Together SA (www.togethersa.co.za) is a non-political initiative embracing all cultures, all religions and all sectors of society. Together SA has been initiated by Awesome SA (www.awesomesa.co.za). There are thousands of South Africans who are active citizens, reaching out to others and are running or supporting initiatives that are working on building a positive future for South Africa. These initiatives need to be brought to the attention of our people, to friends of South Africa and to potential funders who stand by the values of our constitution, the protection of civil liberties and socio-economic rights is.

With this in mind Together SA showcases these projects through videos and photo images which will inspire more people to become active citizens instead of passive bystanders. Together SA is inviting those who are committed to shaping our future , to share their 1 – 5 min video clips or photo images on the Together SA website.

Are you ready to join the ranks of South Africans who are Change Makers?

As a Change Maker, you are an active citizen working on the ground to bring about positive change in your home, you community and the environment. Together SA is helping you, a socially-minded person to succeed. Together SA is for everyone, young and old, who would like a better future for South Africa. You can join for Free or become a Premium Member.

Join Together SA today!

You can still feel that this is a great place to live and you can still marvel at the wonderful and innovative people around you. Of course for that short period of time, you have to block out all the news reports and turn your eyes away from the headlines on newspaper stands and those earnest faces giving you breaking news on the TV screens.

My way of switching into a positive mode is to make a mental note of all the pockets of excellence I have run into during my daily existence here. Two days ago I experienced three in 24 hours; one through my ears, the second through my eyes and the third through my feet.

Trust, but verify

My first experience was attending a breakfast at the Fairlawns Boutique Hotel in Johannesburg where I learnt that we are the world’s leader in biometric systems used for access control into offices. One in five employees now check in and out using their finger or thumb print, a much higher ratio than in the US. Virtually all the world’s leading advances in this field emanate from South Africa. It has huge potential now as a device to protect your internet site and your bank account. Did you know that for every one dollar stolen from American banks using the classical technique of holding up staff with shotguns, over one hundred dollars is stolen using cyber-theft? Fascinating too is that every US President is issued with a “biscuit” which has the nuclear weapons launch code. One completely mislaid it and brazenly denied the fact for weeks to his security detail; and another one sent it to the dry-cleaners.

The point of these stories is that no card and no pin number is directly linked to an individual like a unique fingerprint that you carry around with you all the time. A biometric system not only verifies that it is your fingerprint, it reduces it to an algorithm that cannot be reassembled by hacking into a computer. I know a number of you readers will immediately say that this will only be an added incentive to a robber to cut off your finger; but the new device will be able to measure whether there is a pulse in your finger and distinguish between a live and dead one. Skin grafts are beyond the normal bandit. So, as one of the presenters said, the future no longer lies in your hands but at the tip of your fingers. Incidentally, 90% of the people committing cyber fraud have no previous conviction so profiling is useless.

A spicy opening

After the breakfast, I flew to Durban to give a talk at a function for estate agents and stayed overnight at the Elangeni. The hotel has just opened a steak house on the ground floor and the food was exceptional. I had a fillet cooked to perfection with a genuine Madagascar sauce, big non-greasy chips and spinach that had not been overcooked into an unrecognisable mush. The starter reminded me of Istanbul because it was a spicy, hot spread that you could put on your bread rolls. The point worth making is that although the tab was quite pricey by South African standards, the meal would have cost at least double in Perth or London.

A morning walk

The following morning I went for a walk down the sea front to the uShaka Marine World. The promenade they have created beats the beach fronts in Sydney or anywhere in the UK but that is not difficult. The surfers, canoeists, joggers, walkers like me were experiencing the sheer heaven of another day on Earth where nothing can get in the way of the pleasure you feel. There was one police van along the entire strip and no one – not even the many women walking or jogging alone – looked as if they felt insecure. Equally, the place was free of litter and I thought we are world class if only we all try and work together.

