First image of the giant South African flag that can be seen from space

Staff Writer

·28 Sep 2016

A team of South Africans have set an ambitious plan to ‘plant’ a flag that will be visible from outer space.

The project, the Giant Flag, aims to kick-start the economy and create jobs in the Camdeboo Municipality in the Karoo.

The Flag is being built in The Valley of Desolation, just outside Graaff Reinet.

It will consist of as many as 2.5 million red, yellow, blue and green desert plants, including cacti and spekboom.

The flag’s black triangular space will contain a 4-megawatt solar-panel field, generating electricity for the region.

Once completed – hopefully in 2017 – the flag will span the size of 66 soccer fields, will supply power to the equivalent of 4,000 homes, create jobs for 700 people, and boost tourism by as much as 25%.

“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. Job creation, clean energy and tourism come together in a world first green innovation project that’s making change happen in South Africa,” the project’s team said.

Guy Lieberman is the founder of the Giant Flag Project, who was inspired by the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and is thus already six years in the making.

The project has a projected cost of $12 million, with funding already generated by sponsorships, partnerships and donations from local governments, private companies, nonprofits and individuals.

The organiserrs of the the project have also started crowdsourcing – asking people to “adopt a plant” for R100 per plant. The project’s website indicates that the team is 25% toward its 1st threshold goal of $2.5 million.

The team posted its first satellite imagery of the Giant Flag demarcation, taken from space.