What caught my attention more than the captivating story itself, is how many families she is now part of. Take a deep breath. Her search for ubuntu saw her being embraced by 92 families of 13 different cultures in and around 121 towns.

What is your story? Tell us in the comments. Share your videos, pictures and writings with us here.

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We’d like to share your stories as well. Click here to publish your pictures, short articles and videos that amplify Mzansi.

What do you think matters now? Tell us in the comments.

We’d like to share your stories as well. Click here to publish your pictures, short articles and videos that amplify Mzansi.

It was less than 2 weeks ago, come to think of it. Last week most of us still had withdrawal symptoms, holding on to our Vuvuzelas and waiting for the most opportune moment to blow them. 

Brand South Africa is making it possible with the idea of Flying The Flag, which is meant to keep the spirits both South Africans and the world high. I took a moment to go out to Brand South Africa and talk to the CEO, Miller Matola, about what that means. More than anything, he took the moment to speak to me.

Below is a short video between me and Mr. Matola, where he gets into detail about what it means to Fly Your Flag.

This sums up the past month very nicely. The author, Neal Collins, is  an English sports writer who spent the early part of his career working in South Africa for the Rand Daily Mail and other newspapers after earning a journalism degree at Rhodes University.

Today I can honestly say that I am grateful to the powers that be that I am not a mathemitician, a statistics expert or even a politician.

Today I woke up a fanatical fan of this marvelous, superb, outstanding and inspiring country! As a self-proclaimed expert on the benefits of being a positive South African, I can honestly say that a mere 24 hours post the final 2010 World Cup whistle, I am already reaping the rewards.

Each lifetime is marked by something. I am lucky enough to be living in an era of hope, witnessing extraordinary miracles as they unfold.

During the world cup I watched as the world apologised for their non-belief in this can-do nation. When we said it will be ready, we meant it!

I watched as “the crime capital of the world” took  responsibility for keeping its space crime free and how this impacted on the whole country allowing us all, visitors and residents to feel safe and secure.

I watched as security guards walked off the stadiums exercising their constitutional right to strike, and watched as the once much loathed police force took up to the task of protecting us without missing a beat.

I watched as black fans drove to the “white” capital Pretoria to watch a game and white fans drive to the “black” capital Soweto to watch another.

As I watched mainstream pessimism and racism disappeared before my very eyes; blacks, whites, asian, indian and Europeans united in their love of the game.

I smiled when “white” fans supported Ghana and “black” fans supported the Netherlands.

I cried as I sang my national anthem, on the field and off the field.

I watched as rich and poor, the hopeful and the despondent all came together to proudly play hosts to over one million visitors!

I watched as South Africans kept filling the stadiums long after Bafana Bafana were out of the game, showing support all the way!

I watched as two never-crowned-before nations met for the final round and Spain be crowned the new world champions.

But most of all, I am watching as the magic keeps unfolding. Which other country can boast a 20 year history as rich as ours?

From the moment Mr Mandela was released from prison, this country stood united in its belief that tommorow will be better than today. We repeated that belief in 1994 when we stood united in our first democratic elections, and again in 1995 when we won the Rugby World Cup, a story which inspired the movie Invictus. In 2002 our disbelief was palpable when Germany won the 2006 Fifa World Cup bid. Four years later we won the bid and another four years on, we proved to the world that we are a nation of our word, a can-do nation.

So while the debate and speculation continues around the R40 billion spend on infrastructure, job creation, tourism investment and social cohesion continues, I am going to turn a deaf ear.

I am going to hold on tight to the jubilant feeling in my heart, because I know that as South Africans we do not need a football game or a trophy to show the world that we are top-class.

We have done it before and will do it again!

What remains constant is this video of Japanese business people who have been in Johannesburg for 6 months. Their overall experience of South Africa has been of a welcoming and comfortable place. However, the Japanese World Cup loss against Paraguay still does not sit well with them.

Take a look at the video below.

What has changed for you in the past few days? Tell us in the comments we would really like to know.

Andy and Andre from the Netherlands shared their touching story with us. And they left me secretly rooting for the Netherlands on Sunday.

Bearak was writing about the crime wave that wasn’t, about how hordes of barbaric South Africans somehow managed not to machete World Cup fans and their teams to death, how hundreds of thousands of visiting pockets were left unpicked, and how their owners were returning home miraculously unmugged, unhijacked and otherwise unmolested. Read the piece. It’s a delight.

Other than the line about South Africa’s criminal classes having proved themselves to be even more inept than the French team which Bafana Bafana put out of everyone’s misery so beautifully on June 22, of particular delight was the story of the Englishman and the cab driver, or at least the way it ended.

On June 11, it seems, Paul Clark left his computer bag on the floor of a taxi. In the bag with the computer was $2400 in cash. The cab driver, Tom Tsepe, had given Clark his card so Clark was able to call him. Tsepe found the bag and returned it, computer still inside but money gone. Clark accused Tsepe of having taken the cash and the cab driver was hauled before one of the special courts set up for the rapid processing of World Cup-related crime.

Clarke ultimately had to admit he had no idea who had taken the money; it could even have been one his own friends. So Tsepe was acquitted, but not before spending five hours in a cell, losing a day’s work and having to hire a lawyer, all of which set him back around $1000.

Then came the South African moment. Bearak was there to capture it. Accused and accuser ran into each other on the way from court. I don’t know about you, but I doubt I would have said anything, let alone anything printable, to the Englishman had I been in the cab driver’s shoes.

But Tsepe, as Bearak tells it, did have something to say. “My friend, I’m sorry you lost your money.”

There is one of false note in Bearak’s otherwise beautifully executed piece. He attributes Tsepe’s decency and ability to empathise with someone who has caused him no inconsiderable distress to his being on his best behaviour because of the World Cup. No. The taxi driver said what he said because that is the way South Africans are.