South Africa in 2 minutes
So I found myself sitting next to an American on the train the other day. Just to refresh your memories: I’m in Sweden where the use of trains is a practical thing.
Upon discovering that I’m South African the American expresses a desire to learn more of South Africa as he will be visiting the place soon on business. Unfortunately I only had about 2 minutes to this guy’s next stop. All I got to talk about was the crime and where not to go and when not to go there. I had to field questions such as “Is it really that bad?” I tried to reassure him that his contact person(s) in South Africa would know all these things, take good care of him, and that he should listen to their advice about in and around Johannesburg. And then we were at his stop.
Which brings me to our first interactive session. A challenge! You have 2 minutes to tell a foreigner travelling to South Africa about it. You know where he’s going and for the purposes of this challenge you may choose any city/province/region. Go!
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Ok um… So i suppose most business people would end up in Gauteng?? Anyway- i’m not good with places…
I would go with- DON’T go on the trains, watch out for taxis and angry stubborn and drunk beggars- o and keep everything possible locked at all possible times
. Maybe try not going outside at all 
. Oh- and if you see those tribesmen with the wolverine beard thingies- RUN!! They’re CANNIBALS!!!!
That was quite cynical… Um… The puppies are the cutest in the whole world… And we get lots of sunshine
o – um- try to visit margate- it’s chilled out warm and wonderful 
I shouldn’t be allowed near people considering coming here
..
Place your hand in your pocket and politely ask for the gentleman’s wallet politely reminding him that you are from ZA and wont hesitate to show him local hospitality if he resists.
goeie challenge!
This is something that actually happens alot in china – all these people know is that it is very dangerous/ver hot and we have daimonds: that’s literally it! I’d like to add to the challenge: explain south africa in 2 mins AND use the most basic english you can
I had to do a lecture about this also and the best I could come up with was “South Africa: country of extremes” (or “extremists” as in Jan’s case:)
I would start by saying it is a very very beautiful place (which is true: we got everything from a desert to a rainforrest with everything in between)
It is dangerous but it depends where you go – just use your head – I then say that I have lived in SA for 22 years without an incident of serious crime (by that I mean that our TV was stolen once in the 1990’s)
I also say that we have a few very rich people and many poor people – but it’s getting better now. Racism was a problem but it’s better now, we still have ignorant people but we’re working on it (and show me a country that doesn’t for that matter.)
Sticking with your contact is excellent advice.
Lastly I’d say it’s a great place and I love it and miss it very very much:)
Cheers:)
Maybe I will find something positive to say about SA another time. Today is not that time. When your safety and your family’s safety are threatened every miniture of the day, it is hard to stay positive.
The crime situation in SA is actually far worse than anybody thinks, but our ministers and politicians play it down because they have lost touch with reality… living in an ivory tower does that….
In my office we are 7 people. Each of us live in a different area of Pretoria. And each of us have been burgled in these last 7 months at least once.
The police refused to go to my house last week when I reported a burglary in progress. The fact that I went hysterical because my son was in the house did not encourage them to go either. Only after ADT caught the 2 burglars and took them to the police station, did they send out a car. At the police station I got a lecture on police procedure when I just wanted to write the statement and get out… And the fingerprinting was done 24 hours later. Oh, and the queue in the charge office was standing out the door – 15 people in the queue in front of me and only one constable on duty. For the constable to write 2 paragraphs of the statement took almost an hour!
There is a big drive to get people in the communities to join as police reservists. But reservists are allowed to do nothing so they do even less than the police which is not very encouraging.
Private security seems to be the way to go. The problem is that very few peole can afford the private security companies. To install a system costs at least R4000 and add the montly connection fee of R400-R500.
The problem is not the fact that people are poor, but the fact that people are undisciplined, unscrupled and have no respect for one another.
The people who are being terrorised by these criminal activities are despondnent, negative and angry. The rights of the criminal are far better than the rights of the ordinary law-abiding citizen.
The fact that we have a beautiful country passes into the nether regions of anger, fear, negativity – because if you visit these beautiful places in SA, the chances that you will become a victim of crime are excellent.
Add to that the constant knowledge that you are never safe anywhere.
My 2 minutes are up and I am sure I did not encourage a single person to come to SA. Sorry.