"Some Say… I am In Africa
The Truth is… Africa is in Me"
Under the roof of the Ubuntu Hut in the Londolozi village, staff from
a variety of departments joined to listen to guest speaker Steuart
Pennington, CEO of South Africa: The Good News. A friend of the Varty
Family, Steuart came to visit but also to share his wealth of
knowledge about our country.
After the talk, the Londolozi staff who had gathered to listen felt
inspired by the positive news and interesting facts – information that
many of us in attendance had been unaware of.
His talk made me think about the many incredible reasons that we have
to love our country and why South Africa is simply awesome.
Here are just a few impressive facts.
1. Biggest man-made forest in the world
Johannesburg is the economic hub of the country but it is also famous
as the biggest man-made forest in the world with as many as 10 million
trees. The next time you visit this city take note of how many
beautiful trees can be seen along pavements and in people`s homes.
2. The largest green canyon in the world

A short drive from Londolozi and the Kruger National Park and you`ll
come across the world`s largest green canyon. The Blyderiver Canyon in
Mpumalanga forms part of the northern Drakensberg escarpment and
boasts verdant landscapes, unearthly rock formations and animals such
as hippos, monkey, crocodiles and antelope to name a few of its
residents. Bird watchers must look out for eagles and falcons. Apart
from being the

greenest, the canyon is also the third largest in the
world.
3. Home to eight World Heritage Sites
South Africa is a place of great beauty and this has been recognised
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organisation (UNESCO) that declared eight sites with World Heritage
status. The following eight destinations in South Africa are World
Heritage Sites: Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape, Cape
Floral Kingdom, Mapungubwe National Park, iSimagaliso Wetland Park,
Robben Island, The Vredefort Dome, The Cradle of Humankind and
uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park
4. The first country outside of Europe to gain Blue Flag Status for
its coastal management
The Blue Flag is an award in recognition of beaches and marinas where
a standard of excellence meets all 27 criteria of coastal management
including safety, services, water quality and cleanness. South Africa
has as many as 41 beaches and five marinas with this status.
5. 11 Official Languages

South Africa is rich in culture and boasts equal status to 11 official
languages. The languages include: English, Sesotho, Sepedi, Xitsonga,
Siswati, Afrikaans, Tshivenda, isiXhosa, isiNdeble, isiZulu and
Setswana. The Xitsonga language is spoken by as many as 2.3 million
people and is the home language of the majority of Shangaan staff
working at Londolozi.
Written by Kate Collins, Londolozi Blog Editor V.1098

One of the highlighted topics: Critical Skills Visa.

- Key Insight: Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast track to working in South Afr...
- This matter relates to critical skills visa and its broader implications.
- Individuals are advised to seek professional guidance.

Is your profession on the Critical Skills List? This visa is your fast trac V.6139
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One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, became a victim of identity theft in 2012 when fraudulent transactions occurred, using her personal details.

-The Pretoria High Court found that the department of home affairs had violated constitutional rights without due process.
-Only half of Lawyers for Human Rights` test group has been unblocked, while 385 000 identities remain blocked nationwide.
-LHR appeals extension, urges affected people to seek help now.

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are intensifying pressure on the department of home affairs over the national ID-blocking crisis, accusing the state of acting too slowly to unblock qualifying individuals despite a landmark court ruling.

In January last year, the Pretoria High Court found that the department`s practice of blocking IDs without due process was unlawful and unconstitutional. One of the applicants, Phindile Mazibuko, a Swati citizen and South African permanent resident since 1998, fell victim to identity theft in 2012 when fraudsters used her personal details.

 V.6133
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6128
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6129
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A Washington state mother and her 6-year-old son have been released after spending more than three weeks in US immigration detention due to a brief trip to Canada and a small paperwork mistake, her attorney told CNN on Saturday.

Sarah Shaw, a New Zealand citizen who has lived legally in the US since she arrived in 2021, was detained at the Blaine, Washington, Customs and Border Protection checkpoint when returning home after dropping her two oldest children off at the Vancouver airport for a flight to visit their grandparents in New Zealand. Shaw, 33, chose the flight out of Vancouver because it was direct and she didn`t want her children to have to navigate a layover alone, her attorney Minda Thorward, told CNN.

 V.6130
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On 22 July 2025, the Gauteng High Court dismissed Sitrusrand Boerdery`s review of the Department of Employment and Labour`s refusal to issue a Working Conditions and Salary Benchmarking Certificate, an essential precondition for obtaining corporate visas under the Immigration Act.

Acting Judge Kekana AJ held that the Department`s decision was lawful, rational and procedurally fair. This judgment illustrates how businesses can - and must - structure their corporate visa applications to meet statutory requirements, and how legal practitioners should prepare robust review challenges when administrative authorities decline to recommend foreign-work permits.

 V.6131
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The United States could forfeit an estimated 9.4 billion dollars in visitor spending over the next three years following the introduction of a new 250 dollars `visa integrity fee,` according to industry groups, who warn the policy risks undermining tourism and costing thousands of jobs.
The United States’ decision to introduce a 250 dollars `visa integrity fee` on international visitors has triggered sharp criticism from the global tourism industry, with officials warning that the measure could deter millions of travellers and cost the U.S. economy billions.
The 250dollar `visa integrity fee,` part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed on July 4, 2025, will take effect later this year. According to immigration law firm Envoy Global, it applies to all nonimmigrant visa holders which include students, tourists, temporary workers, and business visitors particularly from African countries. V.6132
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The Border Management Authority (BMA) has doubled its staff at Airports in South Africa , including immigration officers.

What does this mean for travelers? V.6127
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1. Right to Legal Representation•You have the right to consult with a legal representative.•Contact an immigration practitioner, legal aid clinic, or attorney urgently.•Do not sign any documents without understanding them fully. 2. Section 34 of the Immigration Act•You must be brought to court with 48 hours to confirm arrest but you can remain locked up very long as courts figure out what to do with you •If you`re found to be illegally in South Africa, you may be detained for up to 30 days (extendable by a magistrate) pending deportation.•BUT this cannot happen arbitrarily. You must be informed of your rights, and Home Affairs must follow due process.- becomes a nightmare , you could lose your job , business , place to stay V.6121
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Driving for Bolt, Uber, Mr D, or Checkers Sixty60?If you`re undocumented, you`re risking more than just your income.The Risks if You`re Not Legal: - Vehicle impoundment - Heavy fines - Arrest & deportation - Permanent bans from working in SA V.6122
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