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Taking viewers on a breathtaking flight over South Africa and eSwatini (formerly Swaziland). It blends stunning gyro-stabilized aerial photography with the profound African humanist philosophy of communal unity
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00:00This is the heart of South Africa, a place that ignited some of humanity's most defining moments.
00:07From early ancestors, leaving footprints in the earth, to the rise of technology, transforming the way we survive.
00:16Here, rolling hills offer unimaginable wealth, and soaring heights offer unbroken views.
00:22This is where gold sparked a rush to riches that almost trampled the wealth of wildlife standing in the way.
00:31Where animals exploited in the past are now celebrated as part of the future, and one man transcended the nation's
00:39last great divide and electrified the world.
00:42Here, conflicting worlds merge into a land of remarkable drama.
00:47This is South Africa's journey, from pre-human skeletons to modern skyscrapers.
01:00Two billion years ago, the earth went through a violent geological upheaval.
01:07Mountains rose that still remain.
01:10This is the Mahalisburg Range, almost a hundred times older than the Himalayas.
01:17Venerable old peaks have witnessed constant change within one of the most dynamic regions in South Africa, the interior.
01:28Around these mountains, life slowly took hold.
01:32Vultures now roost in the crevices of a cliff face, where countless animal ancestors have lived over the eons.
01:44Species continued to flourish and evolve, until humans finally arrived on the sea, a critical tipping point that transformed the
01:54landscape forever.
02:02Now roads criss-cross the landscape, and bring people to a living museum of evolution.
02:10They wait in line to try to grasp the scope of the region's long arc of human history.
02:16This is the entry point of the Sturckfontein Caves, part of a world heritage site called the Cradle of Humankind.
02:29Below are caves that have offered a trove of artifacts, including a complete skull, revealing an ancient species of hominid
02:40that is one of humanity's common ancestors.
02:45Visitors descend deep into the earth to experience an immersive story of the human journey.
02:54Standing in stark contrast to the ancient life below is the modern architecture above.
03:01The design of the tumulus building tries to bridge the old and new.
03:06From the front, it looks like a burial mound.
03:10But around the back, it is transformed.
03:14The style signals not the end of history, but the beginning of the future.
03:19The long-buried evidence now on display here confirms the groundbreaking theory of Charles Darwin that humanity rose from the
03:28African continent.
03:30The surrounding land still produces new discoveries.
03:35They may solve a mystery or spark a new one.
03:41As science scrambles for clues to our origin, rural communities in South Africa rely on faith to guide them to
03:50enlightenment.
03:51The Lemba Nation of Zimbabwe was led here by a star in the sky.
03:57It is known as Zion City in Moria Town, Limpopo Province.
04:04It is the largest African-founded center of worship in the country.
04:10The Zionist Christian Church was formed in 1910 by Enginus Lechanyane.
04:18His last name means Keeper of the Star of Knowledge.
04:22He claims God called him to search for a star near the holy Mount Zion.
04:29It's likely he witnessed a meteor falling to earth, which inspired him to found his church here in Moria Town
04:37in 1944.
04:42The church fuses African traditions and values with the Christian faith.
04:47When Lechanyane's son, Edward, took control of the church in 1948, he instituted annual pilgrimages.
04:55The followers gather here every year to celebrate Easter and the memory of a star that has guided them since
05:04the time of their origin at Great Zimbabwe.
05:08Members come from all over Africa.
05:11They travel by donkey cart, bicycle, bus, and on foot.
05:16Now close to 6 million followers attend the 4,000 parishes where proud church members wear a silver five-pointed
05:25star with a green and black ribbon.
05:28The impact of a meteorite can help mold beliefs.
05:33But other meteor strikes here have helped reshape the landscape.
05:44To the north is another species-rich environment.
05:48To their morning balloon safari, tourists get to relax at a resort called the Palace of the Lost City.
05:54Right outside the park's border.
05:59It was built to resemble an ancient African palace hidden in the jungle.
06:05Though ancient African palaces probably didn't have 18-hole golf courses.
06:10Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore shot the romantic comedy Blended in the hotel.
06:17Its five-star amenities include swimming pools, a water park, luxury shopping, and a conference center.
