South Africa: Precious Oceans and Urban Jungles | Africa from Above | 4K UHD Documentary

Welcome to a land seen like never before. An aerial adventure over epic landscapes. Where amazing people live in spectacular places. Alongside some of the world's most iconic wildlife. It's time to see Africa from above. At its southern tip lies South Africa. And its wild, rugged coast. Where two great oceans meet. Its waters teem with life. Home to Africa's most cosmopolitan cities. With rich marine heritage. And notorious sprawling townships. It's a wild land where people are fighting to preserve its most precious places. This is South Africa from above. South Africa. The southernmost country on the African continent. And renowned for its myriad landscapes. From the vast Kalahari Desert. To its great mountainous regions. All flanked by a shoreline that stretches 3,000 kilometers. This aerial journey along this spectacular coast begins here. In the unique landscape of the western coast. Aerial photographer Jean Tresfon is a marine conservationist. To get his shots he takes to the skies the old-fashioned way. I fly an open cockpit tandem full-match helicopter. And it's almost exactly like the motorbike of the sky. Invented in 1923 it's the predecessor to the modern helicopter. No matter how many times I take off I'm always excited to think about what I'm going to see that day. The gyrocopter provides Jean with excellent views and amazing control. Perfect for getting the best shots. It's a pretty busy environment flying and trying to take photographs. You obviously have to be concentrating on the flying. You're looking for a shot, you're looking for a composition. There's so much to see and so much going on. Are there dolphins in the waves at the back? Are the seals out there? Is there a shark in the back line? Piloting the gyrocopter as well as taking photographs is no easy task. I tend to hold the stick with my knees, pick up the camera and start taking pictures. I fly with my knees a bit, put the camera back down and carry on flying. Here in the Western Cape there's no shortage of things to photograph. It's a true paradise for marine life. With an abundance of fish, shark and whale species all to be seen. The Western Cape is one of the world's top 36 biological hotspots. Combined they total just 2.4% of the Earth's surface. But they support around half of the world's endemic plant and animal species. For Jean's photography there's nowhere better. This unique vantage point also reveals a fragile paradise. Jean highlights the problems that this incredible wilderness faces. From illegal fishing and poaching to pollution and sewage. You can't fly over areas and not fail to notice the increase in population density. But I'm still seeing a lot of wonderful abundance of wildlife. These images have raised awareness of the western coast's amazing natural wonders. Just a few miles inland lies another world. Vast plains of Strandveld. Apart from these succulent plants which thrive in this dry, arid climate, little is found here. But this barren land has been conquered by an impressive feat of African engineering. The spectacular Sissan Saldana steel train. Nearly 400 wagons loaded with iron ore and manganese. Impossible to see the scale from the ground, it stretches for over 7 kilometers. Making it the longest train in all of Africa. This modern marvel takes 12 minutes to pass by. Departing from the Sissan mine, it travels 900 kilometers to here in the Western Cape. To be turned into steel or exported around the world. Every year it transports over 60 million tons of iron ore. Not all of South Africa's steelworks are still operating. But the train rumbles on, carving its way through this breathtaking landscape. To the south is the Western Cape's wildlife hotspot, Saldana Bay. Where cool, nutrient-rich water rises from the seafloor, creating an abundance of life at the surface. Making it the perfect feeding ground for one of the world's most iconic marine mammals. Every year, humpback whales travel here from Antarctica to feed in these bountiful waters. Their journey is one of the longest migrations of any mammal on earth. But here in Saldana Bay, this topside dining often takes place in South Africa's busiest shipping lanes. So the country's conservationists are stepping up. Dr. Simon Elwyn and his team hope to protect whales by using the humpback's vocalizations. Marine mammals use a lot of sound in their day-to-day lives. Humpbacks are known for singing. Their loud, complex songs can be heard by other whales hundreds of kilometers away. The ocean has very low visibility and sound is by far the best way to communicate across distances in the ocean. Here in the shipping lanes, the team deploy a network of underwater microphones to monitor whale calls. Analyzing the whales' communication, they hope to identify exactly when and how they come together to feed at the surface. A spectacle seen in just a few places on earth. To allow the whales to feed here safely, the team are working with the companies that use these