School life
In a South Africa classroom
Many schools teach in multiple languages. Singing in assembly is widespread.
Typical school day: Often 07:45-14:30 in primary.
School year: January to December.
All country briefings
Africa · Country briefing
South Africa
A child-friendly mission briefing for Thursday 19 November - capital, climate, school day, languages, fun facts, native animals, and five questions to ask the class on the other side of the world.
- CapitalPretoria / Cape Town / Bloemfontein
- Population~60 million
- Time zoneAfrica/Johannesburg (UTC +2)
- CurrencySouth African rand (ZAR)
South Africa, with Pretoria / Cape Town / Bloemfontein marked
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Climate in November: Spring/early summer; warm and often sunny across many regions.
The capital
Pretoria / Cape Town / Bloemfontein
Photo · Wikimedia Commons
Fun facts
What makes South Africa a bit special.
Table Mountain
A flat-topped giant by the sea
Open lesson
Languages
11 official ones
Open lesson
Big Five
Lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo
Open lesson
Rugby
Springboks: four-time World Cup winners
Open lesson
Diamonds
Discovered here in the 1860s
Open lesson
Three capitals
Pretoria, Cape Town, Bloemfontein
Open lesson
Tap any card to open a class-ready mini-lesson - for the teacher to walk through, or an older child to read aloud.
Native animals
Wildlife your partner class might know best.
- 🦁
Lion
Lives in prides on the savannah
Open lesson
- 🐧
African penguin
Yes - penguins in Africa!
Open lesson
- 🦌
Springbok
Can leap 2 metres in the air ('pronking')
Open lesson
- 🦏
White rhino
Second-largest land animal after the elephant
Open lesson
- 🐿
Meerkat
Lives in 'mobs' and takes turns on lookout
Open lesson
Tap any animal to open a class-ready lesson about it.
Greetings to learn
Say hello like a local
- Sawubona!Zulu · saw-BOH-na
- Molo!Xhosa · MOH-lo
- Hallo!Afrikaans
Five questions to ask
Conversation starters
- 01How many languages do you speak?
- 02What is school like where you live?
- 03What animals live near you?
- 04What music do you love?
- 05What do you wish other children knew about South Africa?
What not to assume
Friendly cautions
- ℹSouth Africa has 11 official languages and many cultures.
- ℹWildlife is part of life for some communities but not all - many live in big cities.
Culture
Food, music, sport, festivals.
Food
Music
Sport
Festivals
Tap any chip to open a class-ready lesson - what it is, why it matters, fun facts.
Reflection prompts
- “What would your school sound like with eleven languages?”
- “Whose stories do you most want to hear?”
Could your class meet South Africa?
Choose South Africawhen you register - we’ll show you the time-zone feasibility.