15.12.2009
The South African
economy moved
out of recession in the third quarter of the year, boosted by a R787 billion
infrastructure investment programme and the hosting of major sporting events, with both the
British and Irish Lions series and the
Indian Premier League contributing over a R1 billion each to the economy.
The World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Index ranked South Africa's
banking system as the fifth best in the world. The country also ranked well in intellectual property, accountability of private institutions, goods market efficiency, business sophistication and innovation.
South Africa held its fourth free and fair democratic elections. In a landmark decision, the Constitutional Court ruled that registered South African
voters living overseas could vote in the election. ANC leader
Jacob Zuma was elected president by parliament in May, and set boosting the economy and creating jobs as his immediate priorities.
South Africa was ranked third for
women's representation in parliament, and is one of the top 10 countries where
women face the least discrimination.
Higher
education institutions received acknowledgement with the University of Stellenbosch Business School named as one of the best schools for preparing their students for the
environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business, the
University of Cape Town has moved into the top 150 on the World University Rankings and the UCT Graduate School of Business full-time MBA programme has been ranked as the
best value for money MBA in the world.
The biggest
science and technology story of the year was the landing of the 17,000 km Seacom cable that is expected to
unlock the continent's high-speed internet potential. The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality was included in a list of the world's 21
most intelligent communities. Scientists at the University of Witwatersrand announced the discovery of a
new species of dinosaur and in February another team of Wits researchers found the
oldest fossilised strands of human hair at the Cradle of Humankind.The
first government-owned satellite was launched in September, part of a closely integrated
domestic space programme.
In
environmental news, South Africa made a
bold pledge at the UN climate talks in Copenhagen to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly by 2025,
Africa's first transfrontier marine park was established, Table Mountain was shortlisted for a
New 7 Wonders spot, South Africa added a
sixth biosphere reserve to its tally and proclaimed a
vast new marine protected area around the Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean.
In
tourism news,
Lonely Planet named Cape Town as one of the world's
top 10 party cities and Durban as one of the
top 10 family beach holiday cities in the world, Bushman's Kloof was named the
World's Best Hotel, and South Africa was one of the
top destinations to visit in 2009, according to the
New York Times. Cape Town was also included in the UK's
Times newspaper's list of
top ten cities to visit in 2009.
What a year it has been for South African
sport! The Proteas had the first ever Test cricket
series win in Australia and became the No 1 ranked side on the ICC world rankings in
both Test cricket and the one-day format of the game,. A month earlier the
Springboks had returned to top spot in the International Rugby Board rankings and were named the
IRB Team of the Year after emphatically claiming the
Tri Nations title for the first time in five years and
winning a compelling British & Irish Lions series. The Springboks also beat New Zealand in successive Tests at home
for the first time in 33 years and won in New Zealand for the second consecutive year. The
Springbok Sevens won the IRB Sevens World Series for the 2008/09 season and the
Bulls claimed their second Super 14 title when they demolished New Zealand's Waikato Chiefs 61-17 in the final at Loftus Versveld.
Brian Mitchell became the country's first boxer to be enshrined into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the US, South African swimmers set a
host of
world records, yachting's Team Shosholoza caused a major upset in by
beating the current America's Cup holders, Alinghi, in New Zealand and Giniel de Villiers won the overall victory in the
Dakar Rally.
In
general news, a homegrown blockbuster
thrilled the country after
topping the US box office, Johannesburg-based architects won the prestigious
World Building of the Year award, a South African man set a new
world land speed record for the blind, three South African companies - MTN, Sasol and Bidvest - made it onto a list of the
World's 40 Best Companies, two South African ad agencies won a
Grand Prix at Cannes, five South African
restaurants rank among this year's global 100 best and Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was awarded the
US's highest civilian honour.
Next year, South Africa hosts the
2010 Fifa World Cup, with the successful Final Draw for the
participating 2010 World Cup teams
held in December at a glittering ceremony in Cape Town. South Africa also hosted a
very successful Confederations Cup in June this year.
The world's eyes will be on South Africa for an entire month next June, with 30 billion cumulative viewers watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament.
Edited from: www.sagoodnews.co.za; for further information regarding this article please see www.sagoodnews.co.za
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