Despite abundant petitions and awareness campaigns, the numbers of our rhinos killed continue to soar. We needed to find a way to talk directly to those responsible for creating the demand and show them what they were doing.
So we reinvented age-old postage stamps and turned them into our new medium.
But they aren’t ordinary stamps. The usual breathtaking imagery of our animals has been replaced by the carnage that poachers leave behind. Each stamp includes a message in Chinese, Vietnamese or Thai reading: “say no to rhino horn.”
Letters with our stamps on them, will not only be sent straight to the perpetrators, but will also speak directly to them.
We created a way to take the fight out of our vast bushveld and put it in the hands of those who are ultimately responsible.
We then used our stamps to create posters that will be put up countrywide, rallying the South Africa public to attach one to all letters leaving our shores for China, Vietnam or Thailand. We have also created stamp booklets that will handed out used as inserts and direct mailers, making sure that each and every stamp sent becomes a direct mailer from us to them.
We hope this campaign will start a serious conversation and will continue to do so during it’s roll out and so that we’ll see less of our rhinos being killed. The only way to end the slaughter is to end the demand.

Find out more here – stoprhinopoaching.com

“We Support the local fashion industry. By buying clothes and accessories from us, you are creating employment and making a positive impact on someones life. Keep jobs in South Africa. Thank you.” – LoveZaBuyZa

What We’re Facing
“At least 80 000 jobs have been lost in the South African clothing and textile industry over the past six short years as companies continue to close their doors due to pressure from imported, often inferior products. We don’t want to sit by and let this quietly continue. We hope the campaign will highlight some of the problems the local industry is facing, bring a positive change and create much needed employment. It should resonate with all of our customers that not only have they found an amazing garment to wear, the heart and story behind it makes them feel great too!”

Find out more here – www.lovezabuyza.co.za.

Source

“This is your life. Do what you love, and do it often. If you don’t like your job, quit. If you don’t have enough time, stop watching TV. If you are looking for the love of your life, stop; they will be waiting for you when you start doing things you love. Stop over analyzing, life is simple. All emotions are beautiful. When you eat, appreciate every last bite. Open your mind, arms, and heart to new things and people, we are united in our differences. Ask the next person you see what their passion is, and share your inspiring dream with them. Travel often; getting lost will help you find yourself. Some opportunities only come once, seize them. Life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them so go out and start creating. Life is short. Live your dream and share your passion.”

Are you living the life you want? If not, what are you going to change?

After that inspiring message Kid President couldn’t just leave us there so he also gave us 25 ways that you can make this an awesome year for somebody else.

How are you going to make this year awesome for somebody else?

South Africa is inviting you to join the positive vibe!

Because our diverse country has many challenges and areas that need change and hard work, why not let this be the year to change that?

Find something you love about South Africa and share it with the world. Find something that makes you sad and take action to change it.

Below is a selection of awesome websites to get you inspired, visit them, find out more and the share with others.

“You may never know what results come of your actions, but if you do nothing, there will be no results.” – Mahatma Gandhi

Awesome SA – www.awesomesa.co.za
South Africans positively influencing the future.
Awesome SA motivates South Africans to influence the future of our country in a positive way and supports organisations that are making a sustainable difference to the future of South Africa. Awesome SA also highlights stories that focus on the great acts and achievements of our people and the extraordinariness of South Africa.

South Africa The Good News – www.sagoodnews.co.za
South Africa: The Good News offers a fresh perspective and stimulates dialogue and debate.
This news website highlights the positive developments in South Africa. They are an independent organization, apolitical and with no agenda other than to source and publish good news about our beloved country.

SAinfo – SouthAfrica.info
Talking about a country that’s alive with possibility!
The online gateway to South Africa. If you’re a South African at home or abroad, or if you’re interested in sharing the great happenings and developments happening in the country, this site is for you!

SA Rocks – www.sarocks.co.za
Love where you live or live where you love. I choose South Africa!
After reading the incredibly upsetting anti-SA blogs from expats around the world I decided to make a stand. This blog is that stand. I am standing up for all the good in SA. For all the great things that SA citizens do and for all the people who love this country. I love this country and I believe in it and the success that is soon to come.

“All movements coming together for good, can create an unstoppable force for change – but it starts with you…” – Movement for Good

Let us know what you are going to be doing in 2013 to make it a great year for South Africa.

This post was inspired by content from The Awesome South Africa book.

• Tourism figures for the first 6 months of 2012 grew at double the global average, recording a 17,1% growth in arrivals from outside of the African continent.
• Table Mountain was officially named as one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
• Cape Town was voted the favourite city worldwide by the readers of British news site the Telegraph and South Africa was rated the third favourite country worldwide in the 2012 Telegraph Travel Awards.

