South African vacation. What's your perspective?

Perhaps that was a bit harsh, but South African locals can get a bit tetchy when their country is compared to other African vacations where all you get to see is quaint villages and starry-eyed children. They exist in this wide-open country, but there is so much more to South Africa than just the animals and tribal dances. South Africa has many metropolises, one of which is the Mother City, Cape Town. We have an excellent business district and a growing economy. Even while the rest of the world is in meltdown, the South African economy is still going strong. Our tourist industry is second to none, and perhaps that is the reason why many foreigners are shocked to discover that people actually 'live' here, not just ride elephants to school and back. African vacation programmes usually only show you the wild animals and treat the entire continent as one country ('here I am in Africa'... what about the 52 countries that make up that word? When is the last time you heard a journalist say 'here I am in Europe'. It's usually more specific than that).

I'd suggest that, instead of annoying the South African locals with your 'knowledge' of the 'country of Africa', make the trip with an entirely open mind. This way your experience of a South African vacation is bound to be more awe-inspiring.