The need for easy access to cash by the under serviced low-income sector of the industry led to a boom in the micro lending industry about a decade ago. While the micro lenders (Mashonisa in isiZulu) provided a bridge between the traditional banking sector and those who would not qualify for loans, their reputation for being unscrupulous loan sharks quickly grew, often with justification.

Storytelling is part of our South African ethos – and KwaZulu-Natal is no different. If you listen carefully you will hear the echoes of the past whisper on the warm sub-tropical breeze … stories of pioneers and adventurers, pirates, shipwrecks and lost treasures. Tales of overcoming hardships and the forging of friendships; themes of love and betrayal, set against a backdrop of verdant green landscapes teeming with wildlife for the hunting, and the devastating brutality of war.

The figures are certainly impressive. According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), a government agency, the country's tourism industry has experienced growth of over 100% since the demise of apartheid in 1994 - with the number of international visitors increasing from 3.6 million to 7.3 million by 2005.

Stats SA also notes that tourism contributed eight percent of South Africa's gross domestic product last year, generating income of more than US$19 million in foreign earnings, and providing employment for 1.2 million people.

... and what they are in a changing South Africa

Since the demise of apartheid in 1994, with its strong Christian-based value system that was not applied or accepted across all cultures, South Africa has embarked on a struggle of another kind – to find a common set of personal, cultural, religious and social values.