shipping lanes. If an animal's there that's making a sound and it's a humpback whale, you can set up an alert system through active or live-linked hydrophones and that can provide a warning system to water users in the area. Simon hopes this technology could alert ships when whales are feeding on the surface, helping preserve this amazing natural event. And it's not the bay's only great gathering. Just 800 meters off the coast lies Malgas Island, taking its name from the Afrikaans for mad goose. This is one of the biggest bird colonies in South Africa. Over 40,000 gannets. Their excrement, known as guano or white gold, is an excellent fertilizer. During the 1840s, it was heavily mined here. But in the early 20th century, guano was replaced by manufactured fertilizers. The industry disappeared, returning the island to the gannets. Breeding pairs mate for life, returning every year to raise their young. This chick is just a few days old. But gannets grow fast, with appetites to match. At eight weeks old, this juvenile weighs more than its parents and is soon ready to leave the island. To make sure future generations continue to nest here, Malgas is protected inside the West Coast National Park. Covering 310 square kilometers, the park features a variety of habitats. Most famous is Langaban Lagoon. This is the country's biggest salt marsh. A mix of mud and salt flats surround turquoise waters. No river feeds the lagoon. It's replenished by the sea, making it one of only three lagoons worldwide not fed by fresh water. Supporting over 250 bird species and thousands of flamingos. Known for their ability to thrive in extremely salty water, the lagoon is a perfect flamingo habitat, making Langaban one of Africa's most famous bird-watching hotspots. Just 100 kilometers south is South Africa's oldest city, Cape Town. Portuguese explorers arrived in the 15th century. It wasn't until almost 100 years later that the first settlement was built by the Dutch East India Company to provide fresh supplies for their passing ships. Situated under the dramatic landmarks of Table Mountain and Lion's Head, over 4 million residents call it home. The city boasts many districts, from the bustling waterfront and its iconic stadium to the modern multi-million euro houses along Clifton Beach. The most colorful neighborhood is Bokup. In the 1800s, new laws allowed former slaves to purchase these properties. Expressing their newfound freedom, they painted them bright colors, a tradition that continues today. Cape Town is also famous for a more recent architectural phenomenon. The vast majority of the city's black population still live in these sprawling settlements, a legacy of the historic racial segregation known as apartheid. Until 1990, all non-white residents were forced to live on the outskirts of the city in makeshift tin houses. It may be decades since the end of apartheid, but the city's urban areas remain starkly divided along racial lines. South Africa has the highest level of youth unemployment worldwide. Many of Cape Town's teenagers are drawn into a life of crime. It's a destructive cycle of poverty that the country is trying to change. Here in the Masipumelele Township, one man is using his passion to make a difference. Meet Vuyo. To combat the temptations of gang life, Vuyo decided to set up a skateboarding club. Learning to skateboard needs tarmac, but finding a safe space isn't straightforward. While the nearby white neighborhoods have public parks, here in the townships, kids have to learn on busy roads. Vuyo could see it was an accident waiting to happen and decided it wasn't safe for the kids to practice. Now the community work together to control the cars. With the average family income here just 200 euros a month, this project also provides skateboards for kids who can't afford them. I got a couple of old boards from friends, and I put them together and placed them. More and more kids have joined the movement, and it's helping to bring this Cape Town community together. With a skateboard, you get time to meet different people, make new friends, and know what other people are troubled with. These kids get to know each other. This is my brother. This is my friend. We are all here. We need to help each other. And some of them are getting pretty good. And this is only the beginning. Vuyo has big plans for the future. He hopes to create a safe environment by moving to a dedicated indoor centre and include an after-school programme so kids can get together whilst keeping out of trouble. That's the dream. Another man had a dream for South Africa. Less than 10 kilometres off the coast of Cape Town is Robben Island. During the fight against apartheid, many political activists were imprisoned here, including Nelson Mandela. Following his release from Robben Island in 1990, he was elected the country's first black president just four years later. The choppy waters that once separated Nelson Mandela from the mainland were a natural barrier. Today, they're also a playground. That's thanks to the strong winds known as