sculpture

National Geographic has named South Africa's Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden as one of the world's best picnic spots.
• SA marks Year of Biodiversity

Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape province recently launched a magnificent new heritage walk within its inner city precinct. The walk commemorates the public life of former president Nelson Mandela and is known as Route 67.
• Local Xhosa heritage goes global

British artist Ben Dearnley has created a bronze sculpture of South African Paralympic icon Oscar Pistorius, which will go on display in London next year ahead of the 2012 Paralympic Games.
• South African producer gets Olympics for Korea

World-renowned artist William Kentridge, working with a handful of extraordinary artists, will display his remarkable and varied talents during a two-week programme at Johannesburg's Market Theatre as part of the city's 2011 Arts Alive International Festival.

South African tour operator Wilderness Safaris has become the first tourism industry-based signatory to the Zeitz Foundation’s Long Run conservation initiative, and also the first from the African continent.
• Responsible tourism at Buffalo Ridge

A spirit of artistic innovation with a range of national, continental and world premieres in theatre, dance, music and visual art will be celebrated at this year's National Arts Festival, taking place in Grahamstown from 30 June to 10 July.

Nandipha Mntambo, the 2011 Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for visual art, is known for using cowhide as a canvas for exploring the creative process and challenging societal and cultural norms. Now she's taking her exploration further.

Traditions may have existed for hundreds of years, or may be just a few decades old - two recent art exhibitions in Johannesburg challenge viewers to re-think their assumptions about what tradition implies.
• Kentridge gets 2010 Kyoto Prize

Art Bank Joburg, the only initiative of its kind in South Africa, is providing a much-needed platform for emerging local artists to showcase their work.
• Global demand for SA art

BBC World Challenge finalist UniquEco has turned a potential environmental disaster in Kenya into an income for local crafters. The company has developed a method of making colourful jewellery and other products from discarded flip-flops that wash up on the country's shore.