A team of South Africans under the Giant Flag Project have released the first images of a massive national flag which will be visible from space.
If you needed a pick-me-up today, we’ve got you sorted; a team of South Africans under the ambitious ‘Giant Flag’ initiative have released the first images of their namesake project; a massive national flag which will be visible from space.
The Giant Flag project aims to create jobs in the Camdeboo Municipality in the Karoo; the flag is physically being constructed in the Valley of Desolation outside of Graaff-Reinet.
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While the flag’s colours – red, yellow, blue, and green – will be constituted by desert plants, the national flag’s triangular black space will house a 4-megawatt solar panel plant which will generate electricity for the region.
The flag – which should be completed by 2017 – will span the size of 66 soccer fields, supply power to 4,000 homes, and create jobs for 700 people. Let’s not forget that the initiative will be visible from orbit, as well – a nice treat for those aboard the International Space Station.
In a statement to Businesstech, the project’s team cited that “œThe 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. Job creation, clean energy and tourism come together in a world first green innovation project that‘s making change happen in South Africa”.
The initiative has a projected cost of $12 million USD, which has funding generated by sponsorships, partnerships, and donations. The organizers of the project have also started crowdsourcing by encouraging people to adopt a plant in the zone for R100.
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What are your thoughts? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
See the Giant Flag project’s Facebook page here
Follow Bryan Smith on Twitter: @bryansmithSA
