Addo, St Francis on Monopoly board

Addo Elephant Park and St Francis Bay are two of the landmarks on the newly launched Monopoly Mzansi, South Africa’s very own Monopoly board game, with 22 proudly South African locations Toy company Hasbro launched the popular board game showcasing local attractions and city highlights  at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, a key location on the local board. More than a billion people worldwide have played Monopoly since it was devised 81 years ago but this is the first official South African version. Ever fancied buying the Kruger Park or Kimberly’s Big Hole or daydreamed of building a hotel on Cape Town’s Boulders Beach? You can if you have enough Mzansi moolah in the bank, and a handy “get out of jail free” card in your stash, especially when you land on a friend’s property and the rent is due. Earlier this year, South Africans  voted for their favourite South African location, street attraction or destination on board to be part of Monopoly history.  To date the game has licenses in 103 countries, with Monopoly Mzansi being the latest addition. The special localised Mzansi edition features four transport hubs and 22 landmarks. The newest transport hub to make it on to the board is the Sandton Gautrain station. V&A Waterfront and Table Mountain scooped the most expensive spots followed by Boulders Beach, Chapman’s Peak Drive and Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden. Other locations highlight South Africa’s natural heritage with Addo Elephant Park  and St Francis Bay the only Eastern Capes attraction to make it on board. Additional beautiful nature landmarks highlighted on the Monopoly Mzansi board include The Cradle of Humankind and Durban Beach front’s Golden Mile. Other KwaZulu Natal addresses in Florida Road and uShaka Marine World vie for the most affordable locations on the board. “Some locations are old favourites like the Kruger Park, Gold Reef City and the Union Buildings, with the addition of a few new trendy spots such as Nelson Mandela Square, Maboneng, 4th Avenue Parkhurst and The Oyster Box Hotel. “There is also a strong link to Madiba’s legacy with the inclusion of Vilakazi Street and Robben Island,” says Siphiwe Thabethe, country marketing manager for Hasbro South Africa.