Sport

• The Proteas became the first cricket side in history to simultaneously hold the world number-one ranking side in all three formats of the game South African batsman Hashim Amla moved within four points of the number-one ranked batsman in the ICC Test Player Rankings. Boucher retired as the most successful wicketkeeper the world has ever seen with more than 500 dismissals and 5 000 runs at Test match level and a total of 999 dismissals in international cricket. Philander became the second-fastest man to take 50 wickets in the history of cricket.
• The Springboks climbed one position to second in the latest IRB World Rankings.
• Ernie Else won the British Open whilst Six South African golfers finished the year in the top 100 in the world rankings. South Africa, with six tournaments, will host more European golf tour events than any other country in the forthcoming season, including the Volvo Golf Champions./li>
• Oscar Pistorius joined Natalie du Toit as the only disabled Olympians to participate in the Olympics.
• Emotions ran high when watching the South African Olympians win gold in spectacular fashion – Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh in the pool and South African Men’s Lightweight Four winning some considered the greatest rowing race in Olympic history.
• Chad le Clos was voted South African sportsman of the year after winning Olympic gold when he ended Michael Phelps’ unbeaten record of more than a decade (and don’t forget to watch Bert le Clos’ unbelievable CNN interview on YouTube)

Leaders make their mark

• These include Jonathan Jansen and Mamphela Ramphele who encourage South Africans to become active citizens and through their articles and books motivate South Africans to face South Africa’s challenges
• Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma was appointed Chairperson of the African Union Commission and is also honoured with the international Renaissance Woman of the Year Award 2012.

Crime

• Over the last 10 years there has been an overall decline of approximately 30% in Crime statistics across the board. Areas showing dramatic reductions include: Attempted murder down 57% ; bank robberies down 90%; Vehicle and motor bike theft down 46% ; and Common Robbery down 47%.

South Africans take a stand for their rights

• The Supreme court of appeal rules unanimously in the case regarding the Dalai Lama’s visa application to visit South Africa and also against the education department’s school admission policy.

Global rankings

• South Africa was ranked 14th by international companies as the top prospective investment destinations for 2012 to 2014 in the World Investment Report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development
• South African banks were rated as the second soundest in the world according to the World Economic Forum’s Competitiveness Report.
• Cape Town and Johannesburg’s commercial property outshone that of cities such as New York and London as the strongest growth in property values around the world over the past 10 years, according to Investment Property Databank’s (IPD’s) Global Cities Report.

Awards and Investments

• FNB was named world’s most innovative bank
• South Africa won 32 of the 57 awards at the 2012 World Travel Awards for Africa
• The Woolworths Retail group was named the 2012 international "responsible retailer of the year"
• Bosman Family Vineyards became the world’s leading ethical wine producer by winning the Fairtrade Award at the 2012 International Wine Challenge (IWC)
• BMW South Africa’s Rosslyn Plant outside Pretoria will begin exporting its 3 Series vehicles to China after receiving a China Quality Certification clearance permit
• MTN, the most valuable South African brand, became the first African brand to be ranked on the BrandZ top 100 global brands
• Nestlé opened two new factories near Pretoria as part of a R500-million investment in South Africa
• Global fast-food company Burger King will open its first restaurant in Cape Town during the first half of 2013.
• Nissan is to invest R1-billion in the expansion of its plant which will double its capacity and produce a new one-ton pick-up range aimed at both the local and export markets.
• The business process outsourcing (BPO) industry sees foreign investment by Quindell; Capita plc; WNS; Interactive Intelligence Group.

John Vlismas
“There are many reasons why I love SA. We are spoiled by the sense of the space we have grown up with, an abundance of sunshine and our beautiful coastline. Our cities are cosmopolitan and our infrastructure is excellent.”

Barry Hilton
“Living in South Africa is funny because… We have as many prostitutes as criminals… so, either way, you get screwed. But all in all and with all the nonsense, I just love being here, coz after all you can’t buy sunshine!”

Michael Naicker
“The weather, the scenery, the culture – I love South Africa. It has to be one of the best places to live in the world. It’s not all sunny skies and braais though. Life is tough but rewarding.”

So who is your favourite South African comedian? You can answer our poll on Facebook.

Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to the future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage is an irreplaceable source of life and inspiration. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has declared eight South African world heritage sites which represent outstanding value to humanity.

View this and 7 other South African world heritage sites in Awesome South Africa. You can find out more on the uKhahlamba Drakensberg Park here.