south africa – top tips for tourists
16 Nov 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa Tags: football, soccer, south africa, travel, world cup
I don’t usually enjoy virals but I have to say, anyone visiting South Africa for the World Cup in 2010 should make sure they check out these tips to understanding the locals…
Braai
What is a braai? It is the first thing you will be invited to when
you visit South Africa. A braai is a backyard barbecue and it will
take place whatever the weather. So you will have to go even if it’s
raining like mad. At a braai you will be introduced to a substance
known as mieliepap (meal porridge).
Ag
One of the most useful South African words. Pronounced like the
“ach” in the German “achtung”, it can be used to start a reply when
you are asked a tricky question, as in: “Ag, I don’t know.” Or a
sense of resignation:”Ag OK, I’ll have some more mieliepap then.” It
can stand alone too as a signal of irritation.
Donner
A rude word, it comes from the Afrikaans “donder” (thunder).
Pronounced “dorner”, it means “beat up.” A team member in your rugby
team can get donnered in a game, or your wife can donner you if you
come back from a braai at three in the morning.
Eina
Widely used by all language groups, this word, derived from the
Afrikaans, means “ouch.” Pronounced “aynah”. You can say it in
sympathy when you see your friend the day after he got donnered by
his wife.
Hey
Often used at the end of a sentence to emphasize the importance of
what has just been said, as in “You’re only going to get donnered if
you come in late again, hey?” It can also stand alone as a question.
Instead of saying “excuse me?” or “pardon me?” when you have not
heard something directed at you, you can always say: “Hey?”
Izit?
This is another great word to use in conversations. Derived from the
two words “is” and “it”, it can be used when you have nothing to
contribute if someone tells you something at a braai. For instance,
if someone would say: “The Russians will succeed in their bid for
capitalism once they adopt a work ethic and respect for private
ownership.” It is quite appropriate to respond by saying: “Izit?”
Ja well no fine
This is another conversation fallback. Derived from the four words:
“yes”, “well”, “no” and fine”, it roughly means “OK”. If your bank
manager tells you your account is overdrawn, you can, with
confidence, say: “Jawellnofine.”
Klap
Pronounced “klup” – an Afrikaans word meaning smack, whack or spank.
If you spend too much time in front of the TV during exam time, you
could end up getting a “klap” from your mother. In America , that is
called child abuse. In South Africa , it is called promoting
education. But to get “lekker geklap” is to get motherlessly drunk.
Lekker
An Afrikaans word meaning nice, this word is used by all language
groups to express approval. If you enjoyed a braai thoroughly, you
can say: “Now that was lekk-errrrrrr!” while drawing out the last
syllable.
Tackies
These are sneakers or running shoes. The word is also used to
describe automobile or truck tyres. “Fat tackies” are really wide
tyres, as in: “You’ve got lekker fat tackies on your Vôlla, hey?”
Dop
This word has two basic meanings, one good and one bad. First the
good: A dop is a drink, a cocktail, a sundowner, a noggin. When
invited for a dop, be careful! It could be one sedate drink or a
blast, depending on the company. Now the bad: To dop is to fail. If
you “dopped” standard two (Grade 4) more than once, you probably
won’t be reading this.
Saamie
This is a sandwich. For generations, school- children have traded
“saamies” during lunch breaks. In South Africa you don’t send your
kid to school with liver-polony saamies. They are impossible to
trade.
Bakkie
This word is pronounced “bucky” and can refer to a small truck or
pick-up. If a young man takes his “girl” (date) in a bakkie it could
be considered as a not so “lekker” form of transport because the
seats can’t recline.
Howzit
This is a universal South African greeting, and you will hear this
word throughout the country. It is often accompanied with the word
“Yes!” as in: “Yes, howzit?”. In which case you answer “No, fine.”
Now now
In much of the outside world, this is a comforting phrase: “Now now,
it’s really not so bad.” But in South Africa , this phrase is used
in the following manner: “Just wait, I’ll be there now now.” It means
“a little after now”.
Tune grief
To be tuned grief is to be aggravated, harassed. For example, if you
argue with somebody about a rugby game at a braai and the person had too much dop (is a little “geklap”), he might easily get aggravated
and say: “You’re tuning me grief, hey!”. To continue the argument
after this could be unwise and result in major tuning of grief..