06:25All of it nestled inside an ancient volcanic crater.
06:35Some craters are natural and some are man-made.
06:41This dramatic hole in the ground is really a dig for riches.
06:46A diamond mine.
06:50The Culloden Mine is the main source of the world's blue diamonds
06:54and occasionally produces glittery rocks the size of ping-pong balls.
07:00In 1905, one was found that was the size of a fist.
07:04It was nicknamed the Great Star of Africa.
07:08Today, the town bumps right up against the mine.
07:12Jacaranda trees near the edge show off their purple blues.
07:17Not as sparkly as a diamond, but beautiful in their own way.
07:24This man-made crater at Palaburwa is more than a mile wide.
07:291,500 feet deep.
07:32And can clearly be seen from space.
07:37Copper has been mined here since at least 400 A.D.
07:42Where it was smelted into 20-inch long ingots to use as money.
07:47Now these mines produce 60,000 tons of copper every year.
07:57Mining in South Africa is an unmistakable presence.
08:01It alters the landscape, fuels the local economy and sparks global innovation.
08:08Platinum is another precious metal and most of it is mined here at Rustenburg.
08:1490% of the world's supply still lies buried in these hills.
08:20It may look like dirty business, but platinum is a key ingredient to a greener future.
08:26The automotive industry uses it for catalytic converters, reducing carbon emissions from every car.
08:34Platinum is also required to make hydrogen fuel cells, which someday may replace the internal combustion engine.
08:43So this could be one of the epicenters of energy's hopeful future.
08:48Clean and green.
08:51Dirty energy is already providing relics to repurpose.
08:55Here in Orlando Soweto, a decommissioned coal plant is now an entertainment center,
09:02including the world's first bungee jump between two cooling towers.
09:07The tower's murals took six months to paint.
09:11One is a giant ad for a bank, but the other is an original design depicting the cultural energy of
09:19Soweto.
09:25The energy here helped to alter the course of South African history.
09:32Nelson Mandela once lived in this corner house on Bilikazi Street.
09:38He worked in Soweto as a lawyer and activist before being arrested in 1962.
09:46When he was finally released in 1990, he walked the streets of Soweto as a hero.
09:52He helped dismantle apartheid, share the Nobel Peace Prize,
09:57and became the nation's first black president.
10:03In 1994, he took the oath of office here at the Union buildings in Pretoria,
10:10the seat of the South African government.
10:13Today, a bronze statue of Mandela immortalizes the moment.
10:17He was surrounded by the largest gathering of world leaders since John F. Kennedy's funeral.
10:23It was broadcast live around the globe and viewed by two billion people.
10:31After his death at age 95, the biggest memorial event was held here at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
10:40He had packed this stadium 23 years before,
10:44when 100,000 people came to hear one of his first speeches as a free man.
10:49Now, they came in mourning.
10:53But also, in celebration,
10:56few people have bent the arc of history towards justice and freedom like Nelson Mandela.
11:03But he is not the only man to shape the landscape of modern South Africa.
11:08In the early 1800s, the indigenous Zulu tribe controlled a growing expanse of territory,
11:16led by their ambitious king, Shaka Zulu.
11:20Through cunning strategy and brutal warfare, he expanded Zulu territory into a vast kingdom.
11:28In the West, he was known as the Black Napoleon.
11:31His kingdom was filled with native animals.
11:35But between warfare and unchecked hunting by Zulus and white outsiders,
11:40game animals dwindled quickly.
11:43In just 50 years, hundreds of thousands of animals were killed.
11:50Elephants were hunted for their ivory and kidnapped to become working animals.
11:57Lions were decimated, many by hunters who valued their trophy heads.
12:06Both black and white rhinos were threatened.
12:09But the white rhino was almost completely wiped out.
12:13By 1890, there were only about 20 left, the last remaining on Earth.
12:23In 1895, this dire loss of wildlife led to the creation of the first game reserve in South Africa,
12:33called Chuchue infilozi.
12:37Some species were snatched back from the jaws of extinction.
12:41Others were reintroduced.
12:44But the white rhino struggled to come back.
