5 Things I Wish Americans Knew About South Africa
“The only man I envy is the man who has not yet been to Africa – for he has so much to look forward to.”
Gather ‘round dear readers, it’s story time. I’ve been here for nearly 5 months now and I’ve become aware of some common misconceptions that people have about South Africa.
So here’s a short list of some of the myths and some of the things I wish people knew about South Africa
South Africa is a country. Africa is a continent.
This has to be one of the biggest misconceptions about South Africa that I run across.
South Africa is a country on the southernmost tip of the African continent, marked by several distinct ecosystems. Inland safari destination Kruger National Park is populated by big game. The Western Cape offers beaches, lush winelands around Stellenbosch and Paarl, craggy cliffs at the Cape of Good Hope, forest and lagoons along the Garden Route, and the city of Cape Town, beneath flat-topped Table Mountain.
South Africa is a beautifully diverse country with 9 different provinces (think of them as states). Each province runs itself and there is also a national government. South Africa also has 3 national capitals, one for each branch of the government.
Africa is a continent with 54 separate countries.
Myth: South Africa Isn’t Safe
I hear this one a lot…like, a lot a lot. If you listen to news sources with a certain political ideology, you’d think that there was this epidemic of white farmers being killed in a racial uprising.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
South Africa is no different than any other country, state, or city in the world in regards to crime. And, like anywhere else, there’s places you go and places you don’t. It’s no different than Tallahassee where you avoid Frenchtown at night.
South Africans are Really Friendly
South Africans are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever seen. In fact, South Africans are consistently ranked as some of the friendliest people and SA one of the friendliest nations on the planet.
We live in Stellenbosch which is a very Afrikaans area. Walk into any store and people greet you with a “goeie more” or a “Hi, how are you?” to which the only acceptable response is “Good and you?”
I often have a dumb look on my face when someone asks me a question in Afrikaans and when I respond in English, I often get asked if I’m from the US, which starts a whole conversation.
Myth: South Africa is a backwards third world nation
South Africa has a highly developed economy and an advanced infrastructure. One of the world's largest exporters of gold, platinum, and other natural resources, it also has well-established financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors as well as the continent's largest stock exchange.
The Western Cape, and Cape Town in particular, is the technology hub of Africa.
Yes we have our issues and there’s plenty of room for improvement, but in many ways, both tangible and intangible, living and working in South Africa beats living and working in the US.
Fun Fact - The big fight scene between Iron Man and Hulk in Avengers: Age of Ultron was filmed in Johannesburg.
South Africa Celebrates its Diversity
There’s a reason they call it the “Rainbow Nation”. Tensions between different groups are barely perceptible and those who seek to cause kak aren’t tolerated. One of the sayings around here is “Don’t be a poes. Be Lekker.”
In Conclusion
South Africa is a beautiful country full of incredible food, wine, scenery, opportunities, and people. I urge y’all to come experience it for yourself, I promise you it will be an experience you’ll never forget.
If you do ever want or get a chance to visit South Africa, I highly recommend you do. It’s a wonderful country full of wonderful people, beautiful scenery, and some of the best food and wine on Earth.
If you do come visit, do consider staying at Highcliffe House in Gordon’s Bay. It’s a beautiful guesthouse with a stunning view of the bay. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for stopping by… please “like” Biltong and Bourbon on Facebook, too…Lekker dag!
