South Africa 2008 (February 16 – March 1) – This was my first trip to South Africa. I had been to Cairo, Egypt in the northern part of the country and had seen the pyramids a few years ago. The southern part of the African continent is equally rich in culture. Both countries have major problems with unemployment and poverty. This trip was partly for business but fortunately it was possible to add some holiday time. It was a tremendously educational experience.
The trip is over and things are back to normal, but South Africa has left a lasting impression on me. In South Africa they have a very advanced system in banking. If you present a credit card at a restaurant for dinner, as soon as they swipe the card at the table the charge goes through and your cell phone receives an SMS text message confirming the charge. In fact any debit or credit to your bank account or credit card results in an SMS message. Very slick.
All the stories and pictures are in the index below. For anyone who wants to print the stories, they are all combined into a single pdf file. I hope readers find it interesting and that some are able to go there and see some of the great sights.