12:49Beginning in the 1950s, Dr. Ian Player, brother of pro golfer Gary Player, spearheaded Operation Rhino,
12:58a desperate effort to save the species.
13:01He bred rhinos in captivity in this park.
13:05Then, with the help of modern transportation,
13:07he reintroduced them back into the wild, here and at other reserves across Africa.
13:15Thanks to their tireless efforts, there are now around 20,000 white rhino in the world.
13:22But the threat remains.
13:26Poachers evade park officials and kill on average three rhinos per day.
13:35Females can only give birth to new calves every three or four years, so the math does not favor the
13:42white rhino.
13:43Between global conservation efforts and local enforcement, the white rhino's survival hangs in the balance.
13:53There is another balancing act playing out in the South African landscape.
13:58Energy.
14:00Mining fossil fuels feeds the economy, but scars the environment.
14:06Here, coal is the dominant energy industry.
14:10Deposits are shallower than most and reveal themselves in thick seams, making it cheaper to mine.
14:21Inexpensive coal makes a very valuable export, and the Richards Bay Coal Terminal is the transfer point.
14:28This site proves that coal is not just big business, it's simply big.
14:34This is one of the largest coal transfer facilities in the world, covering an entire square mile.
14:47Nearby are two aluminum smelting plants, which use massive amounts of coal power to turn raw ore into aluminum.
14:56Coal power plants like these dock the landscape across South Africa.
15:02Coal fuels over 75% of South Africa's energy needs.
15:07The country also distributes electrical power to 14 African countries.
15:13It has helped turn towns into cities.
15:18The port city of Durban was founded in 1824.
15:23It is renowned for great weather, with an average of 320 days of sunshine per year.
15:30They call this stretch of coast the Golden Mile, where the warm ocean delivers perfect waves year round.
15:40The land it was built upon was ceded to seafarers by King Shaka Zulu, who had been trading skins and
15:47ivory with the newcomers.
15:49People are still coming.
15:52Surfers, holiday makers, and business travelers make Durban a cosmopolitan hub.
15:58The ocean is a big draw.
16:02But for those too skittish to frolic in the shallows, where sharks are known to visit, there are other options
16:08nearby.
16:10This is Ushaka Marine World, the largest oceanic water park in Africa.
16:15It houses sea creatures ranging from the tiny to the terrifying.
16:21Tourists can even dive with the sharks, behind the protection of shark cages.
16:26While water attracts tourists, it also attracts shipping.
16:31Durban Bay is one of the few natural harbors in this part of Africa.
16:36It grew into the largest port on the entire continent, and one of the top ten busiest in the world.
16:43But before all of this, the harbor was actually an airplane runway.
16:48In the 1940s, the first commercial flights between South Africa and Europe were made in seaplanes, and they landed right
16:57here after a grueling 20-stop, five-day trip.
17:02Today, giant cargo ships dominate the harbor, but nearby, there is still room for smaller boats.
17:09Between big port commerce and small boat recreation, Durban has become a regional powerhouse, with a skyline to match.
17:21A recent addition to this skyline is Moses Mabida Stadium, built for the 2010 World Cup soccer tournament.
17:30The first one played on the African continent.
17:34When South Africa won the right to host the World Cup, the race was on to build and upgrade other
17:41stadiums around the country.
17:43Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polakwane was named after a leader in the African National Congress, who served in Parliament after
17:51the fall of apartheid.
17:52Orlando Stadium is an older structure that was upgraded for the cup.
17:58It's the home turf of the Orlando Pirates, a professional soccer team that is the pride of Soweto.
18:05Ellis Park in Johannesburg is known more for rugby than soccer.
18:10In 1995, the Rugby World Cup final was played here and won by South Africa's team called the Springboks.
18:17Coming just after the fall of apartheid, it was a milestone moment for a newly unified country.
18:25Many fields host both soccer and rugby.
18:29Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria hosted World Cup matches, but is the home field of the Blue Bulls, a professional
18:38team in the South African Rugby Union.
18:42The Mbambele Stadium is also known as the Giraffe Stadium.
18:47The giant supports are shaped like giraffes, and the black and white seats look like zebra skin.
18:54Wildlife continues to shape the identity of South Africa and attract tourism.
