Some of the South Africa gems that are not always mentioned

Do not die until you have looked through God’s Window in Mpumalanga and seen the shadows of the divine in the rainy mist.

Do not die until you have had Maltabella and sterimilk in a Port Elizabeth township.

Do not die until you have visited the Apartheid Museum and the Voortrekker Monument on the same day, for you will never again think of ethnic nationalism in the same way.

Do not die until you have joined the crowds pulling in nets during the sardine run, moaning under the weight of sardines on the Durban beaches.

Do not die until you have talked to the disabled guy with the bright yellow vest who mans the robots across from Unisa and, with his shrill whistle, ensures that there is a smooth flow of traffic at this busy Pretoria intersection.

Do not die until you have climbed the majestic Drakensberg mountains.

Do not die until you have taken a stroll along Fish Hoek beach at 6am and watched the sun rise and spread its rays across the calm waters surrounding this most beautiful beach in the whole world.

Do not die until you have visited Mbilwi High School in rural Limpopo, where black learners achieve full marks in matriculation mathematics and physical science.

Do not die until you have looked across the Valley of a Thousand Hills just before sunset.

Do not die until you have eaten apricots on a Montagu farm.

Do not die until you have hiked the Magoebaskloof Mountains.

Do not die until you have had fish and chips in the Hout Bay harbour.