Archives

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 80 No. 08 (2025)

    The Danger Point Lighthouse near Gansbaai stood watch from January 1 1895, guarding a treacherous stretch of coast where more than 140 ships were wrecked. Set on a white octagonal masonry tower with a red lantern, it projects three flashes every 40 seconds and covers around 27 nautical miles. It also serves as a memorial to the tragic HMS Birkenhead disaster of 1852, where the “women and children first”
    protocol was first used.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 80 No. 07 (2025)

    Cape Recife Lighthouse, built in 1851, stands on Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape,
    South Africa. Rising 24 meters high, it has an octagonal masonry tower painted in bold
    black and white bands, a feature added in 1929. The lighthouse serves as a critical
    navigation aid, warning ships of the hazardous reefs and rocks that mark Algoa Bay,
    including Thunderbolt Reef and Roman Rock, making it an enduring coastal landmark

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 80 No. 05 (2025)

    The Cape St. Blaize Lighthouse, built in 1864, stands atop the cliffs of Mossel Bay,guiding ships along South Africa’s southern coast. Its white tower, still operational today, offers panoramic views of the Indian Ocean. The lighthouse remains a historic maritime beacon and popular tourist stop, with a scenic trail nearby that leads to the St. Blaize Cave.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 80 No. 06 (2025)

    Cape Columbine Lighthouse, near Paternoster on South Africa’s West Coast, was first lit in 1936. It stands on a rocky headland inside the Cape Columbine Nature Reserve, marking one of the country’s most treacherous stretches of coastline. The lighthouse rises 15 metres, with its light reaching 30 nautical miles out to sea. It remains fully operational, guiding vessels and offering visitors panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and rugged shoreline.

  • The South African Dental Association
    Vol. 80 No. 04 (2025)

    The Cape Agulhas Lighthouse, built in 1849, is the second-oldest working lighthouse in South Africa. Located at the southernmost tip of Africa, it marks the meeting point of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Its design was inspired by the Lighthouse of Alexandria, featuring a striking red and white tower. Originally oil-fueled, it now operates electrically, warning ships of the nearby Agulhas Reef. The lighthouse includes a museum and offers scenic views, attracting both tourists and maritime enthusiasts.

  • The South African Dental Association
    Vol. 80 No. 03 (2025)

    The Slangkop Lighthouse, located near Kommetjie on South Africa’s Cape 
    Peninsula, is the tallest cast-iron lighthouse in the country, standing 33 meters 
    high. First lit in 1919, it continues to guide vessels along the treacherous Atlantic 
    coastline. Its name means “Snake Head” in Afrikaans, referencing the nearby 
    headland. With sweeping ocean views and a dramatic setting, it’s a favourite spot 
    for photographers, hikers, and maritime history enthusiasts.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 80 No. 02 (2025)

    The uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse, a well-known landmark on the KwaZulu-Natal coast of South Africa, was built shortly after the commissioning of the nearby Cooper Lighthouse in Durban on 31 July 1953. Remarkably, its construction took only four days and 19 hours, and it was officially commissioned a year later. Initially planned for the grounds of the Oyster Box Hotel, the lighthouse now stands just beyond the hotel’s terrace, offering a picturesque backdrop to the coastline. Its white cylindrical tower and red lantern room make it an iconic beacon, guiding ships safely along the Indian Ocean while adding to uMhlanga’s charm.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 80 No. 01 (2025)

    The Green Point Lighthouse, located in Cape Town, South Africa, is a historic beacon that guides ships along the coast. Built in 1824, it stands at the northern entrance to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. With its distinctive white and red stripes, the lighthouse has become an iconic landmark. Originally powered by a coal fire, it now serves as an important maritime navigation aid and a popular tourist destination.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 10 (2024)

    Common sugarbush (Protea caffra)
    A unique plant that is occasionally cultivated in tropical gardens to add texture and color, common sugarbush can either grow as a tree or shrub in its natural South African habitat. In areas where wildfires are common, it has a bush-like growth habit.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 08 (2024)

    The sausage tree (Kigelia africana) is easily recognizable by its large, sausage-shaped fruits that dangle from long stalks. These fruits can grow up to 60 cm in length and are not only visually striking but also highly useful. In traditional African medicine, the fruit is used to treat a variety of ailments, such as skin conditions, digestive issues, and respiratory problems. The wood of the tree is durable and used for crafting, while its flowers attract bats and birds, aiding pollination. However, the fruit is not typically 
    consumed raw due to its toxicity, requiring special preparation for safe use.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 09 (2024)