18:59But outsiders beware, some animals are wild and unpredictable.
19:11The people on this boat are lucky to be on the river, not in it.
19:16Its hidden dangers are legendary.
19:20This reserve is named after the Zulu word for miracle and wonder, Isimangaliso Wetland Park.
19:28It is the largest river estuary in Africa and home to the deadly Nile crocodile.
19:35This species can get up to 20 feet long and will hide for hours in the brackish water waiting for
19:42an ambush.
19:43They are not picky about what they eat.
19:46Being on a safari boat is the safest way to scan the park for life.
19:52Another animal is a more common sight, the hippopotamus.
19:57While they look cute, it's best to see one from afar.
20:02They are one of Africa's most dangerous animals.
20:07Hippos can run almost 20 miles an hour and weigh as much as an SUV.
20:15Around here, hippos are known for taking a nightly stroll through town.
20:20In 2012, a man lost his leg after he was attacked by a hippo in his own garden.
20:29Luckily, some of the park's other wildlife is far safer to view.
20:36And breathtaking to behold.
20:47The coelacanth was a prehistoric lobe-finned fish that scientists thought was extinct for millions of years.
20:55But in 1938, a net snagged a five-foot long specimen.
21:00It was hailed as the most important zoological find of the century.
21:06In the year 2000, divers managed to photograph one while diving here at Sodwana Bay.
21:14But other fish are a more common sight.
21:18Over 1,200 species swim amid the rich coral below.
21:30Stretching up the coast from Sodwana Bay are ancient dunes that date back 25,000 years.
21:39They form the backbone of this delicate coastal habitat,
21:43which is home to one of the last remaining swamp forests in South Africa.
21:48The area is so lush that the Cape Vidal lighthouse is painted a bright orange-yellow
21:55to help it stand out against the green forest reserve behind it.
22:01Centuries have brought little change to this forest.
22:04It provides habitat for the Samongo monkey, which lives mostly in trees and is rarely seen.
22:11A more common sight is the mischievous Vervet monkey, which is good at sneaking up on unsuspecting campers resting in
22:20the shade and stealing their lunch.
22:26Here, the pristine beach is a nesting site for the endangered leatherback turtle, a perfect incubator for turtle eggs.
22:35The black color in the sand is ilmanite, one of the necessary ingredients to make titanium.
22:41The dark mineral keeps the sand warm and its temperature that dictates whether a turtle egg will hatch male or
22:49female.
22:50If the sand remains too cool, all the hatchlings would be male, effectively dooming the local population of this endangered
22:58species.
22:59As a result, mining has been banned here.
23:04Living in harmony with nature is a modern challenge.
23:08But here, indigenous tribes have been doing it for over 700 years.
23:14Now from small towns nestled in the green.
23:28This is Cozy Bay Nature Reserve.
23:32It's a tropical Eden of cool turquoise water and emerald green marshland.
23:38There are raffia palm trees, mangrove swamps, and sycamore fig forests.
23:45Despite its name, it's not really a bay.
23:48It's four lakes that are linked by snaking waterways.
23:52The reserve is home to over 250 bird species.
23:59Some as common as the flamingo, and others as rare as the trumpeter hornbill,
24:05whose call sounds like a newborn baby crying for its mother.
24:10This reserve protects more than animals.
24:13It protects a way of life.
24:16The indigenous Tembe Tonga people continue centuries old traditions on the water.
24:24These are Tonga fish traps, a concept that survives from the Stone Age.
24:30At high tide, the fish wash over these reeds, and as the tide recedes, they are trapped.
24:36The traps are shaped to herd the fish into a small area, so that Tembe Tonga can spear them.
24:47This practice is environmentally sustainable.
24:51Only big fish are trapped and kept for the cook fire,
24:54while smaller fingerlings dash through the gaps in the reed walls.
24:58From above, the traps look like a giant collection of jewelry,
25:04necklaces, heart-shaped pendants, and friendship rings.
25:08But they have a more lasting value for the Tembe Tonga, food to eat, and tradition to keep.
25:15This traditional way of life has not been easy to preserve.
25:19European imperialism of the late 1800s tried to displace them, but they remained resolute and continue to prosper,
25:28now that their views on wildlife sustainability are back in vogue.
