The history of South Africa is too complex to explain in such a short place, but here are a few resources to get you started :
We recommend for all new staff to read these books if possible to prepare yourselves to be immersed into the complex history and culture of this beautiful nation:
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
“No Future Without Forgiveness” by Desmond Tutu
“I Write What I Like” by Steve Biko
“Long Walk to Freedom” by Nelson Mandela
“Cry the Beloved Country” by Alan Paton
“Country of My Skull” by Antjie Krog
Also have fun listening to a playlist of the top 100 South African Songs of All Time HERE
Some powerful movies to watch :
Some non-profits to follow on social media to learn further from, that run by South Africans and who work within the intersection of Christianity and social justice within this context are :
For encouraging news stories out of South Africa, follow :
The Facebook Group #ImStaying - due to many of the challenges facing them, many South Africans have emigrated elsewhere in the world - but this Facebook group is focused on sharing stories that encourage resilience for those that still live in South Africa
To see how beautiful this city is, here are some incredible South African photographers : follow on Instagram Gavin Pickford, Dean Cothill, Craig Howes, Ramon Mellett
Once you have arrived in South Africa, some important places to visit :
An important church to visit still actively involved within social justice - St. George’s Cathedral
District Six Museum (Apartheid Museum) — celebrates the once lively multiracial area that was destroyed during apartheid in the 1960s and 1970s, its 60,000 inhabitants forcibly removed. We would highly recommend booking with a tour guide (costs R55), as they are all residents of District Six and so their first hand stories are very important to hear
Iziko Slave Lodge — South African social history museum covering the history of slavery in South Africa and current human rights awareness
Bo-Kaap Museum — a historical centre of Cape Malay culture in Cape Town
If possible, Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) and the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (you can spend hours taking in the important artistic pieces there - highly recommend !)
