Reminders that You’re in South Africa

Published June 7, 2010 at 7:00 am |

South Africa has all the comforts you’d expect from any city in the United States. But every once in awhile the country will surprise you. Below is a running list of all the surprises I encountered during my 6 weeks in the country. Some of them may shock you, but after spending a total of 6-months over the course of 6 visits in South Africa, they were all inconsequential to me.

Sure I raised an eyebrow the first time they happened, but by now, you become used to them as a part of daily life in South Africa. For the casual traveler, you probably wouldn’t encounter 75% of these surprises, but if you do, it’s your not-so-subtle reminder that you’re not in Kansas anymore. None of them were insurmountable hurdles, nor did they impact my ability to enjoy the country. They all make for a great story someday.

So what exactly happened…?

One of our driver’s cars was broken into one evening. Nothing was stolen thankfully, but it meant needing to find alternate transport
I have had to work in a venue with no running water
I have also had to work in venues with no soap in the soap dispenser
Oh yes, some toilets had no seats and the stall doors no locks
While watching television, warning signs come on asking you to turn off unnecessary appliances to conserve electricity because the grid is nearing capacity
Power has been lost more than once and I couldn’t see the hand in front of my face
Some hotels have candles on the nightstand for just this purpose
Our driver was pulled over for “speeding” and got away by paying a bribe
Spending evenings in hotels with no Internet or working phone lines
People run across highways all the time
At many city intersections, people will try to sell you oranges, sunglasses, phone chargers for your car, flags and more
Electrified fences and barbed wire surround virtually every home
Cows, donkeys, goats and roosters sometimes wander on the rural roads, stopping traffic
I’ve had to sleep with no heat in the hotel room because the aircon was broken

Are any of these shocking to you? Would you be nervous if you encountered anything on this list, or would you dust them off and move on? Leave your thoughts by commenting.

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I’ll see you out there…!

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