25:33The ancestral home of the Tembe people is prime elephant habitat,
25:38so they helped create and manage the Tembe Elephant Reserve,
25:42which shares conservation land with Mozambique.
25:46This area used to be called the Ivory Route,
25:50infamous for the transport and trade of elephant tusks.
25:57Some think there are still old caches of hidden ivory that never made it out.
26:04While the trade is no longer legal in South Africa, ivory is still in demand.
26:10Poachers are a constant threat.
26:13In just the year 2013, over 20,000 African elephants fell to poachers.
26:19In the last decade, their population has been cut in half.
26:24The elephants in this reserve are some of the biggest in the world,
26:28which makes them a prime target.
26:31Poachers sneak in with automatic weapons,
26:34and armed Tembe rangers try to intercept them before a giant falls.
26:42This deadly war often plays out in the deep African darkness.
26:47Other parks face the same threat, even the biggest, most famous park in the country.
26:53A statue of former South African President Paul Kruger greets visitors at the gate of the country's largest reserve,
27:02Kruger National Park.
27:04The park spans more than 7,523 square miles of pristine African bushfeld.
27:12Locals simply call it the Kruger.
27:15It is one of the world's most diverse game reserves, and a leader in species preservation.
27:22Animals like elephants have roamed here long before people created a park.
27:28And before they were protected, they were widely poached.
27:33In the 1800s, there was rampant killing for skins and ivory.
27:38Paul Kruger convinced Parliament to begin protecting the area,
27:42and by 1926, it was designated a national park in his name.
27:49The first motorists entered the park for a fee of only one British pound.
27:56Now, over 1.6 million people visit the Kruger every year.
28:01Because it is so vast, one can only visit a small portion at a time.
28:11Buffalo gather at the Sand River, known as one of the best game-viewing areas in the world.
28:17It is a perennial river that can run dry during winter months.
28:22But during the dry season, elephants use their trunks to dig into the riverbed,
28:28looking for water below ground.
28:30After the elephants have quenched their thirst, other animals, like waterbuck, are attracted to the waterholes.
28:38And all this attracts tourists.
28:41The Sand River runs through a private game reserve that borders the Kruger, called Mala Mala.
28:48This land used to be a hunting area, but now the protected animals are only shot with cameras.
28:55The lodges within Mala Mala were pioneers in the African safari industry.
29:01There are no fences between Mala Mala and the Kruger.
29:05It's all one ecosystem to the animals.
29:08Species can roam between the reserves, and that freedom benefits elephants.
29:15They often walk several miles a day, and up to 50 if food and water are scarce.
29:23People travel a lot further than that to stay at the Jukudu Lodge, which borders the Kruger.
29:30The lodge offers an oasis of comfort in the bush.
29:34Guests often spot wildlife at a nearby waterhole while swimming in the pool.
29:41The lodge isn't just for people.
29:43It is respected worldwide for rehabilitating orphaned animals and releasing them back into the wild.
29:51But right nearby, the landscape has been completely tamed.
29:56Zanim is a farming region near the Kruger National Park.
30:01Beyond row after row of citrus trees, there is 8,000 square miles of crops like mangoes, avocados and bananas.
30:11Restaurants across the globe serve tomatoes grown in this region.
30:15180,000 tons of the tangy sweet fruit are planted, picked and packaged for export.
30:22Further south, near the town of Nelsprit, one fruit farm has stood the test of time.
30:28The Halls Fruit Farm was founded in the 1850s by Hugh Hall.
30:34By 1940, Hall became well known for offering the first mail-order delivery service of fresh produce via the railways
30:43to households across South Africa.
30:46Halls continues to diversify its business as one of the largest fruit producers in South Africa.
30:54Follow the countryside fruit stands and eventually you'll find Nelsprit, a blossoming city that is a hub for all of
31:02the nearby agriculture.
31:03There are canning and juicing facilities tucked into the landscape, but Nelsprit and all of this regional agriculture runs up
31:12and down the western flank of Kruger National Park.
31:16Having the wild and the tame so close together is an unpredictable mix.
31:22Wild animals often wreak havoc on crops and livestock.