the Southeaster, which supports a booming water sports scene. This is a prime location for kitesurfing. The wind itself is quite annoying, let's be honest. If you're not out on the water, it's not great. Storm-force speeds can hit 120 kilometres an hour. The ocean is a source of energy, I think, that everybody could tap into. It blows my mind every time I'm out there. Having the power of the swell behind you just taking you, it's so raw. I mean, it's magic that you can just capture the wind and fly with it. The Southeaster blows strong, persistent winds here from spring to late summer. Early settlers believed it blew away illness, naming it the Cape Doctor. It's making use of nature, it's making use of the elements around you. You can do whatever you want with it. You could jump, you could spin, you could even fly. There's nothing I can really compare that feeling to. Meg learned to kitesurf at 12 years old and competed professionally. I used to watch my dad kitesurf. He's actually the one that got me into it. I would watch him go and it's like he had tapped into some superpower and I was absolutely mesmerized. I was like, I really wanted to experience that. Kitesurfing here puts you at the mercy of wind, waves and Cape Town's most notorious predators. Sharks are a fear of mine, unfortunately, so I just don't kite where it's unnecessary sharky. While sharks thrive in these waters, interactions with humans are extremely rare. But one of Cape Town's wild residents has adapted to live side by side with people. Cape Town's Boulders Beach is home to an African penguin colony. During the summer breeding season, up to 3,000 gather here. Also known as jackass penguins, they're here to find their mate and build nests. All in full view of the nearby houses and sightseers who come to enjoy this unusually close encounter with wildlife in the heart of the city. These flightless birds may be monogamous, but it's not uncommon to see the odd lover's tiff. The continent's only penguin species, in 1910 there were 1.5 million of them. Now they're on the endangered list and part of a vital conservation program to protect their breeding colonies that spread all along South Africa's coast. The cold, nutrient-rich water here also provides the perfect conditions for the world's only giant bamboo kelp forest. This vast network of seaweed is just 100 meters wide, but stretches for over 1,200 kilometers. It's one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth and key in the fight against climate change. Every year it eliminates the equivalent emissions of the entire state of New York. Free divers like Shamir come here to experience this unique underwater world. Every time I go into the ocean, I feel that sense of connection. You can actually hear that the ocean is alive. These crackling sounds, this rumbling and all the little animals that interact with you. The forest is impressive from above, but it really comes to life below the surface. Diving down and suddenly seeing these massive canopies of kelp forest over you, it's like walking through a rainforest or a jungle. It's an important habitat. Kelp is a keystone species, providing food and shelter for a vast array of marine life. The human race has a lot to learn from the ocean. Whenever I dive in the water, I see teamwork. I see animals that actually educate us. I see groups of animals working together for the benefit of everybody. This amazing underwater world has inspired Shamir to become a conservationist. He's now working on a campaign to protect the kelp forest. It's a place where we invite different scientists and people of different backgrounds all to come together so that we can socialize and get to know each other. We bring youngsters from the Cape Flats and we teach them about marine science and we teach them how to snorkel. To date, nearly 5,000 children have been involved. If more people can experience this amazing underwater environment, it will have a greater chance of becoming a global icon of the natural world. Worth protecting forever. Just a few kilometers inland from Cape Town, the Cape winelands cover over 22,000 square kilometers. The mountains around Stellenbosch provide the perfect conditions for one of the country's greatest exports. Long summer days, cooling sea breezes and well-drained soils. Perfect for growing a wide variety of grapes. Creating wines that are gaining a worldwide reputation for quality and flavor. Producing 800 million liters per year, South African wine is defined as a new world wine. But many estates are widely respected for a traditional approach to winemaking. Using time-honored techniques to create a more unique product. Everyone plays a big role. Winemakers like Alette Vlock also draw on generations of experience. When the grapes are starting to ripen, one spends a lot of time within the vineyard and then from there on you are able to make informed decisions as to when to harvest. Grapes don't ripen once picked, so the harvest season here needs to be timed just right. Transported from the field in 500 kilogram