A project underway in a desert portion of South Africa will give way to a giant flag so large that it would be seen from space (pictured). And what is unique about the South Africa Giant Flag project is that it will be a living environment made of desert plants and solar panels.
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The Giant Flag program aims to revitalize a dry region in the country and provide socioeconomic benefits for generations to come.
The Giant Flag is a legacy project of vast proportions, a celebration of the spirit of South Africa and her people. We are building a giant flag made up of millions of coloured desert cacti and succulents, and a four-megawatt solar field, in an area that was previously completely barren. Effectively viewable from space and the size of 66 soccer fields, The Giant Flag will not only claim its place as a natural wonder, but also as a new model of economic stimulus for previously disadvantaged communities. Job creation, clean energy and tourism come together in a world first green innovation project that’s making change happen in South Africa!
CNN reported on the South Africa Giant Flag and spoke with entrepreneur and environmentalist Guy Lieberman who was inspired to create the ambitious crowd funding project after the country hosted the 2010 World Cup games.
From CNN:
Some 2.5 million red, yellow, blue, and green desert plants, including cacti and peekaboo, will be arranged in a pattern like that of South Africa’s flag. The flag’s black triangular area will contain a 4-megawatt solar-panel field, generating much-needed electricity for the region.
Guy Lieberman came up with the idea after the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when the South Africans played host and were united by the spirit of their flag. His employer, FCB South Africa, a communications firm, asked him to come up with a legacy project related to the flag.
It’s about “how we treat ourselves, nature, our built environment, and how we choose to view our common future on the planet,” Lieberman said.
Organizers say the succulent plants will reintroduce nutrients to the soil and sequester upward of 200 tons of carbon every year. With the looming threat of climate change, this can only be a good thing.
Meanwhile, the solar panels are expected to power the equivalent of 4,000 homes. Organizers hope to complete the flag in 2017.
The flag will rest in the Camdeboo Municipality of Karoo, which is between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Learn more about the Giant Flag project here.
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