5 Misconceptions that the World has about South Africa and its Citizens
You might have a today years old experience after reading this
The world has stereotyped South Africa and its citizens for far too long and the time has come to put an end to the crazy rumours.
Feel free to read the following twice and do your own research if you need further convincing.
1. Wild animals roam the streets of the country
South Africa is known for its abundance of wildlife. Everyone wants to see the king of the jungle — sorry to disappoint you but he isn’t roaming the suburban streets like you expected. Lions and other safari scene animal friends can be found in wildlife parks just like the rest of the civilised countries. Most of those videos of wild animals crossing or laying in the middle of a road are actually just being filmed by people in their vehicles on dirt roads within wildlife parks (So basically where Simba is supposed to be.), instead of a public road which people tend to assume.
2. 99% of South Africans are Black Africans
South Africa isn’t called the rainbow nation for nothing, despite the fact that just over 80% of the country’s population consists of Black Africans, there are so many more races that inhabit this land. There are many White, Coloured, Indian and Chinese South Africans. The province of KwaZulu-Natal actually has the highest population of Indians in Africa. So the next time you are in South Africa and you spot a melting pot of races enjoying a bunny chow (If you don’t know what this is, trust me you are going to want to.) at the beach front, take note that it is not a rare sighting.
3. The weather is always warm
Honestly, South Africa does not experience any major weather related natural disasters such as snowstorms, tornados, etc. However, the climate is not exactly warm all year round like what most people suspect. It can get pretty cold further inland during Winter in provinces like Gauteng which can experience temperatures lower than -4 degrees celsius. Sutherland in the province of Northern Cape can reach temperatures of -20 degrees celsius in Winter. And yes, it does snow! The Drakensburg mountains are also a popular snowy destination during cold months. One of the warmer provinces, KwaZulu-Natal, experienced snow this Winter in the area of Hillcrest. Guess anything is possible now due to climate change.
4. Safaris are the only thing to look forward to on vacation
Many tourists come to South Africa with the hopes of going on a wildlife expedition and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. The problem is that they restrict themselves from enjoying other experiences that the country has to offer, simply because they haven't done their fair share of research or are too afraid to explore the unfamiliar territory. Apart from safaris, people can also enjoy visiting wine farms, attending cruises and indulging in fine cuisine, learning about South African history by touring Robben Island (Late president Nelson Mandela spent time in prison here.), taking hot air balloon flights, and if you are looking for entertainment there’s plenty more where that came from with theatre performances, casinos and festivals. And if you just need some retail therapy and a good cup of coffee, South Africa’s got you covered with a variety of popular worldwide branded stores and casual coffee shops and flea markets in little nooks and crannies throughout the country.
5. You can tell a South African by his accent
I cannot fathom why people think this because South Africa is made up of diverse cultures and there are 11 official languages. English is a common first language amongst many citizens and is spoken fluently. South Africans have no real accent when they speak unless maybe English is not their home language, then they will have an accent which is specific to their mother tongue and culture, respectfully. However, such a detail is most likely to be noticed by fellow South Africans instead of the rest of the world. This might be a debatable misconception (sighs heavily).
Hopefully this article has addressed some of your misconceptions, if you had any to begin with. I am sure you did.
And if you were wondering — Yes, yes I am proudly South African.