31:27Monkeys can steal fruit and lions can kill cattle.
31:33Some farmers use cyanide to poison invading predators.
31:38Once poison is in the food chain, other animals like vultures pay the price.
31:46But the trouble flows both ways.
31:50The natural waterways of the region flow eastward from human settlements into the Kruger.
31:55So by the time water flows into the park, it's often contaminated with agricultural pesticides and even human waste.
32:05Water in South Africa is an ever-changing story.
32:08But nearby, there's a landscape that hasn't changed for millennia.
32:15This hillside is covered with nature's living fossils.
32:19They are called cycad trees.
32:23Some think the tree has been around since the time of the dinosaurs.
32:28Each one can live up to a thousand years.
32:32Some of them can grow to almost 40 feet.
32:37The seed cones are huge and up to two and a half feet long and weighing up to 75 pounds.
32:45The Mujaji Cycad Reserve is a window into this oversized, prehistoric wonderland.
32:54Another ancient system, this time, of government, lies tucked between South Africa and Mozambique, the tiny nation of Swaziland.
33:06It is one of the few remaining monarchies in Africa.
33:11The king rules with absolute power, though people do elect some members of parliament.
33:19Swaziland is the smallest country in the southern hemisphere, but it punches well above its weight in economic output.
33:28Thanks to the world's steady demand for sugar.
33:34The country produces almost 750,000 tons of sugarcane every year.
33:41One reason for this prodigious output is an obscure American named Frank Zybach.
33:48Sugarcane farmers used to rely on flood irrigation, a passive and inefficient way to water crops.
33:55In 1949, Zybach invented the center pivot sprinkler system.
34:01Pumped water powers a single spoke that goes around in circles and irrigates the field.
34:07The crop circle was born.
34:09They are now common all over the world and can be seen from space.
34:15The kingdom has been so successful growing sugarcane that Coca-Cola is a major customer.
34:22Swaziland is now the largest exporter of Coke products in Southeastern Africa.
34:27But sugar isn't the only source of wealth in Swaziland.
34:33In 1884, a French prospector named William Pig found gold here in Swaziland.
34:40Within a three-mile radius, 30 other gold reefs were uncovered.
34:45A gold rush was on.
34:48Usually, that means trampling anything in the way.
34:51But here, it left a more unexpected legacy.
34:55The prospectors needed more timber to make struts and supports for mining tunnels.
35:01So they planted acres of trees, black wattle, pine and eucalyptus.
35:10They are now some of the largest man-made forests in the world.
35:15Foreigners took large amounts of gold out of the country and left a small fortune of timber behind.
35:22But the miners faced another challenge.
35:25Moving heavy ore over the mountains from Swaziland to the gold market in South Africa.
35:38The promise of profits demanded a quick fix.
35:42So they constructed a 12-mile cableway across the border into the South African town of Barberton.
35:49Today, remnants of the cable line still loom over the town.
35:54But many parts have been poached for the metal.
35:59History decays while the future pushes on.
36:03Today, the draw is scenery.
36:07People come from all over to travel a stunning path called the Panorama Route.
36:14Panorama is an understatement.
36:19The Swadini Buttress is the highest cliff of the canyon.
36:24Some 3,200 feet high.
36:28The Grand Canyon in Arizona may be the largest.
36:33But the Blighter River Canyon is the greenest.
36:40At some spots, it's almost a mile deep and a half a mile wide.
36:47Subtropical foliage paints the steep gorges and welcomes wildlife from antelope to hippos.
36:54The canyon is part of the northern Drakensberg escarpment where gaping rips in the earth appear out of nowhere.
37:06Steep, forested slopes and cascading waterfalls line the sharp, foreboding ridgeline.
37:14One viewpoint is called God's Window.
37:18Here, majestic cliffs plunge down over 2,000 feet.
37:23Hikers explore the mountaintop forest.
37:27And on a clear day, can see all the way to Kruger Park from these cliff-side viewpoints.
37:35But it's not the only vertical attraction along the escarpment.
37:39Pinnacle Rock is a 100-foot spire that appears to be standing guard over the view.
37:47The landscape was formed when Antarctica broke free from Africa 200 million years ago, causing the broken edge of the
37:56continent to tilt up.
