Property Investment and Lifestyle Information for the Western Cape province, South Africa

<body bgcolor="#ffffff"> <h1>Western Cape Recreation :: <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sport, Golf, Rugby, Cricket, Riding, Tourism</font></h1> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          Peter Matkovich, of Matkovich and Hayes Golf Course Architects, is one of the top course designers in South Africa. A professional golfer of 25 years, he has designed or upgraded 16 of the top 100 golf courses in the country. Matkovich's assessment of golf tourism in South Africa is that it is one of the fastest growing destinations in the world - and that its full potential hasn't even begun to be tapped yet. For Matkovich (whose business partner is Dale Hayes, presenter of the Supersport programme "Pitch and Putter"), South Africa's biggest tourist assets are "golf and game". </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          South Africa has produced some of the best players in the game, including multiple major winners Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and a host of others that regularly challenge for titles around the world. Gary Player, a nine-time major winner, will forever be associated with two of the greatest players in the history of the game, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. Together, those three took golf to another level, pulling millions of new fans to the game with their great battles down the years. Player's career was an astounding catalogue of successes, with 163 career victories, far more than either Nicklaus or Palmer managed. Ernie Els is undoubtedly one of the most popular golfers in the world and also one of the best. His apparently easy-going demeanour has earned him the nickname "The Big Easy", although Els says that perception is not quite right; he admits to feeling big pressure, just like everyone else. Another reason for his nickname is the beautiful, lazy-looking swing that somehow propels the ball over 300 metres down the fairway. Goosen captured the US Open title in 2001 and 2004 and he is also a two-time winner of the European Order of Merit. The Els-Goosen pair won the World Cup of Golf for South Africa in 2001, but more recently it was another South African pair that did the trick. Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman won at Kiawah Island in 2003 to give the country two victories in the last three times the competition has been held. </font></p> <h1><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Western Cape Sport :: Cricket</font></h1> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          If you were watching any of the previous four cricket World Cups, and you had any sympathy, you might have spared some for South Africa's cricket team. In 1992 the team lost in the semi-finals when a less-than-well-thought-out rain rule saw their target increase from 22 off 13 balls to 22 off one ball when rain fell against England in the last four. In 1996 South Africa crushed all before them before a brilliant solo effort from Brian Lara helped the West Indies to a narrow win in the quarterfinals. With the Proteas' loss in mind, a new system was introduced in 1999 to prevent a single win meaning the end of the road for a team; after all, South Africa were possibly the best side at the World Cup. In 1999 there was greater heartbreak for South Africa. In one of the greatest one-day internationals ever, South Africa and Australia played to an incredible tie in the semi-finals. The Aussies went through to the title decider because they had beaten Hansie Cronje's side earlier in the tournament - by five wickets with only two balls to spare. In the final they smashed Pakistan by eight wickets. And in 2003, on home soil, South Africa lost out again in the most unbelievable manner. Facing Sri Lanka in pool play, with a place in the Super Sixes on the line, the Proteas were in position to secure victory when rain started to fall. A miscalculation on the South African team's part meant they tied with Sri Lanka on the Duckworth/Lewis method. One more run would have done the trick - South Africa's World Cup bogey had returned with a vengeance.<br> </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          Some of the world's finest players have represented South Africa. Sir Donald Bradman regarded Barry Richards as the greatest opening batsman he ever saw. Graeme Pollock was possibly the greatest left-handed batsman of all time. Mike Procter could stake a claim to being one of the greatest all-rounders ever. Jacques Kallis could make an assault on that title before his career is over. Shaun Pollock is another brilliant all rounder. Allan Donald was a devastating opening bowler. Jonty Rhodes was possibly the greatest fielder of all time. </font></p> <h1><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Rugby </font></h1> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">         South Africa's climate, not nearly as wet as in Europe's rugby-playing countries, makes for a fast running game - showcasing the excitement of the game at its best. The country has produced some of the greats of the game, and the Springboks are respected throughout the world. Typically, the Boks are a hard-nosed, physical team, unwilling to give an inch. But they have also produced some supremely gifted players over the years: players like Danie Craven, Frik du Preez, Naas Botha, Henry Honiball, Gary Teichmann, Hennie Muller, Errol Tobias, Morne du Plessis and Bennie Osler. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          For many years, South Africa was arguably the world's top rugby playing nation. Prior to SA's apartheid-induced isolation, the Springboks enjoyed a winning record against every other country. Isolation cost the Boks dearly, however, and today they have a losing record against New Zealand, although they still maintain an advantage against the rest of the world. Despite this, SA's remarkable success over nearly a century before isolation has left a legacy that fans expect the Springboks to live up to. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          That said, SA rugby has scored some notable triumphs since the advent of democracy in 1994. The greatest of these has been the emergence of players of colour at national level. There have not been that many at Springbok level yet, but the change is clearly evident at national under-19 and under-21 level, where the make-up of the teams is split very evenly between black and white players. Then, of course, there was Ellis Park 1995, when the underdog Springboks edged the All Blacks 15-12 in the World Cup final to secure the biggest title in the game in their first attempt</font></p> <p><a href="../5_property_information/50-property-frameset.html">Property Market Property Types Investment Options Purchase Processes</a></p> <p><a href="../6_geography_information/60-geog-frameset.html">Places Locations Cape Town West Coast Winelands Boland Overberg Karoo Garden Route Eden</a></p> <p><a href="../7_lifestyle_information/70-lifestyle-frameset.htm">Lifestyle Resources Culture Nature Climate</a></p> <p><a href="80-recreation-frameset.htm">Recreation Sport Leisure Activities Tourism</a></p> <p><a href="../9-further-information/90-further-frameset.html">Other Information Books Further Reading Contact Us Index</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.frog-property.com">Frog Property Investment</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.andalucia.ft6.com">Information about Property and Lifestyle in the Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Spain</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.costamap.ft6.com">Map of the Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Spain</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.costatour.ft6.com">Property Guided Tour of the Costa del Sol, Andalucia, Spain</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.grehan.ukhq.co.uk">Voyaging the French canals and rivers in a boat and sailing a yacht in the Mediterranean Spain</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.lapina.co.uk">Self-catering holiday town house apartment to rent by Alhaurin Golf, in the Andalucia countryside, near beach, Costa del Sol, Spain</a></p> <h1><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Western Cape Leisure :: Adventure</font></h1> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          You've landed in adventure heaven. Whatever your particular preference, there is bound to be an adventure to keep you happy. We have some of the best climbing in the world, with Cape Town particularly well endowed. There are literally hundreds of bolted and natural routes on excellent quality Cape granite or Table Mountain sandstone within the city limits. There are climbing schools and mountain guides in all the main centres, and route guides are available from climbing shops. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          River trips range from mostly scenic to grade five white-water washing machines. There are over a hundred listed paragliding or hang gliding launch sites, and many more less well known, with schools in every centre. Also up in the air, there are many opportunities for helicopter rides, balloon flights, aerobatics, skydiving and microlight flights. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          Thousands of kilometres of hiking trails wind around the country, in desert, forest, mountain or coast, and many have mountain bike trails adjacent. Some hikes are a bit more luxurious - you walk from hotel to hotel and have your luggage taken round. </font><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">There are also wonderful easy horse trails through vineyards, on the beach or in the mountains and, for the adventurous and more experienced, horseback safaris in big game country. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          There is the highest commercial bungy jump in the world (at 216m), lots of pretty abseiling and bridge swinging. For something combining adrenalin, peace and tranquillity, and sheer beauty, try the tree-top canopy tour in Tsitsikamma. The art of canyoning, known as kloofing in South Africa, is a hot favourite, with self-guided and escorted trips</font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          The first national parks to be established in South Africa were the Kruger National Park in 1926, followed by the Kalahari Gemsbok, Addo Elephant and Bontebok National Parks in 1931 and the Mountain Zebra National Park in 1937. These parks "were set aside for game animals, but early policy also included the killing of all predators", Moosa said at the launch of the publication. People, too, were largely excluded  indeed, the establishment of early parks mirrowed the apartheid policies which gained momentum at the same time. People who owned land were forcibly removed to make way for animals, and parks became elitist playgrounds for a minority, while the majority of the population was excluded. This is no longer the case - land is being returned to its rightful owners, with communities electing to become partners in conservation through the establishment of contractual parks. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          As the 3rd most biodiverse country in the world, South Africa is putting considerable effort into addressing the shortcomings of the past. Today, when faced with the challenges of managing more than 10 000 elephants, it is hard to believe that less than a hundred years ago, the country only had about 100 elephants left in the entire country. South Africa has set itself the target of increasing land under formal conservation from 5.4% in 1994 to 8% by 2010, and its marine protected areas from 11% percent to 20% by 2010. The country is well within reach of this target, with close on 400 000 hectares of land having been added to SA's conservation areas since 1994, including the proclamation of four new national parks - the Cape Peninsula, Agulhas, Namaqua and Vembe Dongola national parks - as well as expansions to the Addo, Marakele, Augrabies Falls, Mountain Zebra and Karoo national parks. