South Africa’s iconic abalone, long a cornerstone of coastal ecosystems and livelihoods, is under severe threat.
Decades of poaching and trafficking have pushed wild populations of the endemic marine mollusc, Haliotis midae, toward collapse, while fuelling organised crime and deepening poverty in coastal communities, a recent Traffic report, ShellShock: The State of South African Abalone Poaching and Trafficking in 2025, found.
Since 2000, about 67% of abalone exports from South Africa are estimated to have originated from illegal harvests. In 2024 alone, an estimated 4 000 tonnes were poached from South…
Music Festivals: The country hosts numerous music festivals, showcasing a range
of genres from traditional to contemporary, including the Cape Town International Jazz Festival.
Knight Light
Fun South African Fact: The Cape Floral Kingdom is one of the world’s six floral kingdoms – and the only one which is wholly contained within a single country.
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Fun South African Fact: It’s believed that Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain is one of the oldest mountains in the world. Table mountain is approximately 260 million years old; it’s also home to thousands of species of plant life, including species unique to the Cape Floral Region. The glorious mountain is one of the world’s 7 New Natural Wonders. It is also apparently one of 12 main energy centres on the planet emitting spiritual, magnetic, and electric energies. It’s an idyllic and very popular hiking destination with hundreds of routes to explore.