Sunny South Africa as it is known to most. What have we here?

For those of you not too familiar with foreign geography, I present you with a map of our country, so that you may peruse at your leisure the few places were noders do in fact dwell. As you can see, we don’t have very imaginative names for our provinces, all of them except the Free State have had their names changed since the removal of the apartheid government and it seems that in all the excitement, they just took out a compass and named them like that.

In the last few years there has also been quite a drive by certain groups to get the names of many of the cities changed. However it has met with very mixed reactions and only a sort of semi-implementation. For example, up there in the Northern Province we now have Polokwane, which used to be Pietersburg – this is one of the few names that has stuck. Pretoria was officially renamed to Tshwane, but it is only official documents that use it – even the weather man on TV still has a map that says Pretoria – and the plan to change Johannesburg's name to Egoli has pretty much been shelved for the moment. Point being, this map shows you all of the major cities we have, there are others scattered in between, but until someone from there shows up, this should serve to show you were we all are, and if you can’t find a town you were expecting, maybe it’s called something else now.


                                                                             ,:;;,;;::;:...:
                                                                         ;;;;;             ;:,
                                                                       ;;:                   ,.
                                                                    ,;;:   NORTHERN PROVINCE :;
                                                                 ;;;:                        ,;
                                                                ;;             P              ;
                                                               ::                             ;;
                                                             ;;:                            :;,;,
                    ::::                                 :;;;;::;;                  ,;,;;;: ;   ;
                    ;: :;                                ,       ,:;;;;::  ;:;:;;:;:;     ;:,   ;
                    ;:  ,;            :,;;;;;;:        .;;              :;,.                   .;
                    ;:  .;;          ,,       ;;;;;;;;;:.          ...;; P  : MPUMALANGA  N    ;:
                    ;:   ::         :;,                   M        :   *J   ;                  ;
                    ;:  .;:       ,;;,                            ,,   ***  ,            ,;;:::,
                    ;:  :;......::;  ;;,  NORTHWEST PROVINCE      , GAUTENG:            ;:
                    ;:                .;                    K  ...,;:;;.;:;.           ;,
                    ;:                 ;:.                   ;;,           ;;:         ;,
                    ;:                  .;;::;             :;:                ;;        ::.   :,;:;
                    ;:    U                  :;;     ,;;;;;,                   :,:;;;,;:;;:;;;:,  ;
 ,;::               ;:                         ;;;;,;;         FREE STATE      :,                ;;
,,  ;;            :;;.                            ;;                           ;:  KWA-ZULU     .,
,,  .;;;:       ;;:.     NORTHERN CAPE            ;.                       .:::;   NATAL        ;;
,;      ;;,;;;;;                               K ,;                ::;:;;;,,,                  ;;.
.;;.                                            ;;.      B         ,,      :;,      *       ::::
  ,:                                           ;:               ,;;:         ,      P    .;:,
   ,.                                          ;:               ;  LESOTHO  ,;       *D.;;
    ;                                           .;::            ;.         ;;         :,

    ;;                                            :,:           .;    ,,:,:;         ,,
     ,;   :;;;;:                                    ;,,;:;:;;;;:::;;;;.    ;:       ;:
      ;;,;;:  ;,                                     :                       ;::;.:;:
        ;:    ,;                                :;;;:;                          ;:;
         ;;    ,.                              ,::                     U      :;:.
          :,   :;;               ;:,;;;:;;;;:,;;                            ;;;
ATLANTIC   ,      ;           :;;;        ,:;;   EASTERN CAPE             ::,    INDIAN OCEAN
OCEAN      ,      ;;;,;    ;,:;         ,;,                            .::.
          ;,          ;; ,,;.         .;,,                          E;;;
          :            :;;           :,                           :;;,
          ;,                         ,;:;,                     :;;;.
           ,;       WESTERN CAPE         ;;               P.:::;
            .:                   :,,,,,::,;;;.    ,..;:::::;.
            ;; * ***         ..,,;           ,;;;:::
             ::C***   ,;:;;;;;
              ::;,:....

In a land that’s 58.759 times the size of Wales - that's twice the size of Texas for the Americans out there - and contains over 40 million people – this is how many noders we have. Not very many I hear you say? Well, it’s a pretty good turnout by our standards. Unless it’s a .co.za site you aren’t that likely to bump into too many of us on the web, perhaps it will change one day, but don’t expect an African invasion anytime soon!

None the less, I hereby present you with the noders we do have, sorted according to the city in which they live and their XP.

Cape Town

  • thismeansnothing
  • carnun
  • sparrow
  • cabbagerat
  • Phycon was in East Sussex, moved back to Cape Town in April 2004.
  • NaNaKat says: When I joined E2 a couple of years ago I was living in Middleburg. Most of my nodes were made shortly thereafter when I quit my job and lived in Pretoria while I sought a new career opportunity. I have subsequently moved to Cape Town. I guess I should also mention I was born and raised in Durban. If you are somewhat aware of South African geography, you'd know I've been around the country a little. B)

Johannesburg

Other places

Expatriates

  • StrawberryFrog is Capetonian, headed north in March 2002, now in Golders Green, London.
  • Frankie from Cape Town is no longer an E2 user, and has left London. She has married the U.S. Army and moved to Nashville, USA. Gosh.
  • iocane was living in London, now gone to the USA.
  • Pandora in London

This little piece of art shows you our national flag. It was also introduced after apartheid and is totally different from the old one, it’s a staple image that can be found on just about everything in this country as everyone seems proud to stand under it. This flag is going to contain links to nodes written by SA noders, about South African things*. Hopefully as it fills up, it will be able to provide you with a little insight into some of the unique aspects of the country.


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#              :;;,    .:::                    .,;,.             WHITE                              #
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#    BLACK                ,;;:   .:::.                      GREEN                                   #
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#                  .,;,.   .:::.                                                                    #
#               .,;,.   .:::                     ,;;,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,#
#            .;;,:   .:::.                   .,;;.               WHITE                              #
#          ,;,.   .:::.                    ,;;:   .,;,::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #
#      .,;;.    :::.                    ,;;:    :;;:                                                #
#    :;;:    :::.                    ,;;:    :;;:                                                   #
# ,;;:    :::.                    :;;:    :;;:                                                      #
#,.   .:::.                    ,;;:   .,;;.                     BLUE                                #
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Nodermeets

There has never been a South African nodermeet. But never fear, the day will come. For I am in the process of trying to scrape together the first ever one for next years Splashy Fen! Myself and another will be there come hell or high water and I urge all you noders out there who may be considering a trip into darkest Africa to plan it for March of 2005. Then a rollicking good time can be had by all. And before you begin to think that this may not be a proper one – up to international standards and all – rest assured that the requisite nodermeet node will appear closer to the time.


And now, if you could rise for the national anthem: Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika

Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo
Yizwa imathandazo yethu
Nkosi Sikelela
Thina lusapho lwayo....


If you are one of the precious few South African's out there and would like to be part of the group, /msg me and I’ll include you!


* Okay, a select few write-ups linked will not be written by actual South Africans, but by noders who do have some active interest in the country such as DejaMorgana.

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