BACKGROUND

South Africa has an estimated total population of 48 million people living in nine provinces. Before the general election in 1994, no African language had official status, but now there are 11 official languages spread across an enormously diverse nation.

When the settlers first arrived in South Africa, the area was inhabited in many parts by the San people (Bushmen). Today, these people live mainly in the Kalahari and remote areas of Namibia, eking out a precarious living from the land. There is, however, much evidence of their passing in the extraordinary rock paintings to be found in many parts of the country.

The precise reasons for the migration of black people down through Africa to the southern regions are not known, but many groups left their land further north to seek new homes and pastures in relatively unexplored territories. Those who settled in what is today South Africa are descended from four major groups that are again sub-divided into nine distinct ethnic groups. The Sotho comprise the North Sotho, the South Sotho and the Tswana. The Nguni comprise the Zulu, Xhosa, Swazi and Ndebele. The Shangaan-Tsonga can be found in the Gazankulu and Mpumalanga areas, while the Venda people live largely in the Northern Province.

Although the different groups have many common characteristics and each has its own traditional home area, much of the black population has spread throughout the cities, towns and rural areas. Traditional customs are still part of day-to-day life and the ancient cultures and lifestyle continue to be nurtured, but, particularly among urban black South Africans, many traditions have been eroded away largely due to contact with a highly industrial society and many traditional customs, once integral to African culture, survive only as tourist attractions.

Today there are approximately 38.2 million black, 4.4 million white, 4.3 million coloured and 1,2 million Asian South Africans living in the country. Plagued by a history of blind categorisation, many South Africans are understandably sensitive about being described in racial terms, but this is slowly changing. Sometimes it is necessary to be able to give a physical description of someone and, for visitors who feel awkward or unsure, there are some terms you may safely use without offending anyone. “African” or “black” generally refers to the Nguni, Sotho or other groups whose ethnicity belongs to this continent. “Indians” and “Asians” describe people whose origins go back mainly to India and the Far East. Those people with European origins are usually called “whites”, while “coloured” is an accepted contemporary term for people of Indonesian, Malaysian or mixed origins. But, ultimately, almost all citizens would probably like to be known as simply “South Africans”.

 

TRAVELLING IN SOUTH AFRICA

The best advise we can give about travelling to South Africa is to “expect nothing” – particularly if you are interested in people and their cultures. That way, everything will be new and everything will be an adventure.

Expectations reduce the joy of discovery, which, after all, for many people, is what travel and learning about new cultures is all about. So, expect nothing and try to keep an open mind.

By all means, read and learn as much as you can about a country and its people before you visit, but remember too that things change; that is the nature of life, especially in Africa. If you are open to new experiences, you are far more likely to have a more authentic cultural experience than if you are blinkered by preconceived ideas.

 

LANGUAGE

Since 1994, South Africa has had 11 official languages. Although Zulu is the language spoken at home by the majority, followed by Xhosa and then Afrikaans – English is widely spoken, or at least understood, by a large majority of the population. Most people in urban areas speak English, but, in rural areas, this is not always the case. If you would like to engage local people in conversation, it might be an idea to take along a guide who can translate and interpret for you.

Try and learn a few words in an African language, even if it is just how to say “hello”, “goodbye” and “thank you”. It can be lots of fun, and the effort is always appreciated.

 

HIRING GUIDES

Although you will not need a guide with you every minute of the day, there are circumstances where hiring a guide is advisable. If you are venturing into townships or rural areas – and we hope you do venture off the beaten track, because that is where you will often have the most astonishing cultural experiences – it is best to take someone with you who knows the local language and can help with directions. Many places are badly signposted and some not at all.

As is necessary in most parts of the world, when venturing into the townships or off-the-beaten track areas, it is advisable to take a local guide along with you. It is very rewarding to have someone with you who can explain exactly what is going on, why things are the way they are and what people are doing. If you want to learn something about a particular culture.

TIPPING AND DONATIONS

In formal situations such as restaurants, the standard international tipping guidelines apply in South Africa. Ten percent of your bill is adequate, but, if you have had exceptional service, you may want to add a little extra. In more informal situations, there is great temptation to give money to poor people, especially children. This is not advisable. It would be better to ask your guide whether there is an institution in the area that is helping the people, or which may be able to put the money to good use, such as the local school or community development.

