**Important information**
South Africa - Regulations on Traveling with Children
Would you like to download the 2017 program?
The Johannesburg-Game Reserve portion of the meeting is now SOLD OUT and we cannot take anymore reservations.
We still have rooms available for the Cape Town portion.
You are invited...!
For some a visit to Africa will be an once in a lifetime experience, for others it will be just another stop on the ever enchanting global SUN itinerary. Either way, the program for the 2017 SUN meeting should whet your appetite. Together with the University of Cape Town, we are delighted to welcome SUN members for our very first meeting on African soil. Africa is acknowledged as the cradle of humankind, the birthplace of our ancestors. We are sure that South Africa will offer you a meeting that celebrates our shared legacy while reflecting the different challenges we face in our modern lives.
In addition to an exciting Scientific Programme, which will offer an African perspective on Neurosurgery within the global context, there will be ample opportunity to plan an exceptional and memorable trip on either side of the meeting,
Recently named the best destination in the world to visit by both the New York Times and The Telegraph, Cape Town is without doubt one of the most scenic cities in the world. Steeped in history, this vibrant cosmopolitan city lies wedged between the mountains and the seas. There is no shortage of sightseeing, leisure and sporting activities on offer, from the tranquil to the extreme. Must-see’s include Cape Point - the most Southern tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, conquering Table Mountain, (either by cable car or following one of the hiking trails) and of course the pièce de résistance, the famed Cape Winelands. We will celebrate our medical history with a visit to Groote Schuur Hospital where the first human heart transplant took place and the CT scanner was invented by Nobel Laureate, Alan Cormack. A ferry crossing will take us on a visit to Robben Island, where late President Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 years.
Moving north from Cape Town, July is the best time of year to visit the country’s game reserves. The second half of the meeting will take place in the Pilanesberg National Park amongst Africa’s Big 5. Along the way we will reflect over lunch on the journey of man at the Cradle of Humankind / Maropeng World Heritage Site.
We look forward to sharing this journey with you.
Graham Fieggen, MD
Local Host, SUN 2017
University of Cape Town
Nelson M. Oyesiku, MD, PhD, FACS
President, SUN 2016-2017
Emory University
THE SUN 2017 MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR
SOUTH AFRICA, CAPE TOWN & PILANSBERG NATIONAL PARK
JULY 27TH - AUG 3RD 2017
Professor Graham Fieggen, University of Cape Town is our local host.
The meeting will be 1 week long, divided into 2 parts in 2 locations.
This is the first SUN meeting on African soil. Africa is recognised as the cradle of humankind, the birthplace from which all of humankind originated. South Africa will offer you a meeting that celebrates our shared origins and the pilgrimage and progress made by mankind – a place that allows us to reflect on who we are, where we come from and where we are going.
Part 1. Cape Town: July 27-31st, 2017
Recently named the best destination in the world to visit by both the New York Times and The Telegraph, Cape Town is without doubt one of the most scenic cities in the world. “The Mother City” is located at the southern point of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet, bathed by the magnificent shoreline with a spine of mountains running down the peninsula. There is no shortage of leisure and sporting activities. Chapman’s Peak Drive - one of the most spectacular marine drives - leads one to the very tip of the continent. Take the cable car to the top of Table Mountain from which there are sweeping views of the city and the busy harbor. The Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens are internationally viewed as one of the greatest botanical gardens of the world. A visit Robben Island, where former President Nelson Mandela was held captive for 27 years is a must. The Cape Winelands lie in a series of generous valleys and comprise an itinerary of historic towns, little hamlets and Cape Dutch farmsteads, that produce South African wines of international acclaim.
Part 2. Johannesburg and Pilanesberg Game Reserve: July 31- August 3rd, 2017
The group will depart Cape Town on Monday morning, 31 July. Flights from Cape Town to Lanseria Airport, Johannesburg, (flight time of approximately 2 hours) followed by a road transfer to the Pilanesberg National Park, North West Province.
*No further accommodation reservations are available at Ivory Tree Game Lodge. This part of the meeting is now SOLD OUT.
