Rainbow nation

The culture of South Africa is a distinctive fusion of numerous people who are descended from African, Asian, and European tribes. "The Rainbow Nation" is how Archbishop Desmond Tutu best described South Africa. The four major ethnic groups in South Africa are the Venda, Sotho, Nguni (of which the Zulus and Xhosa are the largest, most well-known sub-groups), and the Shangaan-Tsonga. The Afrikaners of Dutch heritage, whites of British ancestry, and large communities with Indian roots are other dominating groupings. Major cities are cultural melting pots where you can find stores and stalls selling a wide variety of things.

For instance, you can discover samosa and curry shops, corner stores with racks of Dutch-perfected beef jerky known as biltong, tea cafes where locals savor freshly baked scones with hot tea, and several local sellers offering hand-crafted African artwork like paintings and wood carvings.

You can still encounter authentic African culture in South Africa's rural areas. There are entire regions and localities where inhabitants continue to live in huts or other modest buildings, just like previous generations did. Here, men continue to give dowries to their brides, cattle still serve as a primary indicator of wealth, traditional art is flourishing, and—best of all—dancing, singing, and music are significant aspects of daily life. The best thing about South Africans, regardless of their ethnicity or place of residence, is that they generally have a positive outlook on the future and are quite welcoming of others.