Book Kruger National Park Day Trips in Advance

The festive season is silly season when it comes to 'arriving unannounced' at the Kruger National Park in South Africa - you're bound to be disappointed. Kruger manages the volume of day visitors according to the park's infrastructure available (e.g. parking and other public facilities). Day visitors should book the specific day that they'd like to visit, at a specific Kruger Park gate, via SANparks (reservations@sanparks.org).

Cage Diving with Crocodiles Anyone?

A new trend is about to explode at the Cango Wildlife Ranch in South Africa (http://www.cango.co.za). Similar to cage diving with Great White Sharks, visitors will be able to view these magnificent living relics from the safety of a cage, in lovely clear water, using snorkelling gear i.e. one does not need to be scuba-qualified!

The Cango Wildlife Ranch is situated in Oudtshoorn in the Western Cape and is home to one of the most successful cheetah / endangered species breeding centres. Apart from the furry felines and risky reptiles, it is also home to leguaans, suricates, pygmy hippos, snakes, black eared foxes and more. Check out the park layout at : http://www.cango.co.za/parkmap.htm.

City Year South Africa Service Leaders

City Year was founded on the belief that a healthy and vibrant democracy depends on active, engaged citizens who commit their time, skills, and resources to address pressing problems in our communities. City Year believes in the power and idealism of young people as a means to achieving this goal by uniting a diverse corps of 18 – 25 year old South Africans from all races and backgrounds for an intensive year of full-time community service, leadership training and personal development. United in their desire to serve, these young Service Leaders invest their talents and energy working directly on critical issues that face children and communities in South Africa, while developing their own talents and potential for enhanced learning and employment opportunities upon graduation from the programme.

Service Leaders are selected from a diverse cross-section of youth, representing all racial, socio-economic, educational, religious and language groups. Service Leaders work in teams of 10 to 12 members, each team a true reflection of City Year’s diversity, relying on each others skills and experiences to serve the communities in which they work. Teams are supported by a full-time Team Leader as well as a strong network of staff, trainings, referral systems. City Year is registered with the National Youth Service Unit, overseen by the Presidency, and aims to support South Africa’s efforts to grow national youth service in the coming years.

City Year works in partnership with a range of government and private sector partners. The service and learning programme has been developed in close partnership with the Gauteng Department of Education, the City of Johannesburg, the Department of Labour, and the National Youth Service Unit in the Office of the Presidency. City Year is strongly supported by African Rainbow Minerals, Anglo American, Claude Leon Foundation, Edcon, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, JP Morgan, Standard Bank, The Timberland Company, Xstrata, and a growing number of South African private, public, and corporate partners. Learn more about what City Year Service Leaders do...

ABN AMRO ONE win first leg of Volvo Ocean Race in Cape Town

ABM AMRO ONE have won the first leg of the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race (www.volvooceanrace.org) from Vigo in Spain to the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town. The next planned sailing event is the In Port race in Table Bay on the 26th December (see race schedule), but there are many VOR festivities planned.

If you're visiting Cape Town during this exciting time, feel free to check out our exciting one-day excursions - but do hurry, there may not be much space left ...

World AIDS Day - new online resource in SA

01 December is World AIDS day, and to help with this international disease, IOL (South African online newspaper) has recently launched an online resource on HIV/AIDS in South Africa. It contains information about treatment and therapy, vaccines and science, living with HIV/AIDS, statistics, workplace policy and law, and lots more. You can read more at http://www.iolhivaids.co.za/.