containers, the grapes are offloaded, beginning their transformation into wine. Once the stems and leaves are removed, the brewing process can begin. After that we can go into open fermenters, each making about 10 tons of grapes. The grapes rest in the fermenters overnight. Yeast is added to turn the sugars produced by the South African sunshine into alcohol. The wine produced here ferments for up to seven days, producing carbon dioxide, causing the grape skins to rise to the surface, so the wine needs punching down. The wine is then filtered into metal tanks for a secondary fermentation. Once complete, the wine is moved into traditional wooden barrels for aging. It will spend the next 12 to 24 months here before being bottled and shipped, setting off towards its final destination. South Africa's wine may now be enjoyed all over the world. It's even been drunk medicinally. Wine was once considered a remedy for scurvy, so early European sailors would stock up here on their long voyage around the foot of Africa. But disease was not their only threat. 175 kilometers south of Cape Town, we reach the southernmost tip of the African continent — Cape Agulhas, or translated from Portuguese, the Cape of Needles. The waters here are notoriously dangerous. Here, two currents collide — warm water from the Indian Ocean meets the cool water of the Atlantic. For centuries, ships have struggled against the clashing currents, resulting in over 140 wrecks. To give sailors a fighting chance, a lighthouse was built in 1848. The old keeper's house now contains a museum and restaurant. But its original function is still fulfilled today. As the sun sets, a powerful electric lantern beams over 50 kilometers out to sea, still guiding modern ships to safe passage through the night. But one historic South African shipwreck led to the development of one of the region's most exclusive settlements. 300 kilometers east of Agulhas lies the seaside town of Plettenberg Bay. The first European inhabitants were 17th-century Portuguese sailors marooned after their ship sank. They survived for almost a year before being rescued. Over the centuries, the town expanded and has grown from a fishing community into a popular tourist destination. At the turn of the 19th century, it was an important hub for the whaling industry. With whaling outlawed, the town is now famous for the wildlife found nearby. Just south of Plettenberg Bay is the Roburg Peninsula Nature Reserve, an iconic headland surrounded on three sides by the Indian Ocean. Its rocky shores and warm waters provide the perfect home for a huge Cape fur seal colony. Roburg was nicknamed Seal Mountain by early Dutch settlers. By the 20th century, hunters wiped out the colony. The seals only returned after hunting was banned. The peninsula is now home to some 6,000 individuals. And their population is booming. Hundreds of pups can be seen here during the summer. They're often napping. But today, they're about to get a rude awakening. Large males patrol their patch of Roburg, trying to find a place to nest. Trying to find a mate in a bid to produce next year's offspring. Each male's harem can include over 40 females. It's a noisy spectacle. But often, the fur seals here can be seen just taking it easy. Although at this time of year, the mothers can't relax for long. Fur seal pups have big appetites, drinking up to six litres of milk a day. Usually weaned after a year, some of these females keep their offspring for twice as long. The extra food helps the young grow big and strong, improving their chances of survival. If the pups aren't sleeping or eating, they're playing. Fur seals may not be the most elegant on land. In the water, it's a different story. They spend the majority of their life at sea and can hold their breath for over seven minutes, allowing them to dive 200 metres deep. But they need to keep an eye out. Roburg Peninsula is one of the best places to spot great white sharks. The world's largest predatory fish, it can grow over six metres long and weigh more than two tonnes. It's an ambush killer and needs the advantage of surprise. Without it, the seal's superior agility allows them to easily outmanoeuvre danger. But this juvenile is on her own. Inexperienced youngsters are the great white's real target. This seal may have met its end, but thanks to conservation efforts, Roburg seal colony is growing every year. 30 kilometres inland from the coast is the Knysna Forest, an ancient temperate woodland that once covered much of the continent. But it's now home to one of South Africa's most cutting-edge architectural feats. Towering 216 metres, Blokrans Bridge is the highest in Africa. When it opened in 1984, it was also the world's highest concrete arch bridge. That title is long since lost, but this bridge still holds one record. It's the world's highest bridge bungee jump, drawing people here from across the globe. To date, over one million have taken the plunge with zero fatalities. It attracts people from all walks of life. One man has seen it all. Meet Werner, the jump