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Overland tours and guided safaris<br> </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          There is so much to see in the Western Cape, you may be a little confused as to where to start. A good option might be to join an overland trip or a guided safari. The really long ones do the circuit from Cape Town to the Garden Route (with its forests and beaches) to KwaZulu-Natal (wildlife and Zulu culture) through Mpumalanga (more wildlife, the Kruger National Park and mountain scenery) and end in Johannesburg. </font></p> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          Trips usually last about three weeks, but can be longer or shorter. Options range from quite basic, where you sleep in a tiny tent which you put up yourself, to rather luxurious - and the prices differ accordingly. But every one will take you to fantastic places, and all guides are knowledgeable and helpful. </font></p> <ul> <li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Compassline, Karibu and Wilderness Safaris run upmarket tours for small groups. </font> <li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Big Five African Safaris, Cedarberg Southern Africa Travel, Drifters and Sunway Safaris run mid-range trips with smallish groups. </font> <li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Which Way Adventures and Nomad Tours run budget, participatory trips for the more adventurous. </font> <li><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Flamingo Tours specialise in organising trips for people with disabilities. </font> </ul> <p><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">          If you want to get around with absolutely no hassle but don't really fancy spending three weeks with the same people, the Baz Bus offers a round-South-Africa service, taking you door-to-door between backpacker's hostels. You'll get to all the places you'd visit on an overland trip, but have more time and no rigid schedule - and, of course, no guide. </font></p> <p>They enjoy the highest per capita income, life expectancy and the second highest literacy rates and educational achievement levels in South Africa. The unemployment rate is also the lowest in South Africa, at 13%.</p> <p>apartment, beach, bulgaria, Bulgaria, buy, california, California, camps bay, Camps Bay, Cape Town, cape west, capetown, Capetown, clifton, Clifton, condominium, co-ownership, costa, costa blanca, costa brava, costa del sol, cote d'azur, countryside, croatia, Croatia, culture, data, deal, developer, development, education, emigrate, emigration, estate agent, evidence, farmstead, flat, florida, Florida, Frog, Frog Properties, fund, garden, golf, government, growth, growth fund, guide, healthcare, holiday home, home, house, information, infrastructure, investment, investment fund, land, loan, mortgage, new zealand, New Zealand, newcombe, Newcombe, pension, pension fund, penthouse, plot, price, prices, profit, property, property market, purchase, recreation, reference, relocate, relocation, rent, rental market, retirement, safe, sailing, security, sell, shared ownership, simonstown, South Africa, Spain, spain, sport, st helena, St Helena, statistics, stellenbosch, table mountain, tennis, timeshare, townhouse, vacation, villa, western cape, Western Cape, westerncape, wine, winery</p> <h1>Clear, comprehensive information about the Western Cape</h1> <p>property, investment, reference data, infrastructure resources, lifestyle and geography. No adverts. No selling.</p> <p>The Western Cape or Cape West</p> <p>South Africas Western Cape province is truly one of the most desirable places on earth to live and work. It is like New Zealand or California or Florida or the Spanish Costas. Wonderful climate, and beautiful scenery and geography and beaches. With one of the worlds most attractive cities, Cape Town and its exclusive suburbs Clifton and Camps Bay. Many British people have moved there. It is a safe and secure area with a modern well developed infrastructure of roads and telecommunications. Excellent education system including schools, colleges and universities.</p> <p>This is a great place to buy property or to invest in property, with a stable and rising market and where properties are comparatively cheap compared with other places in the world that are as attractive. The countryside includes wineries and farmsteads. You can play golf and live in one the many lush golf condominiums. Or play tennis, or sail or indulge in one of many watersports. The language spoken is English.</p> <p>You can find and purchase land or plots. Or buy an apartment or a villa to live and work in, or as a holiday home or second home or as a great investment with secure growth potential. Urban, rural or suburban.</p> <p>This website is a guide to the Western Cape, clear comprehensive information about the Western Cape.</p> <p>Apartment, beach, bulgaria, Bulgaria, buy, california, California, camps bay, Camps Bay, Cape Town, cape west, capetown, Capetown, clifton, Clifton, condominium, co-ownership, costa, costa blanca, costa brava, costa del sol, cote d'azur, countryside, croatia, Croatia, culture, data, deal, developer, development, education, emigrate, emigration, estate agent, evidence, farmstead, flat, florida, Florida, Frog, Frog Properties, fund, garden, golf, government, growth, growth fund, guide, healthcare, holiday home, home, house, information, infrastructure, investment, investment fund, land, loan, mortgage, new zealand, New Zealand, newcombe, Newcombe, pension, pension fund, penthouse, plot, price, prices, profit, property, property market, purchase, recreation, reference, relocate, relocation, rent, rental market, retirement, safe, sailing, security, sell, shared ownership, simonstown, South Africa, Spain, spain, sport, st helena, St Helena, statistics, stellenbosch, table mountain, tennis, timeshare, townhouse, vacation, villa, western cape, Western Cape, westerncape, wine, winery.</p> </body>