38:03It not only created stunning views, it also revealed the gold that sparked the foreign stampede in the 1800s.
38:12The names of waterfalls reflect the nations who cashed in and then checked out.
38:19Here, Mack Mack Falls is named after Scottish miners who blasted away rocks to uncover gold deposits.
38:29Lisbon Falls, named after the Portuguese capital, is the highest waterfall in the area,
38:37plummeting over 300 feet.
38:42Wherever they found gold, nearby towns boomed.
38:52This is the tiny town of Ladesdorp.
38:56In the mid-1880s, it was a cosmopolitan town of 3,000 miners and opportunists from all over.
39:04From Kalkhorli to the Klondike.
39:08No fewer than eight pubs slaked their thirst.
39:13Characters named Mika Bill, Paraffin Joe, Brandy Smith and the Heavenly Twins.
39:19Mind claims called the Old Birthday, the Flying Dutchman, Antelope and Blue Jacket.
39:26Ladesdorp has shrunk back to a population of less than 10.
39:32It calls itself the small town with a big cemetery.
39:41Malaria accounted for most of the names in this graveyard.
39:45Lions and barroom brawls laid the rest to rest.
39:50But in the heart of South Africa lies a gold-rush town that grew out of nothing and kept right
39:57on growing.
40:09Once, all of this was open Savannah until the discovery of gold in 1884.
40:16Within 10 years, there were 100,000 people mining new claims all over the burgeoning town.
40:24The new community quickly needed a name.
40:27History is unclear, but many think it was named after one of the many Dutch men that rushed in.
40:35They named it Johannesburg. Today, it is widely known as simply Joburg.
40:42In just a hundred years, it burst into the biggest city in South Africa.
40:50Johannesburg sits on top of the world's most productive gold reef.
40:54All this mineral wealth contributed to the making of an extremely prosperous city,
41:00producing 20% of Africa's economic output.
41:04The boom that gold began simply hasn't stopped.
41:08But there have been plenty of bumps along the way.
41:12The Telkom Joburg Tower is the tallest structure in Africa at 883 feet.
41:20Since 1971, it has witnessed the rise, fall and renewal of downtown Joburg.
41:28When downtown became chic in the 1970s, it was exclusive urban living.
41:34But it was for whites only.
41:39Apartheid laws segregated apartments in the city, neighborhood by neighborhood.
41:45But when the nation was on the cusp of democracy in the early 90s,
41:50whites started moving out of downtown.
41:53The city council stopped managing the area.
41:57Entire buildings were abandoned and criminal elements started taking control in block-by-block anarchy.
42:05One famous apartment building called the Ponte became what one newspaper called
42:10the tallest and grandest urban slum in the world.
42:15Under full democracy, the neighborhoods have made their way back,
42:20allowing downtown to slowly remake itself into a mixed-race, mixed-use, vibrant city center.
42:29As the city expanded, suburbs began taking on their own identity.
42:35The suburb of Samton is the Manhattan of South Africa,
42:40an Africa's richest square mile.
42:43It is the headquarters for the world's biggest mining houses and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
42:51But Johannesburg hasn't left nature behind.
42:55It is known as the largest man-made urban forest in the world.
43:00There are over 10 million trees in the city.
43:04New York City has about half as many.
43:08In Joburg, as in the rest of South Africa,
43:12dynamic tension moves everything forward.
43:16Urban and rural.
43:18Wild and tame.
43:20Black and white.
43:24This nation can balance it all
43:26and propel itself into places no one expected.
43:30By embracing the spirit of Ubuntu.
43:36A quality that includes the essential human virtues of compassion and humanity.
43:45From the cradle of humankind to the city of gold.
43:50These virtues are shared.
43:54Molded gently into its people by the hands of a giant.
44:01Nelson Mandela's legacy is Ubuntu brought to life.
44:30In the world, We are completely from the world to us,
44:31It's the mainftain of the world.
44:31This world has the power of mankind and the world.
44:31We really need to be a self-published for the world.
44:33We are only from the world to the world.
44:33With a world of brains, we are in the world,
44:33we are in the world.
44:33We are in the world of us.