Boet
This is an Afrikaans word meaning “brother” which is shared by all
language groups. Pronounced “boot” but shorter, as in “foot”, it can
be applied to a brother or any person of the male sex. For instance
a father can call his son “boet” and friends can apply the term to
each other too. Sometimes the diminutive “boetie” is used. But don’t
use it on someone you hardly know – it will be thought patronizing and
could lead to you getting a “lekker klap”.
Pasop
From the Afrikaans phrase meaning “Watch Out!”, this warning is used
and heeded by all language groups. As in: “The boss hasn’t had his
coffee yet – so you better pasop boet” Sometimes just the word
“pasop!” is enough without further explanation. Everyone knows it
sets out a line in the sand not to be crossed.
Skop, Skiet en donner
Literally “kick, shoot and thunder”, this phrase is used by many
South African speakers to describe action movies. A Clint Eastwood
movie is always a good choice if you’re in the mood for a lekker skop,
skiet en donner flick.
Vrot
Pronounced – “frot”. A expressive word which means “rotten” or
“putrid” in Afrikaans, it is used by all language groups to describe
anything they really dislike. Most commonly intended to describe
fruit or vegetables whose shelf lives have long expired, but a pair
of old tackies (sneakers) worn a few years too long can be termed “vrot” by some unfortunate folk which find themselves in the same vicinity as the wearer. Also a rugby player who misses important kicks or tackles can be said to have played a vrot game – opposite to a
“lekker” game (but not to his face). A movie was once reviewed with this headline: “Slick Flick, Vrot Plot.”
Rock upTo rock up is to just, sort of arrive (called “gate crash” in other
parts of the world). You don’t make an appointment or tell anyone
you are coming – you just rock up. Friends can do that but you have
to be selective about it. For example, you can’t just rock up for a job
interview.
Scale
To scale something is to steal it. A person who is “scaly” has a
doubtful character, is possibly a scumbag, and should rather be left
off the invitation list to your next braai.
Ja-nee
“Yes No” in English. Politics in South Africa has always been
associated with family arguments and in some cases even with
physical fights. It is believed that this expression originated with
a family member who didn’t want to get a klap or get donnerred, so he
just every now and then muttered “ja-nee”. Use it when you are required to respond, but would rather not choose to agree or disagree.
third time lucky for sumbandila satellite
17 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa Tags: satellite, science, south africa
South Africa’s Sumbandila satellite has finally been launched this afternoon. It was the third attempt at launching the Soyuz-2 rocket with the satellite, which cost R26 million (£2m) to produce.
Sumbandila will orbit at between 500 and 600 km away from the earth and take pictures of southern Africa.
Sumbandila is a Venda word and means something along the lines of “pathfinder”.
These are exciting times for South Africa’s technological advancement. Apart from the success with Sumbandila, fibre optic cables bringing high-speed internet to Africa have reached the continent. It means that the availability of cheaper broadband should increase for all Africans and with that, businesses will be able to become more competitive in the international arena and schools and other educational institutions will receive a welcome boost.
Let’s hope the South African government is well aware of the potential benefits on their doorstep and that it makes the best use of technological advancements in order to benefit all South Africans.
samuel l jackson knows good travel
08 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa, travel
Samuel L Jackson knows to go to Cape Town for golf
“It’s got great golf courses, gorgeous beaches, fun restaurants and delicious fresh fish. I’m a seafood man,” he explained.
Now, being a Cape Town girl, I agree with the guy. My top tips for Samuel when he’s next in Cape Town are:
Golf – Erinvale in Somerset West (course designed by Gary Player – and where we had our wedding reception)
Beaches - Clifton (the water is freezing but the beach and the people are beautiful)
Restaurant - Moyo @ Spier (great food, great atmosphere)
Fresh fish - Houtbay harbour (where the locals go)
Give me a call when you’re in the area next time Samuel, I’ll hook you up!
what price one hour?
01 Sep 2009 1 Comment
in south africa
When it comes to charities, most people find it hard to decide who to support. There are so many worthy causes and so many opportunities to give: chuggers (charity muggers) that accost you on the street, touching TV ads, fun runs and charity cake sales to name but a few. For me the decision was easy: living in the UK I wanted to do something that would make a difference to people in South Africa. When I saw the fantastic work that the Starfish Greathearts Foundation does, my mind was made up.
