His name is synonymous with South Africa, and we all know something of what Nelson Mandela called ‘the struggle’. Yet I’m embarrassed to admit I knew very little about apartheid — the system of racial segregation and white minority rule that shaped South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s.
I did know I wanted to visit a country often ranked among the world’s top tourist destinations, celebrated for its history, adventure, wildlife, and cuisine. I’m not alone: international visitor numbers to South Africa rose 17.9 per cent in April 2025 compared to the previous year according to the Centre for Aviation.
