South Africa is one of the world’s most beautiful countries. Bordered by two oceans, it has miles of pristine beaches, breathtaking mountain ranges, wildernesses and national parks, as well as modern tourist-friendly cities like Cape Town and Durban. South Africa also has a rich Jewish heritage and a welcoming Jewish community. An organized Jewish heritage tour of South Africa offers a chance to explore a fascinating part of Jewish history, meet some amazing people – and see some of the most stunning scenery on the planet!
A Brief History of South African Jews
There’s an aspect of Jewish history that isn’t well-known – but really should be. It’s the stories of the adventurous Jewish merchants, travelers and explorers who visited all kinds of exotic and dangerous locations throughout the last two thousand years (and even back to the time of King Solomon). Among them were the Portuguese Jews – servants of the Crown – who visited southern Africa as cartographers and astronomers in the late 1400s.
During the early days of the Dutch colonial settlement of South Africa, Jews and Catholics were largely excluded by the Protestant authorities, but religious tolerance accelerated with the arrival of the British. By the 1820s, Jews were arriving in the new frontier colonies as traders and commercial pioneers. The Jewish immigrants thrived and established themselves in farming, shipping and whaling, the early diamond industry and then the wider professions.
The British were generally more tolerant than the Dutch descended Boers, but some Jews were absorbed into the Afrikaner communities as Boerejode or Boer Jews. Jews fought on both sides in the Boer War, although the majority volunteered to join the British. The gold rush in 1886 attracted a new wave of Jewish immigrants, including many from Lithuania. The Jewish community peaked in the 1970s with an estimated 120,000 members. Since the end of apartheid, numbers have declined through emigration. Today there are around 75,000 people in South Africa who identify as Jewish.
Planning a Custom Tour of South Africa
South Africa is the world’s 24th biggest country and is larger than Texas and California combined. It’s not a truly massive country, but is definitely big enough to require some thought when you plan a custom tour. How you explore South Africa will depend on your personal priorities, as well as how much time you have available, how much money you want to spend and the level of luxury that you require. With the South African rand (ZAR) trading at around 18 to the US dollar, your budget will go a long way.
If you’re interested in South African Jewish heritage, the single best place to start is Cape Town. South Africa’s first synagogue, the Gardens Shul was founded in Cape Town in 1841. The Shul was expanded in 1905 and its magnificent Edwardian architecture reflects the prosperity and self-confidence of South Africa’s Jewish community. Cape Town is a beautiful city and the Shul is one of its architectural jewels. The South African Jewish Museum is located in the older Victorian structure.
Cape Town is located on the Atlantic Ocean in the South West of the country and enjoys a global reputation for its pleasant climate and spectacular scenery. The iconic Table Mountain is a “must see” tourist attraction (accessible by cable car on a hiking trail). Other attractions in Cape Town include the Cape Point Promontory and the 17th century Castle of Good Hope. Nature lovers will also enjoy the 36 hectare Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
It’s easy to spend a lot of time in Cape Town, wandering the V&A Waterfront, and checking out the food scene in the city’s restaurants. Cape Town attracts surfers from around the world and its beaches and watersports are ideal for the adventurous. If paragliding, skydiving and scuba diving isn’t your thing, try a Cape Winelands tour, and explore the heart of South Africa’s wine industry in nearby Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek.
Visit a 5th Generation Jewish Owned Ostrich Farm
Jews have made a mark in several fields, but you might be surprised to learn that ostrich farming is one of them. The Safari Ostrich Farm is just over 200 miles east of Cape Town near the country town of Oudtshoorn, historical home of the “Jewish ostrich barons”. The modern farm is a working business that offers guided tractor and walking tours and a chance to interact with ostriches – including rides and races – and learn more about these remarkable African birds. The Safari Ostrich Farm is a fun family activity and your tour company can arrange private transport from Cape Town and local luxury accommodation.
Visit the Kruger National Park
The vast Kruger National Park is one of the biggest game reserves in Africa and is a South African national treasure. The park is in the North East of the country and is a little smaller than the entire state of New Jersey. The park contains four major ecosystems and all African big game species. Kruger is famous for its biodiversity and wildlife and contains 147 different species of large mammals, as well as birds, reptiles and vegetation.
When you plan a visit to the Kruger National Park, we strongly recommend that you talk to your travel company well in advance. They will explain the climate and weather variations and their effect on wildlife, and help you to choose the perfect month for your visit. Your tour company can also arrange luxury accommodation, guided tours and special opportunities to view wildlife, as well as meetings with wildlife experts, conservationists and local people.
Build a Personalized Itinerary
When you plan a custom tour of South Africa, a lot will depend on whether you’re a city person or a nature lover. At the very least, we recommend a trip to Cape Town. The cities of Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria all have their own attractions, but South Africa is justifiably famous for its natural beauty.
The 600 mile long Drakensberg escarpment is part of a wider Great Escarpment and runs through some of South Africa’s most stunning Eastern provinces. The mountain ranges are home to some of the most important examples of San rock art and more than 20,000 elegant and mysterious cave paintings can still be seen today.
A trip to South Africa can be the adventure of a lifetime, but it’s definitely a country that’s best explored with a professional travel company. Unless you can devote several months to your trip, you’ll inevitably have to compromise on your itinerary. A professional travel company like Gil Travel can help you to devise the ideal itinerary – and can connect you to the local Jewish community and some of the less well-known Jewish historical sites.
Gil Travel also has an up to date knowledge of local conditions and can ensure that your group enjoys top-notch private security and safe luxury transport and accommodation. If you require kosher dining, shabbat-compliant hotels, or access to synagogues, Gil Travel can use its local connections to create a perfect kosher tour of South Africa. Talk to us now if you’re ready for the trip of a lifetime to one of the world’s most beautiful countries!