July/August falls at the end of the South African dry winter. This is in fact the best time of the year to plan a safari, as there is less vegetation and the grass is short, wildlife is easier to spot and animals gather around rivers and waterholes. There is little to no rain, the skies are clear, most days are sunny and there are fewer mosquitos. Day time temperatures in the Park can be expected to average around22°C / 72°F. Warm clothes are essential for the early morning and evening game drives, night time temperatures can fall to 4°C/40°F on average.
Pilanesberg National Park
The crater of a long extinct volcano is the setting of our safari in the Pilanesberg Game Reserve – a fascinating alkaline complex produced by volcanic eruptions some 1300 million years ago. Pilanesberg Game Reserve is one of the largest volcanic complexes of its kind in the world. Its rare rock types and structure make it a unique geological feature. The area is fringed by three concentric ridges or rings of hills - the “Pilanesberg Game Reserve Alkaline Ring Complex” - the formation rises from the surrounding plains like a bubble. Ancient, even by geological time scales, this extinct volcano is the most perfect example of an alkaline ring complex. Pilanesberg National Park rates high amongst the world’s outstanding geological phenomena and a number of rare, (but not necessarily economically important), minerals occur in the Park.
The early presence of man can be seen in the numerous Stone and Iron Age sites that are scattered throughout the park.
The creation of the Reserve is considered one of the most ambitious programs of its kind and is home to healthy populations of Africa’s “Big Five” - lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo. The Reserve exists within the transition zone between the dry Kalahari and wetter Lowveld vegetation, commonly referred to as “Bushveld”. Unlike any other large park, unique overlaps of mammals, birds and vegetation occur because of this transition zone. Springbok, brown hyena, the red eyed bulbul and camel thorn trees, usually found in arid areas, are found cohabitation with moist-area-limited impala, black eyed bulbul and Cape chestnut trees. A wide variety of rare and common species exist with endemic species, like the nocturnal brown hyena, the fleet-footed cheetah, the majestic sable, as well as giraffe, zebra, hippo and crocodile, to mention but a few.
Bird watching is excellent with over 300 species recorded. Some are migrants, others permanent inhabitants, some eat carrion or live prey, others seeds, fruit or tiny water organisms.
Activities
The lodge offers a wide range of activities to delegates and their families:
- Amani Spa
- Bush walks
- Archery & air riffle shooting
- Quad biking
- Interactive Drumming; African Marimba Band
- Cultural Show
- Snake Demonstration
- Village Walk
- Visit to Sun City Resort
Special invitation to the 26th Society of Neurosurgeons of South Africa Congress 2017 August 3-6
Dear Colleagues
On behalf of the organising committee for the Society of Neurosurgeons of South Africa and the local Organising Committee, may I invite you to attend the 26th SNSA Annual Meeting to be held in Umhlanga Rocks, Durban from 3 – 6 August 2017, with the theme “Unity in Diversity”. The meeting will be held at The Coastlands Conference & Hotel which offers onsite cost effective comfortable accommodation for your convenience.
We promise to offer a stimulating meeting with a varied academic programme including pre congress workshops.
On Thursday 3 August there are two workshops planned; Interventional Endovascular Neurosurgery and Endoscopy for Skull Base Procedures.
For this year’s meeting we will be collaborating with the Neurological Society of India. In addition, a number of members of the Society of University Neurosurgeons (SUN) will also be attending. We anticipate therefore an excellent line up of esteemed international and local faculty.
The scientific programme will be prepared by Professor Graham Fieggen and his committee and we would like to encourage as many abstract submissions as possible.
The social programme promises to varied and entertaining with pre and post congress tours on offer for those of you that may have time to take advantage of the wonderful Natal coastline and bush breaks.
Durban and surrounds is a great place to take a break and to share some relaxation time with your colleagues and family.
We look forward to welcoming you all to Umhlanga Rocks, Durban Kwa Zulu Natal.
Click here for more information
Sameer Nadvi – Congress Chairman