Currency: Rand $1=8R, coke can: 5-7R, petrol a litre: 8-9R, 4 chicken breasts: 15-20R, bag of 20 apples: 15R, beer/cider: 10R
Languages: 11 nationally recognized including English, Zulu, Xhosa, Afrikaans (Dutch based), sutu,
Expressions:
Bru: brother
hectic: crazy or “that’s hectic”: that’s wild or scary or …
how’s it?: what’s up?, how’s it going?
honestly
is it: really?
I promise you
jol; party, partying
just now: soon (5min or 5 hrs later)
kief or Kiff: cool, great
make a plan: figure it out
mission (It’s such a mission, let’s mission over there): it’s an effort, difficult
now now: sooner than just now
lekker: cool, awesome, good
shame: sorry, too bad
sorted: it’s figured out
swak: bad, weak ie: feeling swak- having a bad day
tekkies: sneakers
Traveling in SA/This isn’t Africa?!:
I find it amusing when I talk with other travelers in SA and they say, SA isn’t the real Africa. hmmm. Africa is a huge continent with each country having it’s own flavor, history and cultures. Sure, I’ve seen a lot of similarities especially in rural areas or daily life is for most Africans( carrying water or wood on their head, walking long distances, washing clothes bent over, eating similar foods- lots of maize meal, goat, chicken, overcooking vegetables, using lots of oil). However, each country I’ve traveled in has had a distinct difference whether it’s the language, friendliness, architecture,religion and so on.
Most people are referring to South Africa being very developed and within the bigger cities looking a lot like Europe and England. This is simply an example of colonization with whites- English and Affrikaners- dutch descendents- Indians and coloured all living alongside each other. History plays a role as it does in every country but the oppression of apartheid- instituted racial segregation from the mid 1940’s till 1991 is still deeply intertwined with how things are operating and viewed in this country. So many cultures living amongst each other, some too scared to even open their eyes wide enough to try and see similarities rather than only differences.
Having traveled in other parts of Africa I see the “real AFrica” in South AFrica often. I see the minibuses, which are primarily only blacks riding in because most whites have their own cars and/or are too scared to ride in one- both because of the safety of the driver and people whom are riding in them. Crime has become high in this country, which makes it easy for whites to see in black and white. A shame. Not all are like this but plenty abound.
Minibuses, rondavel homes, woman and children fetching wood, water and other objects they carry on their head, language barriers, african food- mealie meal, overcooked veg, beans, woman selling veggies and fruit on the side of the road, a “salon” a little tent with a sign on the outside, set up on the street, woman and men selling every which item you can think up- most coming from china- shoes, flip flops,clothes, hardware, etc. on the street.
I know it because I’ve seen these images across all the countries I’ve visited. This is all apart of africa. Itamy help if people took local transport, ate local food, talked with locals rather than only hang out at the backkpackers and then say, this isn’t africa?
The question people should ask is : What makes Africa AFrica? Is it from the images you see on TV? the news stories you hear? What it may once have been 10, 20, 50 years ago?
