The Deputy Minister of Tourism, Tokozile Xasa, has officially launched the Giant Flag project in the Camdeboo region, in the Karoo, that will see the construction of a 66-hectare South African flag made up of millions of coloured desert plants and a four megawatt solar field, visible from space.
The Giant Flag website describes the project as “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.”
The idea is that members of the public purchase planting units or a section from colours in the SA flag. Red will be made up from a desert plant called the Mexican Fire Barrel, blue will be the Blue Butterfly plant and gold will be Golden Barrel plants, costing US$10 each a unit. The white lines in the flag will be a white road costing US$100 a unit and black will be made up of solar panels at US$250 a unit. 
At the launch, which took place in October 23, Xasa said the Camdeboo region had a stifling 40% unemployment rate and the aim of the project was to create a cycle of socio-economic development that addressed this. All jobs linked to the Giant Flag will be considered ‘green collar’ and will favour Camdeboo citizens.
“I sincerely believe that this initiative will be a game-changer for the tourism industry. It will not only provide skills and enterprise development for the Camdeboo Municipality but will also create direct and indirect employment in the Karoo towns of Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen and Nieu-Bethesda. 
“This is all in alignment with the Department of Tourism’s pivotal role in reducing poverty, creating decent employment and significant contribution to economic growth in South Africa in partnership with industry stakeholders in the tourism sector,” said Xasa.
She said the strategy aimed to develop rural tourism that could greatly contribute to the alleviation of pressure in areas that were often characterised by poverty and underdevelopment and was in line with the National Rural Tourism Strategy. The Giant Flag will be extended to the broader Eastern Cape.
Information about the project and how to purchase a unit can be found here.