Did You Know?
True, sourced facts about South Africa and Southern Africa — history, wildlife, business and the projects shaping the region.
Fuel is often the single largest controllable cost for a small business vehicle fleet
For businesses that rely on delivery or transport vehicles, fuel typically makes up one of the largest ongoing operating expenses — and one of the few costs that can be actively reduced through better route planning and driver behaviour.
Find Out More →HistoryThe largest gem-quality diamond ever found came from just outside Pretoria
The Cullinan Diamond, discovered in 1905 near Pretoria, remains the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found — over 3,100 carats.
Find Out More →Business & EconomyThe JSE is Africa's largest stock exchange
The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) is the largest stock exchange on the African continent by market capitalisation.
Find Out More →GeographyThe Cape's fynbos is one of only six floral kingdoms on Earth
The Cape Floristic Region — home to fynbos — is one of only six plant kingdoms recognised worldwide, and the only one found entirely within a single country.
Find Out More →Business & EconomyLong corporate payment terms can put more strain on small suppliers than the cost of the goods themselves
Many large corporations pay suppliers on 30, 60 or even 90-day terms, meaning a small business can deliver a big order and then wait months to actually be paid for it.
Find Out More →InfrastructureThe Gautrain was Africa's first modern rapid rail system
Launched in 2010, the Gautrain — connecting Johannesburg, Pretoria and OR Tambo International Airport — was the first modern rapid rail network built on the African continent.
Find Out More →Business & EconomyMissing one provisional tax deadline can trigger a penalty before your main return is even due
Provisional taxpayers in South Africa must estimate and pay tax twice a year in advance — missing either of these interim deadlines can result in penalties long before the annual filing season even opens.
Find Out More →Science & InnovationAfrica's largest single optical telescope sits in the Karoo
The Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), based near Sutherland in the Northern Cape, is the largest single optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere and remains one of the most powerful in the world.
Find Out More →Infrastructure & CitiesSub-Saharan Africa's first modern rapid rail line runs through Gauteng
The Gautrain, linking Johannesburg, Pretoria, and O.R. Tambo International Airport, opened in 2010 as sub-Saharan Africa's first modern rapid rail system, reaching speeds of up to 160km/h.
Find Out More →Business & EconomySpaza shops are often the closest, most frequently used shop for millions of South Africans
In many townships and informal settlements, spaza shops are the primary place residents buy everyday essentials — often more accessible day-to-day than the nearest formal supermarket.
Find Out More →HistoryThe Kimberley "Big Hole" is one of the largest hand-dug excavations on Earth
The discovery of diamonds near Kimberley in 1871 triggered a diamond rush that produced the "Big Hole" — one of the largest excavations ever dug by hand, without heavy machinery.
Find Out More →Business & EconomyYour SARS Auto-Assessment is built without you being asked a single question
SARS generates Auto-Assessments entirely from third-party data — employers, banks, medical schemes and retirement funds — without ever asking the taxpayer to confirm anything before it's issued.
Find Out More →History & HeritageAn almost-complete 3.67-million-year-old skeleton was found in a Gauteng cave
"Little Foot," one of the most complete early human ancestor skeletons ever discovered, was found piece by piece in the Sterkfontein Caves near Johannesburg and dated to roughly 3.67 million years old.
Find Out More →Business & EconomyThe world's largest coal-to-liquid fuel plant is in Mpumalanga
Sasol's Secunda facility in Mpumalanga is the largest coal-to-liquid-fuel plant in the world.
Find Out More →WildlifeCape Town has a land-based African penguin colony you can walk right up to
Boulders Beach near Cape Town hosts one of the few land-based African penguin colonies in the world — most penguin species live only in Antarctic or sub-Antarctic regions.
Find Out More →CultureSouth Africa has 11 official languages
South Africa's constitution recognises 11 official languages — more than almost any other country in the world.
Find Out More →Business & EconomyMixing personal and business money is one of the most common bookkeeping mistakes small business owners make
Using one bank account for both personal spending and business income makes it far harder to know whether a business is actually profitable, and complicates tax filing significantly.
Find Out More →Culture & SportA South African singer was the first African ever to win a Grammy
In 1966, Miriam Makeba became the first African recording artist to win a Grammy Award, taking Best Folk Recording alongside Harry Belafonte for their album "An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba."
Find Out More →Business & EconomyCash flow problems, not a lack of profit, are one of the most common reasons small businesses struggle
It's possible for a business to be profitable on paper and still run into serious trouble simply because money isn't coming in fast enough to cover expenses when they're due.
Find Out More →CultureThe "Rainbow Nation" nickname was coined by Desmond Tutu
Archbishop Desmond Tutu coined the term "Rainbow Nation" to describe South Africa's racial and cultural diversity after the end of apartheid.
Find Out More →Artificial IntelligenceAI data centers are becoming a major new driver of global electricity demand
The rapid growth of AI computing has made data center electricity consumption one of the fastest-growing categories of global power demand, prompting tech companies to invest directly in energy infrastructure.
Find Out More →Artificial IntelligenceThe exact wording of an AI prompt can dramatically change the quality of its answer
Asking an AI assistant a vague question versus a specific, well-structured one can produce noticeably different results — even though the underlying model hasn't changed at all.
Find Out More →InfrastructureOR Tambo is one of Africa's busiest airports
OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is consistently ranked among the busiest airports on the African continent by passenger traffic.
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