    Knob thorn 
    (Acacia nigrescens)
    The knob thorn tree is characterised by the shape of its leaves. Each leaf comprises of four to six leaflets, is rather large with lopsided bases and double pinnately compound. The rachis bends backwards and has small spines. This tree is deciduous, losing its leaves in winter and early spring. New leaves can be bright red in colour. In some cases, individual species of knob thorn trees do not grow knobs on their branches or trunks. It ranges from 5 m to 18 m in height and is fire-resistant. The common name for the knob thorn tree in Afrikaans and English refers to its typically knobbed thorns.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 07 (2024)

    Spekboom might seem like an unassuming succulent plant, but  in reality, it is a tree with medicinal properties, rich nectar and a  delicious tangy flavour perfect for salads. Red stems give structure 
    to the spekboom plant while green, fatty succulent leaves crown the  branches. During South Africa’s spring and summer seasons a well watered spekboom bursts into bloom, showcasing pretty pink flowers.
    What makes a spekboom special is its uses. This wonder plant can  alleviate skin conditions, quench thirst, treat mouth sores, increase a  mother’s milk supply and be used in construction.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 06 (2024)

    The fever tree, with its smooth lime green trunk, has an almost alien appearance. In spring, bright yellow flower clusters cover its canopy, concealing its thorns. These thorns are used by insect-eating birds to 
    skewer their prey. The tree’s name comes from the belief that it caused fevers, as it grows in swampy areas where malaria-carrying mosquitoes thrive. Despite this, animals still lounge near the tree and feed on its seedpods and leaves. Interestingly, the bark of the fever tree can be used to relieve fever and eye problems.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 05 (2024)

    The yellowwood tree can grow to more than 30m tall. The towering canopy provides a vibrant feeding ground for birds and insects. Real yellowwoods are a Protected Species and also South Africa’s
    national tree. One of the biggest trees in South Africa largest specimens is in the Tsitsikamma forest and stands over 36m tall. This South African tree is over 600 years old and had many of its like before tree felling became popular.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 04 (2024)

    The quiver tree is the largest known aloe species. It is unusual in its class as it can reach heights of up to 7m, very unlike a typical succulent. There are three subspecies of the quiver tree, the largest, the giant quiver tree (Aloe pillansii) is critically endangered. Seeing one of these relics equals witnessing a piece of history as they can live for up to 380 years. The Namib people used dried bark as a base for their arrows. Boiled roots can treat asthma and crushed leaves can ease discomfort from skin disorders or burns.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 03 (2024)

    Butterfly-shaped leaves make the deciduous mopane seem magical come autumn. After winter the bare branches fill up with small green flowers and new leaves. The Shona people were first to spot that the oblong-shaped leaves resemble butterfly wings, hence the Shona word for butterfly, mopane. The proudly South African tree can be a stout shrub (aka the mopane scrub) or a 25m-tall tree, depending on the soil and weather conditions. Elephants love mopane leaves, but their avid grazing often causes stunted growth. Mopane moths populate the butterfly tree. These insects, when in caterpillar form, are a nutritious food source in African communities.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 02 (2024)

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 79 No. 01 (2024)

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 78 No. 10 (2023)

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 78 No. 08 (2023)

    The Sabie waterfalls route of Mpumalanga
    The Sabie Waterfalls Route in Mpumalanga is one of South Africa’s best-kept secrets. This is because visitors are often so captivated by the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, with its magnificent cliffs and stunning views not to mention dazzling flora and fauna. This superb cluster of waterfalls, is often overlooked but it’s all mostly on the way

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 78 No. 09 (2023)

    Reaching out into both South Africa and neighboring Botswana, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (meaning ‘Great Thirst’) is a desert wilderness with terrain that’stotally unique. Amidst the salt pans, bushveld, and rust-red dunes of the Kalahari are hordes of plains game, such as wildebeest, springbok (South Africa’s national animal), and gemsbok (its original namesake) that are hunted in turn by predators like lions, cheetah, and leopards. Surrounded by nothing but barren wilderness, the game
    viewing here is simply astounding.

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 78 No. 07 (2023)

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 78 No. 05 (2023)

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 78 No. 06 (2023)

  • The South African Dental Journal
    Vol. 78 No. 04 (2023)

    The peaks of the Drakensberg
    Known as the barrier of spears, the sweeping peaks of the Drakensberg stretch over 1 000 km, forming the boundary between South Africa and the kingdom of Lesotho. The beauty of the basalt buttresses and sweeping vistas is enough to make you weep.

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