When first starting Izimvo in early October, the goal was simple: interview South Africa. We wanted to provide an insight to what life was like in this great country of ours. Share the hopes, fears and aspirations of everyday South Africans. With close on 50 interviews, almost one per day, and generosity of our interviewees, we have managed to share the voices of athletes, entrepreneurs, world record holders, comedians, authors and extreme adventurers.

Below are some of our favorite questions from our top 10 interviews to date. Interviews have been ranked according to page views.

1. Seth Rotherham – South African blogging phenom
Read Seth’s interview

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I smoked a joint before answering these questions.

2. Morne Swanepole – Martial Arts coach, MMA and Reality Based Personal Protection specialist
Read Morne’s interview

Q: What are your thoughts on the general public owning and carrying guns?

A: Guns do not kill people. People kill people. You will not be able to have a gun free country. Even in the so-called gun free countries crimes are still committed using firearms.

Our situation is even worse taking our neighboring countries into account and how easy it is to bring illegal firearms into our country. Disarming law-abiding citizens is going to make us all a softer target. Taking the current situation of our country into account then I would encourage every law-abiding citizen to own a firearm and to get the proper training to be able to use it. We need to address where the problem is i.e. the criminal and illegal firearm.

3. Sue Rutherford – Founder and Director of The Forge Web
Read Sue’s interview

Q: How do you keep the balance between home and work life having offices at home? Aren’t you occasionally tempted to sneak off for a quick afternoon nap or to check that last email?

A: Ah, that’s a tricky one! Sometimes I’m very tempted to work long hours, but I must admit that I don’t have the same energy that used to fuel me round the clock a decade ago. Over the years, I’ve learned to listen to my body and if that means I need to nap in the afternoons, then that’s just what I do! It’s pointless for me to try and be productive if I’m exhausted – I’d rather take a short time-out to snooze and then hit the ground running after that.

4. Seena Gates – Popular blogger and editor of NerdMag.co.za
Read Sheena’s interview

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I’m horribly afraid of fish. Lots of people already know that (and tease me endlessly) though, so I suppose I could tell you that my right foot is shrinking. Truly.

5. Daryl Impey – Professional Cyclist
Read Daryl’s interview

Q: Congratulations on your recent signing with Radioshack. What about living in Spain are you most looking forward to?

A: Thanks! Riding for Radioshack is going to be great for me and my career. The move to Spain wasn’t easy from Como, I need to learn a new language and make new friends, that being said I’ve weighed up the “pro’s” and “con’s” and Spain has so much more to offer. It has great weather for starters and most of my english riding friends stay in Girona. I’m looking forward to adding Spanish to my vocabulary.

6. Justin Clarke – Chairman of Private Property
Read Justin’s interview

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Out door action will do it for me…was totally hooked on skiing, (I say was because it was the undoing of me when I broke my back in Austria earlier this year) – it’s really insane and got all the ingredients to really take you into another world, white powder everywhere, natural speed and control without horsepower, and when you are flying down a mountain your mind is far from work stuff. But remember not to get too much air between the skis’ and the mountain. Oh yes… and the Après Ski party is pretty good too…

7. Anna Vaulina – DStv Online’s Marketing Manager
Read Anna’s interview

Q: What do you most enjoy about living in Johannesburg?

A: I love the rawness and the organized chaos that is Johannesburg. You never know what or who you’re going to encounter on a routine trip to pick up the milk. Out of all the places I’ve lived in the world, I feel incredibly at home in Johannesburg.

8. Bob Skinstad – Former Springbok Rugby Captain
Read Bob’s Interview

Q: If you had to single out a highlight from your rugby career, what would it be?

A: I loved sevens as a game and played (lost ) Fiji in the final of the sevens world cup in Hong kong – still a fond memory – I suppose being able to come back and play without emotional baggage was also special, which led a to a small role at the World cup, very lucky !

9. Tertia Albertyn – Founder of the Nurture Egg Donor Program
Read Tertia’s Interview

Q: Your twins were conceived on your 9th IVF treatment. How did you and your husband stay positive during this time and was there ever a stage when you thought of stopping?

A: With lots of support from my cyber friends in the interwebs and with lots of wine, fags and happy pills. It was tough, and there were times I wanted to stop, but stopping (and facing the thought of a childless future) was always scarier than carrying on with the next treatment.

10. Catherine Jenkin – IT Manager for HIV911
Read Catherine’s Interview

Q: Please could you give us a brief description of exactly what HIV911 does?

A: HIV-911 is a national referral network of HIV/AIDS service providers. Our database spans nearly 13 000 HIV/AIDS and social welfare-related organizations across the country.

Now, because a database is just a database, we focus on enabling and empowering people – from other HIV/AIDS service providers, prospective funders, and the man on the street, to access critical information on what’s really happening around HIV/AIDS in their chosen area in South Africa.