This week, everyone has the opportunity to get involved, as it is STARFISH DAY. The idea is simple – you are asked to donate an hour’s wages to Starfish on September 3rd. You may not think it is that much, but do you realise what £5.73 – the UK’s minimum wage – buys a young child in South Africa?
Your donation of £5.73 can feed a poverty-stricken child affected by Aids in South Africa for TWO MONTHS. That’s right, for less than a couple of pints at the pub, you can change someone’s life. Feeling generous? Double that contribution in order to buy school shoes for TWO children! Or perhaps your family or circle of friends want to club together and raise £28.65, which will buy school supplies for a pupil, or £57.30 which will send a child back to school with full supplies including uniform, shoes and books.
And in a country where millions of children act as the primary carer in a home when a parent is either dying or already dead as a result of Aids, £85.95 will provide 28 of those kids with a caregiver visit.
Sure, these are tough times, but can you really say “no” when you think about the huge difference a small sacrifice – one hour – can make to the life of a child who didn’t choose to be born in a country where more than 10% of people aged over the age of 2 live with HIV/Aids?
One hour. 3 September.
Donate via the Starfish website and help turn the tide on Aids.
give afrikaans a chance
01 Sep 2009 1 Comment
in south africa Tags: afrikaans, idioms
30 August 2009
For the last 4 and a half years I have been writing stories on the widest variety of subjects imaginable for Adfero. DirectNews clients operate in lots of different markets, so I’ve written on anything from data clouds to dating and everything in between. It has been – and still is – something I love to do.
But in my current role with the company I don’t get to write that much, so when I got the opportunity to write a few freelance articles for a website back home, I jumped at the chance. What made the prospect even more appealing was that this was an Afrikaans website, so I could do something I hadn’t done for half a decade… write in my mother tongue.
I proposed writing something about how the recession and how regular South Africans could expect to be affected. It is a subject I know a fair bit about, with the UK having been in a recession officially for many months. However, South Africa only recently went into recession officially, so I thought writing about this would be a breeze. I was right. The subject matter was a doddle and coming up with a selection of top tips was a quick job. The surprise came when I had to put my thougts into words. Afrikaans words.
All of a sudden I realised that my Afrikaans vocabulary must have gradually shrunk over the last few years. When I first moved to the UK, I lived in London and had a few Afrikaans mates, including my flatmate Lindi, so speaking Afrikaans was an everyday thing. Then Lindi went back to Durbs, I met Chris and we moved to Manchester, and all of a sudden I was speaking Afrikaans a couple of times a week max, during regular phone calls back home. Sure, some days I still subject Chris to “Afrikaans days” when the poor guy is forced to learn Afrikaans due to the fact that I refuse to speak English for a few hours, but mainly, life is conducted in English.
Shocked when I had to consult a dictionary to find the correct translation and spelling for words I’ve known my whole life, I resolved to make more of an effort. I am now going to contribute to voelgoed.co.za on a regular basis and plan to make an effort to consciously inject more Afrikaans into my life. You can read my first venture back into Afrikaans writing here.
The result of thinking more about Afrikaans and reading in Afrikaans when I get the chance has been rewarding so far. All of a sudden I look at words and idioms and realise what a brilliant, rich language Afrikaans is. Some of my favourite sayings for your enjoyment:
‘n hond uit ‘n bos gesels – talk a dog out the bush (talk lots)
die draak steek – poke the dragon (poke fun at someone)
‘n gat in die mop praat – talk a whole in their head (convince someone to do something they don’t want to do)
alle grappies op ‘n stokkie – all jokes on a little stick (let’s get serious)
jakkals trou met wolf se vrou – jackal marries wolf’s wife (it’s sunny but raining at the same time)
die kat uit die boom kyk – watch the cat out the tree (consider something carefully before deciding)
oor koeitjies en kalfies gesels – chat about little cows and calfs (chatting about everyday things)
ek skrik nie vir koue pampoen nie – cold pumpkin doesn’t frighten me (to not scare easily)
meng jou met die semels, dan vreet die varke jou – mix with the barley then the pigs will eat you (if you hang out with bad company, you’ll be seen as trouble yourself)
tande tel – counting teeth (what kids do when they are sitting in grown-up conversation)
uitgeknip soos haar ma – a cut-out of her mom (when someone looks exactly like someone else)
voor op die wa – on the front of the wagon (when someone, often a child, is cheeky)
laer as slangkak se skaduwee op die seebodem – lower than the shadow of a snake’s shit on the bottom of the ocean (when someone has done something despicable)
I’m sure there are loads more that I can’t think of right now – do you have a favourite?
five years of life in the UK
01 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa Tags: south africa, uk
30 August 2009
This week I celebrated the fifth anniversary of arriving in the UK. I relived those excited first steps onto UK soil at Heathrow back in 2004 and looked back at how things have changed in my life ever since.
