In KwaZulu-Natal, church members start the journey to the top of the holy Mountain Nhlangakazi. 100,000 pilgrims make a three day barefoot walk from the headquarters of the Nazareth Baptist Church, or Shembe. Shembe is staunchly a traditionalist Zulu cult that was founded in 1913 by Isaiah Shembe after a vision. Their beliefs are a mix of Old and New Testament and the ancestral veneration of traditional Zulu culture. The Nazareth Baptist Church (Church of Shembe) has Millions of members, but the group is still a mystery to many in KwaZulu-Natal. Isaiah Shembe, was born in 1867 among the Sotho people of the Free State Province of South Africa, to a Zulu polygamous father Mayekisa, and Sitheya Mlindi. 'Makeyisa' was a landless Farm dweller in Harrismith. As legend has it, when Isaiah Shembe 's mother was already pregnant, a voice said to her, 'You will bear a son who will be a special messenger'. Mayekisa did not grasp the full significance of the words because she was not a religious person. After Shembe's birth, his uncle Nhliziyo, gave him the name Shembe and his father named him Mudliwamafa meaning 'my inheritor'. Shembe styled himself as a biblical character and at his baptism in 1906 he changed his name from Mudliwamafa to Isaiah. Shembe died on 2 May 1935 after standing for three hours in cold water in a river administering adult baptism. Shembe never went to a formal school. He only learnt to partially read and write later in life. Although Shembe had little 'mission education' he was able to cite biblical verses, from memory, outwitting most European Missionaries. Whatever Shembe 'read' was supposedly not through learning, but came to him miraculously. If you have come across a circle of white painted stones around a tree and wondered how they got there, it is likely that you have come across a Shembe temple. The stones are used to mark the sacred places where they pray. Every October, more than 30 000 followers gather in the Village of Judea near Eshowe to celebrate the Shembe Festival. They sing, dance and pray. Another big gathering for the Shembe happens every January in ekuPhakameni - the original settlement of Shembe’s Community. The Shembe bought the Site in 1914.

EkuPhakameni is also home of the Shembe Temple, that was built in 1918. July is another special month for the Shembe. They return to Nhlangakazi for one of their most popular festivals of the Year. Thousands of members from all over South Africa attend. Scores of people also gather on the last Sunday of the month to witness the sacred dancing. The Inanda Heritage Route tour stops at several Shembe sites, including EkuPhakameni. Visitors can get a glimpse of the Shembe’s holy place, while learning more about the Church’s History. The tour makes a stop at the Ebuhleni Village, where visitors can have a look at some of the Shembe Church rituals. The Shembe Settlements have become popular destinations for visitors who love learning about History and Culture.

Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) opened on 1 January 2005, the result of the merging of the PE Technikon the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE) and the Port Elizabeth campus of Vista University (Vista PE). The PE Technikon has its roots in the Country’s Oldest Art School, this PE Art School was founded in 1882. The institution later became the College for Advanced Technical Education (CATE), was initially situated in Russell Road, Central. The College moved to Summerstrand, in 1974 and became the PE Technikon in 1979. The Teachers’ Training College in Summerstrand was taken over by the Technikon in 1994, becoming known as the College Campus, and the Algoa College of Education became part of the PE Technikon in 2001.

Situated in Struandale, approximately 25 km away from the Main Campus, this became known as the Algoa Campus. The Port Elizabeth Technikon expanded to the Southern Cape in 1985, when it took over the College for Foresters, Saasveld from the Department of Forestry. The George Campus expanded in 2001 with the purchase of the; Hurteria Building in the Centre of the Town. At the time of the merger, PE Technikon had more than 10 000 students. The Institution’s last Chancellor was former Speaker of Parliament Dr Frene Ginwala, the last Vice-Chancellor Prof Hennie Snyman, and the last Chair of the Council was Mr Clive Stanton.

