Welcome to Country 19 South Africa and my local phone number 0810014904.

Ha don’t try a border crossing the week before Christmas especially when the Monday is a public holiday in South Africa.

Lorries waiting to cross into Botswana

After nearly 3 hours finally into South Africa

The queue for immigration was huge. The actual formalities were quick and speedy compared to other borders.

The crossing is known as Tlokwend gate and Kopfontein

I entertained myself with getting two great kindness videos whilst waiting in the queue.

Now in Kimberley where the Big Hole used to mine diamonds is. Opened in 1871 and with up to 50,000 local black labourers working on it. It is the biggest man dug hole in the world.

Conditions for the workers were very poor. Many died of min8ng accidents and the unsanitary conditions they lived in made disease rife.

The profits were huge for the DeBeer company

And the site is huge too. My Dad was a miner at one point but I bet he has never seen a mine like this?