I didn’t join Facebook until probably 2006. However, today more than a quarter of my Facebook friends are people I have met since I came to England. Around 130 people I am connected with on Facebook would not have been in my life if I had not come here. The most significant of these is obviously my husband Chris. I still tell him off for making me come all the way from South Africa to the UK so our paths would cross, but it was definitely worth it.
In addition to meeting Chris, I have been very fortunate career-wise since coming to the UK. After a brief stint working in the public sector, I started to work as a correspondent at Adfero, the UK’s leading online news agency. Not only was I given the opportunity to write all day, honing my skills as a journalist and improving my English, but it’s also where I met Chris. I still work for Adfero, having moved up in the ranks a bit, and thanks to them we’ve also made a move to Manchester, where we now live.
While I love London, and living there was fantastic, I am pleased that unlike many expats I have the opportunity to really experience life outside south-east England. Sure, it would be nice to hear Afrikaans on public transport more frequently and to have several SA shops on my doorstep to pick up goodies from home, but living in Manchester has certainly put a new perspective on my life in the UK.
I do miss South Africa every day. I miss hanging out with my wonderful family and friends more than anything. I miss hearing the Capie accent and all the other clichés – the sun, braais and wine tasting on the weekend. But the UK has been good to me, so after five years I’m grateful and looking forward to what the future has in store.
vuvuzelas split football fans’ opinions (and ears)
01 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa
19 June 2009
I guess those of us who grew up in South Africa almost block out the noise of the vuvuzela – the air trumpet blown by Bafana Bafana supporters. However, with the country hosting the Confederations Cup, international commentators and fans have been less than receptive to the noise. The complaints – some of them directed at broadcasters of the matches – mainly centre around the disturbing and irritating nature of the noise.
Sepp Blatter, Fifa president, seems to have embraced this element of South African football. He said that while Fifa would look into the complaints ahead of next year’s World Cup, vuvuzelas are part of African culture.
“It is part of their celebration … let them blow it,” he said. “We are in Africa and we have to allow them to practise their culture as much as they want to.”
Danny Jordaan, chief exec of the organising committee, went a step further, saying to take away fans’ vuvuzelas would violate their freedom of expression. What about fellow fans’ right to not have their hearing damaged?
I’ve got a ticket for a World Cup match next year and I have to say I’m not sure if I’m ready for the full force of the vuvuzela’s noise in my ears for a couple of hours (it being my first proper soccer match that I’ll attend in South Africa). However, I think the vuvuzela is such an integral part of soccer culture in SA that it would be cruel to ban it.
The “instrument” is steeped in history. These days, the vuvuzela is a plastic, modern-day object, but it is believed to be a descendant from the kudu horn. In the olden days, a kudu horn summoned villagers to meetings, but there is also an element of folklore which has to do that lots of noise could kill a baboon.
To give you an idea about how much people care about the vuvuzela, read Redi Direko’s take on the matter in the Sowetan… hilarious.
However, not everyone is a fan. SA journalist John Qwelane asked for the non-melodious “instrument from hell” to be banned. Spain’s Xabi Alonso has also moaned that the noise impedes on-pitch communication (but then he also plays for Liverpool so he’s probably in the habit of making excuses and shifting the blame).
It remains to be seen if the vuvuzela will be banned for World Cup 2010. My guess is no, so international football fans travelling to South Africa will have to stock up on the ear plugs or start practising with their own vuvuzelas, while those watching on TV always have the mute button.
south africa in recession – top 10 survival tips
01 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa
26 May 2009
The global economic downturn has reached South Africa. Having seen the UK go through the recession, I thought I’d list my top 10 tips for survival in the hope that it may help everyone bracing themselves for tough times in South Africa.