We produce, annually, hard copy directories for each province, enable easy database searches via our website and run a referral/data collection centre. We’re also very excited to be moving into utilising mobile technologies. Watch this space because that’ what’s really got me excited at the moment!

A big thank you to every single one of our interviewees for an amazing end to 2009.  We’ve been overwhelmed by the response and endeavour to continue to introduce you to inspirational people from all over our amazing country.

Be sure to follow @izimvo on twitter for regular updates and our Facebook page to submit question and interviewee suggestions. You can also read all of our interviews on your iPhone using the Izimvo iPhone application. Look out for some exciting new announcements from the Izimvo team in 2010.

Which of the top 10 is your favorite of 2009?

If nothing else, the last 30 interviews has shown that we live in an amazing country filled with truly amazing people.

Here are some of our personal favorite answers. They are in no particular order.

Brendan Jack – The guy from that movie
Read Brendan’s interview

Q: If you could to invite 3 South Africans from any era to a dinner party, who would they be and what would you be serving?

A: I know you said 3, but… Tolkien, (technically South African), David Rattray, JM Coetzee, who’s apparently only laughed once in his life, so he could be fun next to the gregarious Obie Oberholzer. (I know, a lot of older white dudes so far.) Henry Cele, sitting next to the real Shaka, Trevor Rabin handling the music, and Kevin Pietersen to serve food and do the dishes. (Charlize never responded to the Facebook invite.)

Perhaps start with a tuna tartar, with avocado, caviar with ponzu dressing. Then various incarnations of Karoo lamb, including some sort of roulade, all served with a case of Schalk Burger and Sons’ Welbedacht Hattrick red. Then get KP to throw something easy together for dessert, like a sorbet of cheese-stuffed strawberries with Campari & orange confit. All of which I currently have in my fridge. If anyone wanted to get rowdy afterwards, we could make Hayemakers, a drink they concocted in honour of David Haye, the newly crowned heavyweight champion of the world. It’s Guinness, Pernod and a red Sparberry depth charge. Classy.

David Weare – Professional Surfer
Read David’s interview

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you want to get away from it all?

A: Go surfing, even though it’s my job, it’s still my hobby and my passion!

Mike Stopforth – Entrepreneur, writer and professional speaker
Read Mike’s interview.

Q: Favorite South African sporting moment of the last 10 years?

A: Has to be the 438 ODI between Australia and South Africa. Nobody could have scripted it, nobody could have guessed what would happen. All seemed hopelessly lost when Ricky and the boys posted 434 and yet our lads pulled off a miracle. Insane stuff!

Seth Rotherham – South African blogging phenom
Read Seth’s interview

Q: Tell us something that not many others know about you. This could be anything from a phobia to your favorite movie.

A: I smoked a joint before answering these questions.

Don Packett – MC, Comedian and Speaker
Read Don’s interview

Q: Who would you most like to read about on Izimvo?

A: Julius Malema. His replies would be awesome. “What don’t people know about you?” “Ah, you see, many people probably don’t know that I am a firm believer in the process for change within our democratic society. Within these structural facilities that we are currently residing upon, we are certain that if we rid this country of racism and hermaphroditic phobias, then this democratic society will be one that we will strive to create as a system within not only our own democratic beliefs, but ones within that other people from other nations would also want to believe, because our democratic duty to the people of South Africa is one that cannot be ignored as a democratic society, and furthermore…” Beautiful.

Bob Skinstad – Former Springbok Rugby Captain
Read Bob’s interview

Q: To which three attractions would you first take an international visitor?

A: Cape town is whirlwind visit in itself – but the table mountain national parks area, incorporating Chapmans, Table mountain and Hout bay would be great – then after having got to know them , i would head on a Safari, any one of decent game viewing and hosting experience, but probably go via a township visit, because otherwise everyone thinks we live a lie, and have a great meal and entertainment at somewhere like Mxolis , and the winelands !

Verna van Schaik – Female World Record Holder for Depth on Scuba
Read Verna’s interview

Q: What it is like at 221 meters?

A: Quiet! And very intense. I only had two minutes there and I wanted to remember every moment, take it all in. It was also a little stressful because I had to retrieve the tag that proved I had actually reached my depth, which meant letting go of the one shotline and reaching out a meter to the other shotline… if I lost either of those lines I would never be able to find my way back…. 221 m in Boesmans there is nothing, no walls, no floor, no ceiling. It is perfect, velvet-black. Truly amazing.

A big thank you to all our interviewees for an amazing start to what was only a dream only 6 weeks ago. We’ve been overwhelmed by the response and endeavour to introduce you to inspirational people from all over our amazing country.

Be sure to follow @izimvo on twitter for regular updates and our Facebook page to submit question and interviewee suggestions.

What has been your favorite interview or response? Tell us by leaving a comment below.

We can’t wait to bring you the next 30 interviews.