Religion in South Africa

Religion in South Africa, just like in any other nation, is an integral part of many citizens everyday life. During my time in Johannesburg this summer, I got to experience multiple different church services and styles. I was pleasantly surprised by the passion and variety in many South African churches.

South Africa is often called the "rainbow nation"[1] because of its vast uniqueness and variety and this is true of its religions just as much as any other part. Religious freedom is a constitutionally protected right and the people of South Africa practice many denominations and styles. The main faiths of the region are Christianity, Judaism, Islam, traditional African religions and Hinduism.[1]

Christianity and Islam, in particular, have grown tremendously in the last 100 years! Christianity has increased seventy-fold and Islam twenty- fold. [2] South Africa now houses about 20% of the world's Christians and 15% of the world's Muslims.[2] In general, more Muslims live in the Northern part of Africa with more Christians in the Southern part. According to a recent report "many Africans are deeply committed to Islam or Christianity and yet continue to practice elements of traditional African religions". [2] For many, the tensions between these two religions are seen as reason for much of the violence, while others see the tolerance of differing views as a sign of hope for the future. 

The religious sect unique to this nation is the traditional African religion. This is largely developed by oral story-telling throughout generations. This religion emphasizes community and moral actions. Above and beyond the regular traditions of priests, teachers, and preachers, the African people often attribute power to "mystics" or "sangomas" [1] which are particularly prominent in Zulu tradition. These people are supposed healers who have been chosen by the ancestors as counselors and healers. 

This leads into the great pitfall of traditional African religions which truly breaks my heart. Most African people do not believe that they have direct access to God or their "supreme being" and therefore they put great trust in the ancestors as intercessors. The African people do not live in the freedom and grace that we know to be true which allows us to worship our King directly. Ancestor worship and sacrifices are widely practiced examples of the darkness and bondage that are widely present in African culture. 

I remember far too many times seeing sweet baby goats on the side of the road and asking our driver why they were selling them there, only to discover the people were buying them on the way to the temple to sacrifice. It is my sincere hope and prayer that the African people will be exposed to and accept the gospel. What freedom is found in the knowledge of a personal Savior who already made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf!

Sources:

[1] "African Traditional Religion" http://www.sahistory.org.za/african-traditional-religion
[2] "Tolerance and Tension: Islam and Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa" http://www.pewforum.org/2010/04/15/executive-summary-islam-and-christianity-in-sub-saharan-africa/

South African Art

The earliest origins of South African art are cave paintings and hieroglyphics of the early bushmen. These provide the first historical records before the people created written records. The early hunter-gatherers often resided in caves in the mountains of Drakensberg.

The cave paintings and carvings represent the spiritual life and beliefs of the San Bushmen. 

As time went on, colonial art developed that portrayed the world around the around the artists with more detail. The beauty of South African landscape and animals provided an excellent subject matter for the detail of this new art style. The picture below is an example of the more detailed works of this time period.

In more recent eras, art became a medium for the release of emotion. For instance, during the Apartheid in very recent history, artists portrayed their emotion through their works. The piece below for example, uses tranquil colors as a way to seek peace through artistic expression. He also symbolically reveals the emptiness of the land by portraying picturesque landscape, with no people or seeming use of the land. The art of this time period reveals the seeming emptiness of people’s souls. Similar to the American civil war and civil rights movement, South Africa endured a time of tremendous racial tension and hatred throughout the Apartheid. Only very recently has healing begun in the nation between the different people groups. Art has always served as a medium for emotion and the emotion of the different eras is easily seen in the tension and idealism in certain pieces of art throughout the ages.

Art has helped South Africans to find healing and create a world, even if just on paper, where things work in harmony and unity. For many, it provides hope of what may one day be the true reality of this beautiful country. 

Works Cited
"History of South Africa." : South African Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015.

Discovering the Geography of South Africa

South Africa is the country which composes the southernmost tip of the continent of Africa. In compare with most African nations, it encompasses a rather large portion of the continent. South Africa is approximately "1/8 the size of the US." [1] "The latitude and the longitude of Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, are 29° 12' S and 28° 10' E respectively."[3]

Geographically, the country is divided into nine different provinces in which 11 different languages are spoken. The smallest province, Gauteng, is a bustling city hub including Johannesburg, the nation's largest city. [1] This summer, I actually spent six weeks living in this area and it is highly urbanized and industrial.  The above picture is one that I took while there.The nation has three separate capital cities, Capetown, the legislative capital, Bloemfontein, the judicial capital and Pretoria, the administrative and main capital. [1]  

Africa has faced a major crisis concerning the rapid spread of the AIDS/HIV virus over the last several years. Though government efforts towards awareness and testing are being promoted, a lack of education and the taboo nature of the disease lead to its continued growth. 

Concerning climate and geographic features, the nation varies greatly from area to area including various different types of topography. The Karoo plateau and the Kalahari Desert are two primary features and experience dry, desert summers and icy winters.[1] As you move into the southern part of the region, near Cape Town, the climate is far more tropical and Mediterranean. 

Contrary to popular opinion, South Africa is not a large plain land or desert with constant high temperatures and dry weather. There are various different climates and land types. While there are areas of safari-like desert, there are also industrialized cities and tropical beaches. One of the key features of climate that I can attest to after living there this summer is the dry versus wet season in Gauteng. I was quite shocked to learn that these descriptions are very literal. During the six months of dry season, it may very lightly sprinkle one day and that would be highly shocking, but in the wet season, rain can be expected every day, very different from our American climate and four seasons. Further, it does actually get cold. Of course, to natives used to 100 degrees, even 60 feels cold, but during the winter that I was there, it actually got down into the 30's. 

While not all of South Africa looks like a scene from Lion King, some parts do! These safari areas and tropical tourist attractions have increased the number of people who travel to the area for pleasure, also helping local economies. South Africa has "two of the world's most renowned wildlife reserves, the Kruger and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Parks" and "excellent road and rail systems"[2] making it an excellent tourist location. 

Overall, South Africa is a beautiful place to visit and has just about any type of geographic features and/or climate you could want within its borders!

[1] "South Africa's Geography" http://www.southafrica.info/about/geography/geography.htm#.VLmv-CvF8rU

[2] "South Africa" http://www.geographia.com/south-africa/

[3] "South Africa Latitude and Longitude Map" http://www.mapsofworld.com/lat_long/south-africa-lat-long.html

Photos retrieved from: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/south-africa-photos/