1. Consider your job security. Thousands of jobs might go as a result of the recession. Make sure you know your worth and know your flaws as well. Consider retraining in order to highlight your value to your current employers or future employers.
2. Add to your savings. Experts advise that you should have about three months’ salary saved up as a cussion in case you lose your income source. Now is the time to add to the pot rather than spend any spare cash you have.
3. Reassess your financial priorities. Work out a budget and stop spending money on things you don’t need. Now.
4. Sell your stuff. You know all those white elephants you never use? Boost your savings by getting rid of it – people are more likely to buy second-hand goods during a recession.
5. Clear your credit card debt. Get out of debt as quick as you can. Not only will you save money on interest repayments but you’ll also be able to borrow more if you really need to.
6. Cut your food bill. Grow your own fruit and veg, forego restaurant meals with friends in favour of potluck dinners and opt for supermarket own-brand rather than premium brands.
7. Shop around. Use the internet to track down the cheapest everything, from service providers to DVDs and groceries.
8. Be prepared to bargain. One good thing about a recession is that companies need to work even harder to get you to spend your cash with them. This puts the consumer in a strong position to negotiate the cheapest and best value deal.
9. Live healthier. Sure, you might save money on health care in the long run, but short-term you can save a lot of money by giving up cigarettes and cutting down on booze. You can even consider investing in a bike and use that rather than a car over short distances, or going for walks on the beach rather than hitting the gym.
10. Be creative. Start a magazine sharing circle at work rather than buying several different publications each month. Rediscover the joys of a library. Give home-baked goodies as presents rather than shop-bought gifts. Swap one of your skills for a service you would usually pay for. Think about how you can start making money from your hobbies. Volunteer at a charity in your free time rather than hit the mall.
Good luck South Africans!
south africa, manage your life expectancy
01 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa
As my family gets ready to celebrate my granny’s 90th birthday tomorrow, the World Health Organization publishes its latest stats on life expectancy across the world. And it ain’t looking good if you’re born in South Africa.
Children born in South Africa these days can expect to live, on average, no more than 54 years. Less than a decade ago, this figure was 63 years.
Baby girls’ life expectancy has dropped from 67 to 53, compared to in Japan where females enjoy the highest life expectancy and live until the ripe old age of 86 on average.
South African men now live on average until the age of 52, down from 59 in 2000.
What will our new ANC government do to stop people dying unnecessarily? And how long must we wait, seeing people die all around us, before things get better?
anc does what i asked them to do
01 Sep 2009 Leave a Comment
in south africa
14 May 2009
I was pleased to see the ANC distance themselves from the libellous statements made by its youth league earlier in this week. ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe described the comments as “deeply embarrassing” to the organisation. The ANC should be embarrassed, as the youth league comments made the whole organisation look really stupid. It showed complete disregard for the law (by publishing potentially libellous comments about Zille), disregard for democracy (threatening to overthrow the democratically-elected Western Cape government) and disregard for peace (by suggesting violence is the answer to getting rid of the DA in the Western Cape).
This raises the question about the ANC’s ability to not necessarily exert control over the youth league, but certainly the way in which it has a consistent message and mission statement that runs through its whole operation. Jacob Zuma should be worried about the potential damage officials in his own party could do through ignoring the party’s objectives and following their own agenda.
In its statement today, the ANC does slam Zille’s comments about Zuma. She called him a self-professed womaniser who put all his wives at risk by having unprotected sex with an HIV positive woman. While her comments may have been ill-advised, they seem fair in the realm of comment based on fact. The man has three wives (he’s been married five times) and 19 children. Zille’s comments, it could be argued, are closer to truth than suggesting the premier (who has been married to one man for nearly three decades and has two children with him) has sexual relationships with the men selected in her Western Cape government.
However, we would not be having this whole situation if the Sowetan reported Zille’s comments responsibly. The paper followed its own agenda and lead with a throwaway remark by Zille – one sentence in a long letter she sent the paper.
I particularly liked her closing paragraph, which suggests democracy can only work if services are delivered on an equatible basis and not the colour or gender of the people delivering them. I agree. For democracy to work everyone needs to do their bit: the government (and their youth league), the opposition, the media (are you reading this the Sowetan?) and every member of the public.
