Top South Africa hotels
Ethnic / Cultural Diversity Johannesburg
17 Reviews The selection and performance of national anthems must be one of the most emotive of cultural issues. To my mind, national anthems are meant to be rousing and inspirational pieces of music that...
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Food & Drink Johannesburg
4 Reviews if your'e into wines , as so many are or you want to be seen or you want to meet the Cape's best winemakers. or you want to taste the top wines of the year or Platter's 5 * star wines or just have a...
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Biltong is a favourite delicacy in South Africa. It is dried meat which is quite spicy. Biltong made from beef is most probably the most common, but do try Springbok, Kudu and Ostrich biltong.You will find biltong in most supermarkets.
You will most probably hear this word when you visit SA. It is the local word used for a barbeque - and is VERY popular in SA. Usually a braai would include meat (lamb, beef, pork) chicken, sosaties (kebabs), boerewors (local spicy sausage) and salads. Depending on the area of the country, you might also have roosterkoek (it is bread made on the coles) in the South and pap (a type of porridge) in the North.
English is spoken by most South Africans, although it might not be their first language. Most South Africans can speak more than one language. We have 11 official languages! The business language is English.You might here words used which sound unfamiliar.Once you have been in SA, you will recognize the SA accent very easily!Words from Afrikaans and certain Indigenous African languages are often used in day-to-day language use.Here are a few words you might come acrossLekker = niceJust-now= means within a short whileDankie= thank youBraai = barbequeJa or Yebo = yes (Boere)Wors = a local sauasageEisch = is used in the case of amazement or surpriseRobot= traffic lightBerg = mountainHowzit = how are youBakkie = Truck (Toyota, Nissan, Ford etc)
Unfortunately I did not get to visit a township but I had the pleasure to talking to two young men who lived in one in Port Elizabeth. They both had AIDS. I met them at a ministry fair and they had just brought in the wire car pictured here. The car is made entirely out of wire and has many moving parts. It is about the size of a large coffee table.I understand that many of the kids are too poor to actually have "store bought" toys and so are adept at making these cars and other toys out of wire.If I ever get the pleasure of visiting South Africa again, I really want to tour one of the larger townships.As the above tips show, I was pleased to be able to visit some townships in 2006. A most rewarding experience
A lot of South Africans speak english, however it is interweaven with afrikaans as well. Here are some words and sentences you might encounter:Goeiemorre - Good morningHoe gaan dit - How are youGoed - GoodJa - YesNee - NoAsseblief - Please(Baaie) dankie - Thank you (very much)Braai - Barbeque (you'll have to attend one, it is awesome)Lekker - NiceLekker slaap - Good nightEk spreek nie afrikaans nie - I don't speak afrikaansIzzit - Really, seriously (is also used when grammatically incorrect)Buddy - Mate, dudeGood luck!
It is never good to make a bad impression on people when you first meet them - even if it is only because of cultural differences.Our friends luckily pointed out to us, how a proper greeting etiquette works in South Africa - and boy, was I glad to know that!!! Before you start any conversation, you should greet the person in a way like this:"Good morning - how are you?""I am fine, thank you, how are you?""Fine, thank you!" - and then you can start your conversation!!!!!
South Africa has such an amazing history and getting to know this history will really increase your enjoyment of this country. Here are a few good books I've read (more to come):The Callings of Katie Makanya - This is a biography of an amazing life of Katie who was born in 1873.Soweto portrait of a city.
This is a screen from an ATM. Yes, that is 8 languages listed for you to choose from! There are 11 official languages in South Africa. They are:Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. English is almost universally understood.
The amazingly vibrant flag of the New South Africa is the only national flag with 6 colours in it without using a seal of some description. It was officially adopted on April 27, 1994 following the first elections after the end of apartheid. The flag has 2 horizontal bands of red (on the top) and blue (bottom) of equal width separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal "Y" shape ending at the corners of the hoist side. The Y is has a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes. The colours are interpreted as:Red, white and blue from historical colonial flags of South Africa, including mainly those of Britain and Holland. The while green, black and gold represent the colours of the African people. The 'Y' is thought to symbolise the...
The first time it happened I was driving and my local friend Johannes was giving me directions. Suddenly I heard him say “Look out for the Robot”. I thought he was crazy. Suddenly I saw red traffic lights and had to apply the brakes quickly. We came to an almost violent stop and Johannes was looking at me like I was crazy now. Now he says “I told you to watch out for the Robot”. I am now looking around for metallic coloured mechanical man. I still don’t see one. That’s when Johannes realises and tells me that Robots in South Africa are automatic traffic lights. Mystery solved. Mr. Robot turns green and away we go.
The Table Bay Hotel Cape Town
9 Reviews and 345 Opinions One of the more expensive options, but if you can afford it then go for it. The location is great,...
The Westcliff Hotel Johannesburg
5 Reviews and 201 Opinions Being a local, I have never stayed here (and probably couldn't afford to!) - having visited business...
Skukuza Restcamp - Kruger National Park Kruger National Park
8 Reviews and 100 Opinions This is the largest camp on the banks of the Sabie river, it is also the administrative centre of...
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Reviews and photos of South Africa attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for South Africa sightseeing.
Q: Hi all, im travelling to South Africa and Malarone is not sold in Argentina, so I should buy it when I get to South Africa. Do you...
A: You will need a prescription from a South Africa registered doctor.
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