South Africa is a nation blessed with a wonderful and varied culture. This country has been called "The Rainbow Nation", a name that reflects the diversity of this incredible place. South Africa's different ethnic and cultural groups, however, enjoy their own beliefs and customs. Many of these traditions, in addition to African culture, are influenced by European and Western heritage. The country's complex and diverse population has had a strong impact on different cultures. There are forty-five million people; about thirty million are black, five million white, three million mixed race and one million Indian. The black population includes a large number of rural people living in poverty. It is among these inhabitants that cultural customs are best preserved. South Africa is such a beautiful country, full of life and hope. The African landscape is made up of wide open spaces, brownish hills and red sunsets. These prodigious horizons describe the nature of culture in South Africa. Culture is what makes Africa special and, aside from the scenic beauty, South Africa's fervent and contrasting culture is what makes it unique. It is a country where people with different beliefs and traditions live, but in the end they identify themselves by their pride in being from South Africa. There are eleven official languages ​​in South Africa; these are English, Afrikaans, Ndebele, Sepedi, Xhosa, Venda, Tswana, South Sotho, Zulu, Swazi and Tsonga. South Africa also recognizes eight unofficial languages: Fanagalo, Khoe, Lobedu, Nama, Northern Ndebele, Phuthi, San and South African Sign Language. Even the variation of languages ​​and dialects reflects the diversity of culture. Heritage, culture, customs or...... middle of paper ......In South Africa, cultural diversity is a sense of behavior that has been learned from difficult experiences transmitted through the communication of one generation to the next. Ethnicity plays an important role in South African culture. Ethnic identity refers to participation in a certain cultural group. It is defined by shared cultural practices, such as holidays, language and customs. South Africans may share the same nationality but belong to different ethnic groups. Ethnic groups can be a minority or a majority in a population like blacks and whites in South Africa, but cultural diversity is a reference to human qualities that are different from ours and those of the groups to which we may belong. Cultural diversity in South Africa reflects many dimensions including: ethnicity, traditions, customs and beliefs.