The University of Port Elizabeth (UPE), the Country’s first Dual-Medium, Residential University, came into being on 31 January 1964. This was after Parliament adopted Act 1 of 1964, as Law. The first Academic Year commenced on 1 March 1965. Initially situated in a series of Buildings in Bird Street, in the Historic Central District. UPE moved to a modern, purpose-built Campus which incorporated Residences, Sports Complex and the towering Main Building. The Campus was officially opened in August 1975 and the final move from Bird Street came in 1979, with the opening of the science blocks at the Suburb of Summerstrand. The University retained some of its Bird Street Buildings and these became the Centre of Community Outreach Activities. Built on 8,3 Square Kilometers of Land donated; by the then Port Elizabeth City Council, the Campus was declared a Nature Reserve in 1983. At the time of the merger, UPE had more than 9 000 contact students and almost 5 000 distance education students. The last Chancellor was Dr Brigalia Bam, the last Vice-Chancellor Dr Rolf Stumpf and the last Chair of Council Mr Trevor Jennings. THIS UNION OF THE 3 VERY DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THE GOVERNMENTS' COUNTRY WIDE RESTRUCTURING OF HIGHER EDUCATION. THIS IS INTENDED TO DELIVER A MORE EQUITABLE AND EFFICIENT SYSTEM TO MEET THE NEEDS OF SOUTH AFRICA IN THE 21ST CENTURY! NMMU brings this together in the best traditions of Technikon and University education. This draws on more than a Century of quality higher education, in a new kind of University that offers a wide range of Academic, Professional and Technological Programmes, at varying entrance and exit levels. NMU has approximately 27 000 Students and approximately 2 500 Staff Members, based on six Campuses in the Nelson Mandela Metropole and George. The sites are the North Campus (former PE Technikon), South Campus (former UPE), Second Avenue Campus (former PE Technikon College Campus) Missionvale Campus (former Vista), Bird Street Campus and the George Campus at Saasveld.

This Farm is situated about 43 km West of Bela-Bela in the Limpopo Province. It is located within the Central Bushveld Bio-region. 'Phala'-is the Tswana word for 'red antelope' or an 'Impala Buck'.
Phala Phala Wildlife, is a new 'Rare Game' Group of Farms founded with the purpose of breeding. This is an undertaking that seeks to contribute to the extension and deepening of South Africa’s Conservation efforts, particularly the preservation of South Africa’s wildlife Heritage. They have focused on acquiring the best genetics in Buffalo, White Impala, Sable Antelope, Roan Antelope and Golden Oryx. The offspring of these well-chosen top quality animals are proof that their targeted strategy of genetic choice is correct.

Founded in 1910 as 'The Natal University College', in Pietermaritzburg. The University of Natal was granted independent University status in 1949. This was owing to its rapid growth in numbers. This University offered a wide range of courses and "Its achievements and opportunities in research were remarkable!" By that time, the Natal University Campus was already a Multi-Campus Institution, after having been extended to Durban after World War 1. The distinctive Howard College Building was opened in 1931. This was following a donation by Mr. T B Davis, whose son Howard Davis was killed during the Battle of Somme in World War I. In 1946, the Government also approved a Faculty of Agriculture, in Pietermaritzburg. Then in 1947, a Medical School for African, Indian and Coloured students, in Durban.

As of the 2001 Census 22.9% of the Population in KwaZulu-Natal aged 20 years or more had received no Education, while only 4.8% had Higher Education. Even though KwaZulu Natal has: 'Traditional and Comprehensive' Universities.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) was formed on 1 January 2004 as a result of the merger between the University of Durban-Westville and the University of Natal. The new University brought together the rich Histories of both, these former Universities.

The University of Durban-Westville, (UDW), was established in the 1960's. This University or College was for Indians on Salisbury Island in the Bay of Durban. Student numbers throughout the 1960's were low as a result of: the Congress Alliances Policy'. This policy gave way in the 1980's to the strategy of: “education under protest”. This sought to transform Apartheid Institutions into: 'Sites of struggle. Student numbers grew rapidly and in 1971, the College Campus in Westville was a site of major anti-Apartheid struggle. UDW became an autonomous institution in 1984, opening up to students of all races. The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) is a university with five Campuses in the Province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. It was formed on 1 January 2004 after the merger between the University of Natal and the University of Durban-Westville. These two KwaZulu-Natal Universities were among the first batch of South African institutions. This was in accordance with the Government’s Higher Educational Restructuring. This was eventually supposed to see plans that will increase the number of Higher Educational Institutions, in South Africa. This, however, reduced the Higher Education Facilities, from 36 to 21. This was confirmed by a Parliament decision, in December 2002.

The University of KwaZulu-Natal aims to be a truly South African University that reflects the society, in which it is situated. Not only in terms of race, gender and class – but in terms of how it structures its values and priorities and how it responds to social needs. As an institution of higher learning, it is committed to academic excellence, innovation in research and critical engagement with society.

The University of Zululand (also known as Unizulu) has been designated to serve as the only comprehensive tertiary educational institution North of the uThukela River in KwaZulu-Natal. This new status is in accordance with South Africa's National Plan for Higher Education and aims at eradicating: 'Inequity and Costly Duplication'. As a result, Unizulu, offers career-focused programs as well as a limited number of relevant university degree courses that have been structured with potential employees and employers in mind.