‘God's special place'… that's how one politician once described the lands of Africa's southernmost nation; with its beautiful landscapes, breathtaking mountains, majestic oceans, magnificent wildlife, abundant natural wealth and glorious weather. Her people, a kaleidoscope of many nations and tribes and languages, have become a microcosm of the world; where differences are regarded as a strength, where respect for the beliefs and values of all serve as a symbol of unity, where freedom of spirit is matched by freedom of speech, where values don't just get written down but find expression is everyday life, and where people embrace each other just because they are glad to meet. This is a special place. Once it had been the battle ground for a struggle for humanity, for the affirmation that indeed all people have been created as equal. In today's inter-connected world, with people of many cultures and nations criss-crossing the continents, South African's inspiring struggle is a timely reminder that indeed we all belong to one nation. One of our former presidents' once stated that he considered granting equal citizenship to the lion and the rhino, to the cheetah and the springbok; they are intrinsic to our identity and enjoy the freedom of our natural landscapes, the sunshine and the rainbow, the grasslands and the rivers, as equal citizens. Indeed ours is a special place. Our struggle icons, Pixley ka Seme, JB Marks, Moses Kotane, Steve Biko, Miriam Makeba, Oliver Tambo, Molvi Cachalia, Walter Sisulu, Fatima Meer, Joe Slovo; to name a few, have left us with a rich legacy that is an inspiration to many people and nations. Above all, they have left us with a deep sense of duty: That to lead is to serve. In recognition of this inspiring example four of South Africa's sons have been recognized with a Noble Peace Laureate: Albert Luthuli, Nelson Mandela, Frederick de Klerk and Desmond Tutu. This is unprecedented. When everyone predicted a violent and destructive end to the unjust systems of apartheid, we chose a difficult path of peace and forgiveness. We chose a path to reconciliation. We understood that apartheid was built on a false premise that differences in people's choices, beliefs, skin colour and other physical characteristics was a reason for separateness and prejudice. We chose to learn from this past and to change our narrative. In our country, everyone is special. Our story is inspiring but incomplete without the economic and social emancipation of all our people. We have built more than 3.3 million houses for the poor; access to electricity increased from 34% to 88%, access to clean water increased from 62% to 95%; access to social grants increased from 2.5 million to over 14 million; and access to primary school education is now universal for ALL children living in South Africa. Impressive as these figures are, there is so much more to be done: Unemployment remains high; poverty is an unwelcome but persistent companion; and development in many of our poorer areas is a challenge we are working hard to achieve. The past inspires us on this long road. In this spirit of togetherness and otherness, we asserted before the nations of the world at the United Nations General Assembly that South Africa will build friendly relations with all nations and people of the world. Since then we have established more than 100 embassies and consulates, including in 1995 our offices in Riyadh and Jeddah. The support that our liberation struggle enjoyed from Saudi Arabia helped us secure the defeat of apartheid. Today our relations are growing stronger, our ties firmer and the contact between our peoples is a foundation for a strategic partnership. Nine bilateral agreements have been concluded while 12 more are under negotiations. Bilateral trade has grown to more than SR25 b and cooperation in many areas continues to develop. Restaurants such as the Butcher Shop and Grill (Rawdah Street), Mugg n Bean (Malek Road and Serafi Megamall), Ocean Basket (opening soon) are all a taste of the unique food that South Africa has to offer in Jeddah (outside of several excellent South African chefs at other restaurants!). There are over 1,000 South Africans in Jeddah and the Consulate General is extremely proud of their contribution toward the city, its development and the growth of its businesses. South African nurses, teachers, lecturers, engineers, doctors and managers of many kinds of professions can be found throughout the social and economic fabric of Jeddah. Tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia to South Africa are now over 10,000 per year and it is the hope that with the cooperation of several partners in the tourism sector, that this will continue to grow. We believe that South Africa provides a unique offering to tourist travellers, especially those from Saudi Arabia. With a full range of local and international hotel chains operating 5 star accommodation, travel and leisure activities, South Africa is one for your bucket list of global destinations! The variety of activities ensures that travellers to South Africa are never bored: shopping, hiking in the mountains, lazing on the beach, tasting fine food, game drives and experiencing exhilarating activities (bungee jumping, canopy tours, white water rafting, shark cage diving to name a few!) all while enjoying perfect weather, is enough for all different travel cravings. The provinces of Makkah and Madinah are significant to all South African pilgrims travelling on Hajj and Umrah. Jeddah serves as the hub for 95% of these arrivals and travel services have improved for these pilgrims. Three direct Saudia flights a week between Johannesburg and Jeddah (one going directly to Madinah) assist greatly in this regard. The expansion in Makkah and the many infrastructure and service related projects is greatly applauded by the Consulate General and the South African Hajj and Umrah Council in bringing about the goal of all Muslims being able to take part in the holy pilgrimages. It is a pleasure and a privilege to serve this relationship through the Consulate General in Jeddah.
