“South Africa and Ukraine Share a History”: Luxe Eastern Cape Hotel Honours Connection With New Sign

• Residents from Mazeppa Bay and members of a Ukrainian association got together for the unveiling of a sign honouring South Africa and Ukraine
• The unveiling occurred at The View Mazeppa Bay Hotel and showed the sign featuring a prominent Ukrainian leader
• Mthatha businesswoman Judy Jennings, who leases the hotel, shared that she wanted to uplift the area and create more jobs

On 1 September, 2025, a few residents of Mazeppa Bay in the Eastern Cape witnessed the unveiling of a new sign at The View Mazeppa Bay Hotel.

The monumental moment honoured the significant link between South Africa and Ukraine, with the hopes of increasing tourism and local development, and honouring the land.

The new information sign boasts the Mazeppa schooner (a sailing ship with two or more masts), which anchored near the Natal coast during the First Anglo-Boer War (1880-1881). It also features a portrait of Ivan Mazepa, a Ukrainian leader who never visited South Africa's shores. On the right, the word 'freedom' is written 12 times—once in Ukrainian and the remaining 11 times in South Africa's national languages.

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Liubov Abravitova, the Ambassador of Ukraine to South Africa, shared:

"South Africa and Ukraine share a history of resistance to domination. By placing both histories side by side, we honour the dignity of the Eastern Cape people while also celebrating Ukraine's contribution to the ideals of freedom."

Before unveiling the sign, community leaders and elders from the Mnquma Local Municipality shared stories about the Wild Coast's heritage. Judy Jennings, a businesswoman leasing the hotel from the Eastern Cape Development Corporation, also stated that she was dedicated to uplifting the area and creating more employment.

The Mthatha woman explained:

"Our region's beauty and heritage are our greatest assets, and telling our story is just as important as welcoming visitors from around the world."

Who is Ivan Mazepa?

Ivan Mazepa (1639–1709) was a prominent figure in Ukrainian history and a Cossack hetman (a military title). The leader believed that a strong state needed a developed economy and people with an education. As such, he invested in schools and funded churches, as well as the translation of the Gospels into Arabic to support Christians in other countries.

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Kateryna Alioshyna, the president of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa (which states on its website that it unites Ukrainians in South Africa), noted that Ivan is associated with freedom, education, and the fight for independence.

Watch the Facebook video of the sign's unveiling below:

3 Other stories about unveilings

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a young man made the internet laugh when he just so happened to film a woman breaking a stranger's tombstone during an unveiling.
• Last year, a woman died after inviting her friends to the unveiling of her new plush beauty salon. The woman was allegedly poisoned, leaving many internet users to put on their detective hats and assume the culprit.
• A woman went online to show the wig she bought from Shein. However, social media users reacted with mixed feelings after watching her install the wig.

Source: Briefly News