ysterhout (ironwood) trees. These are the best for furniture manufacture and antiques that was handmade during the eighteen hundreds from these wood kinds, especially yellow-wood and stink-wood have sky rocketed in value.

Onward through the Karoo we go. This arid, semi-desert region north and north-west of the Swartberg range, (black mountains), is very large and desolate. However, the variety succulent species in this region is the largest in the world according to Wikipedia.

From the decorative kind to the yummy prickly pear, if you can get to it without becoming a human pincushion.

Having almost completed the circle, we have to travel through one of the driest part of the country, the Tanka Karroo where the summer temperatures soar above forty Celsius and in winter far below zero with frost and often snow a few inches thick. With a rainfall of ninety up to two hundred and fifty millimetres per year the vegetation varies from scrub brush to small thorny trees. In spite of the heat, sheep thrive on this kind of vegetation. Nothing tastes better than a thick, fatty, Karoo mutton chop with mieliepap, (a thick kind of porridge made of maize/corn meal) and fried onions and gravy. That is, if you eat mutton. And mieliepap. Most people living in the southern parts of South Africa do not like mieliepap. They prefer roosterkoek, (bread dough cakes/buns cooked on an open fire with the chops). Mieliepap is a dish adopted from Zulu people, who calls it “putupap” into the culinary culture of the Voortrekker descendants who live in the northern parts of the country.

Maize is the staple food of most African people. The dried corn kernels are ground, mixed with water and a pinch of salt, then cooked while being stirred frequently. If you’re hungry, the pap is cooked after fifteen minutes, but the longer it stays on the heat, the better it tastes, even up to two hours. Cooked in an iron pot on open fire and it does not get better especially the hard, crusty edges.  Free State people often have it for breakfast with milk or butter or both. Buttermilk and unflavoured, natural yogurt are favourite alternatives. The Transvalers like to add sugar. I was born in the Free State. Please, don’t add sugar to my mieliepap. Leave that for my husband, born and bred in the Transvaal.

There is another reason why mieliepap is popular in these two provinces. It is one of the most important crops grown in these parts. Corn thrives in these regions and is cultivated on almost every farm, alongside wheat and sunflower.

Back to our drive through the hot Karroo the road is long, the distances are never-ending before you find habitation and a place to refresh.

Back in the Western Cape we reach the coast once more. Proreas and vineyards welcome the ware traveller. In springtime the vineyards are green, in autumn the colours are bright yellow, red orange and brown just like the oak trees in Stellenbosch of which a well-known Afrikaans poet said:

“Die jaar word ryp in goue akkerblare”.

“The year ripens in golden oak leaves.”