master. Some guys come out here because it's a bucket list. Somebody come out here because it's psychological. They want to come over their fear of heights. Others just want to do it to see where their human limitations lie. Responsible for their safety, it's also his job to talk people through their fear. Your heart is racing over 140 beats per minute. And it's actually beating in your throat. It feels like you can't breathe. You're shaking, you don't know what to do. An adrenaline rush usually occurs when the body senses danger, known as the fight-or-flight response. Even with gentle encouragement, it can be too much to overcome alone. Werner uses a technique to help people take the final step. I'll explain them once your toes are over, we're going to count you down. And the countdown is a crucial element to jumping because that countdown psychologically amps you up even though you don't want to jump. Initial leaving the edge part for your first time, you blank completely out. It's as if your mind just shuts down. Like you don't record what happens for a brief second and then the brain switches on again. And then you start recording what's happening around you. It really does feel like you're going to die for a second though. Crazy man, felt like I was jumping into another dimension. Kind of like dying or being reborn for the first time, not sure. Pushing your body to the limit can be addictive. The adrenaline causes dopamine to flood the body, giving a feeling of euphoria. Then you hang there thinking, I want to try that again. So it is very addictive, very, very addictive. People come from all over the world to enjoy the adrenaline-fuelled antics here at Blokrans Bridge. But at the next destination, life moves at a much slower pace. The Eastern Cape is the second largest province in the country. And home to the wild coast. Around 300 kilometres of untamed, jagged shores. For centuries, it's been the cultural home of the Xhosa people. Many have since moved to the cities for work, but rural communities like those found here in Coffee Bay continue to farm the land like their ancestors. Their folklore lives on today. Shaped by the landscape. Including their tale of the hole in the wall. But locals have another name for it. According to legend, a man of the mythical Sea People smashed through the rock to retrieve his lover and whisked her away to sea. Some say that the sound of the waves crashing through the hole is the Sea People singing and shouting. Earning its Xhosa name. Esikaleni, or place of noise. Today, it's a favourite hangout for one of man's most prized possessions. Meet Zulani. It's his job to tend the cattle. Zulani was taught to herd cattle by his brother at 11 years old. This responsibility has been passed down through the family for generations. He's now showing the ropes to his nephew, Vitsa. It's an important job. Cattle have a variety of uses other than food, milk or leather. From male initiation rituals to being offered as a marriage dowry. Zulani and his nephew, Vitsa, represent the changing face of South Africa. While they long to continue the cattle farming traditions of their forefathers for years to come, they also see the benefits of education to help themselves and their community embrace the modern world. This aerial journey along South Africa's coast reaches its final stop in the northeast. And perhaps the world's most famous wildlife preserve. This is Kruger National Park. And one of the best places to see white rhino. Numbers have dropped here from 10,000 to less than 4,000 in just a decade. All down to illegal poaching. It's big business. Rhino horn is worth more than gold on the black market. But efforts are being made to save this iconic species by taking to the skies. The helicopter team lead the charge whilst coordinating with the ground crew. These magnificent creatures are dangerous and increasingly difficult to find. A carefully placed dart delivers a powerful sedative. It's not long before the rhino will lose consciousness. The ground crew have just minutes to perform a pioneering conservation tactic. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The entire horn must be removed. Research shows it's an effective poacher deterrent. It may look grisly, but it's completely harmless. Made from keratin, the same substance as human fingernails, some cultures prize the horn for its rumoured medicinal properties, despite having absolutely no scientifically proven benefits. But this painless procedure dramatically lowers the chances of the rhino being targeted by poachers. The teams have dehorned 600 so far. A necessary evil helping to ensure enough rhinos survive for the wild population to rebuild. And continue to roam this South African bush for future generations. All over this land, people have learned to adapt. From ocean forests, to urban jungles, and precious coastlines. Alongside some of the planet's most spectacular wildlife. All face an uncertain future. But they continue to work together. Striving for a better future. In the vast continent of Africa.