South African Curveballs
Which South African province shares a border with the most other South African provinces?
Free State
I'm not a machine, but South Africans stop at me every day.
A robot.
South Africa has more official languages than Switzerland.
True
I am home to the Union Buildings.
Pretoria
Which South African animal's fingerprints are so similar to a human's that they can sometimes confuse forensic investigations?
Baboon.
Which city is South Africa's largest by population, yet is not one of the country's three capital cities?
Johannesburg
I'm completely surrounded by South Africa, yet I'm an independent country.
Lesotho
Bloemfontein is the legislative capital of South Africa.
False (Cape Town)
I am the province whose name literally describes where I sit on the map.
North West
Which famous South African invention allows doctors to see detailed cross-sections inside the human body?
CT Scan technology
A tourist says they visited the southernmost point of Africa and shows you a photo of Cape Point. What would you tell them?
The southernmost point is Cape Agulhas.
I am one of the world's smallest floral kingdoms, yet I contain more plant species than the whole of the United Kingdom. What am I?
The Cape Floral Kingdom (Cape Floristic Region)
The Kruger National Park lies entirely within Mpumalanga.
False (Mpumalanga and Limpopo)
Home to Namaqualand's famous spring flower displays, I become one of the most colourful places on Earth for a few weeks each year.
Northern Cape
Which South African businessperson became the first African in space as a private citizen?
Mark Shuttleworth
South Africa's currency is called the Rand. It gets its name from a ridge that helped create Johannesburg. Name the ridge.
Witwatersrand
I was once known as Port Natal. Today millions visit me for beaches, curry and a famous beachfront promenade.
Durban
The Drakensberg Mountains appeared in The Legend of Tarzan as a stand-in for parts of the Congo.
True
Many visitors think this Johannesburg district is only famous for its cylindrical skyscraper, but film fans know it appeared prominently in District 9. Name the district.
Hillbrow (accept Ponte City)
Which South African bird is the only animal known to deliberately use fire to hunt by carrying burning sticks to new areas?
The Firehawk (accepted: Black Kite or Brown Falcon)
The "Big Five" were not originally named because they were the largest animals. Why were they called the Big Five?
They were considered the five most difficult and dangerous animals to hunt on foot.
Which South African antelope can survive for long periods without directly drinking water, obtaining most of its moisture from plants?
Gemsbok (Oryx)
The Orange River was named because the water appears orange.
False (It was named after the Dutch House of Orange.)
I am home to the largest population of black rhinos in South Africa and one of Africa's oldest proclaimed reserves. What place am I?
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
What South African marine animal is nicknamed the "cleaner of the ocean" because it filters huge quantities of water while feeding?
Whale Shark