I am patriotic and passionate and a huge advocate for South Africa and am forever the optimist. These are just 10 things that I love about this beautiful country of ours.

The People– this is what I see- a talented, diverse, funny, open, warm, industrious bunch of people who just want to do well, provide for their families and make this a better place to live in.

The Scenery- what can I say, I am in love with the beaches, mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, sunsets, farms and winelands. In a day I can climb Table Mountain, swim in the icy Atlantic, walk through Newlands forest and end the day sipping on a world class wine at a wine farm while watching a magnificent sunset.

The Music– some awesome music coming out of our country and taking not only us but the world by storm.  Jeremy Loops, Spoek Mathambo, Goodluck, Goldfish, Freshly Ground, Beatenberg, Rubber Duc, Al Bairre and Mi Casa are just some of my favourites, they are all just so friggin cool. And there are so many more…

The Beaches– I grew up swimming in the warm Indian Ocean and now live 5 minutes away from the chilly Atlantic Ocean. I have scuba dived with sharks at Aliwal shoal and swum with dolphins at Sodwana bay. There is something for everyone in our vast oceans that border South Africa from canoeing and fishing to surfing and SUPíng.

The Creativity– from design expos and music festivals to art and theatre shows the creativity, innovation and genius coming out of South Africa constantly inspires us. Creative projects abound and our massively talented South African creatives are making waves around the world.

The Industry– some of the big industries and money makers in South Africa include tourism, breweries, the wine industry, agriculture, mining, media, medical and technology.

The Culture– an amazing diversity of people with a rich history. The 11 different official languages, cultural traditions and a diverse population add to the vibrancy of our ‘’rainbow nation”.

The Comedians- such great talent and a special brand of funny, our very own Trever Noah, Riaad Moosa, Marc Lottering, Nic Rabinowitz, Alan Committie, Loyiso Gola, David Kau to name a few…

The Icons–  Steve Biko, Lady Smith Black Mambazo, Pieter Dirk Uys, Nelson Mandela, Miriam Makeba, Desmond Tutu, Nadine Gordimer and Hugh Masekela are just some of our greatest South African giants.

The Sport– we have produced some super, smart and stunning sports people across many fields but especially- rugby, cricket, golf, swimming, surfing and athletics.

I haven’t even mentioned Kruger park, Kirstenbosch, the Drakensberg and the Garden Route, whale watching, the weather and the braai.

If you’ve enjoyed this post and would like to engage with me, you can find me posting pics, stories and other inspiring stuff on Instagram, Face Book and Twitter.