 
TOWNSHIPS

If you really want a sense of what South Africa is about, then a visit to a township is a must. It is not advisable however to venture into any of the townships without someone who knows the area and the residents well. As one of the saddest legacies of apartheid, the townships are home to some of the country’s most underprivileged citizens, who have seen some of the darkest years of their lives here, often in squalid conditions. Some of the townships, or at least sections of townships, have never seen any serious violence, political or otherwise, and it is quite safe for you to visit, probably even without a guide. However situations fluctuate and it would be better to go with a tour group or a guide.

SHEBEENS AND TAVERNS

The once illegal shebeens have become part of everyday life in South African townships. At one stage, black people were unable to drink in pubs or obtain liquor from regular outlets, which gave rise to South Africa’s shebeen culture. Shebeens and taverns are run largely by township women (who in traditional society are the beer makers) and, when alcohol was outlawed in the townships, the women began to sell alcohol and often food from their homes.

Before visiting to the township shebeens and taverns, visitors should consult their local tour guides as to which ones to visit and should ideally have the guide accompany them.  Some shebeens and taverns are used to outsiders. However, like ay place in the world where alcohol is consumed, there is always the possibility of a nasty incident. For this reason, it is not advisable to venture into townships after dark unless you are accompanied by a tour guide or a local.

CULTURAL VILLAGES

We highly recommend a visit to a cultural village at the start of your visit. These replicate the traditional rural villages that are dotted about in often inaccessible parts of the countryside. The roads to these rural villages are mostly dirt roads and can sometimes be quite impassable in an ordinary vehicle. Once again, as with anywhere in the world particularly in a third world country, travelling around in remote rural areas on your own can be dangerous if you are not familiar with the political dynamics in certain areas.

Some might say that the cultural villages that have been established for tourism entertainment, do not always reflect contemporary African culture and are, therefore, not “authentic”. This may be true, but most of the so called cultural villages will give you at least some historic background and an analysis of how practices are changing. This is most useful when you do find yourself travelling around rural areas. You will at least know what to look out for, and could be in a better position to understand what it is you are looking at.

Unless you have time to travel into rural areas, it is unlikely that you will see many people in traditional dress unless you chance upon a ceremonial occasion. As a result, cultural villages allow visitors access to what may otherwise be inaccessible. Cultural villages also provide and extremely important function in that they are repositories of history, giving a living portrayal of activities, crafts and the way of life during a certain period in the history of a people that may otherwise be lost to modern society. The villages are traditionally run by the local community, who also participate in the day-to-day management.  If you ask the locals, you will find out about the extent of local involvement in the management of these cultural villages and how the locals themselves benefit from the existence of such villages. These cultural villages may often be the only source of employment that the many unskilled rural people living in severely economically depressed rural areas have.

 

MEETING THE PEOPLE

A good way to get to understand any culture is to spend time with the people. There is plenty of bed-and-breakfast accommodation throughout the country, but those in rural areas tend to be more personal. You may end up eating with the family, which is a wonderful way to hear the real inside stories about modern South Africa. Of course, everyone has his or her prejudices or understanding of a situation and because stories do tend to get taller by the telling, these may not always necessarily be based on fact, particularly when interpreting cultural practices of other people. It is always advisable to be sensitive to the situation none the less, as the country has undergone massive changes. Many white South Africans are still struggling to come to terms with the changes and, at the same time, there are many traditional black people who have had very limited exposure to Western culture.

In many of the rural areas in particular, most forms of tourism experienced by rural people in the past have been of a fairly abusive nature. People were removed from their land with little or no compensation when many of the nature reserves were proclaimed. They have also been prosecuted for harvesting indigenous resources, such as marine life, trees and plants on which many of them rely for sustenance.  As a result some sensitivity to other people’s cultures should be applied, when engaging them. While you may be on a quest for an “authentic” cultural experience, you are impacting on the everyday lives of other people and your very presence in someone’s home, or perhaps at a traditional ceremony, has consequences.

When you visit our country, you will learn, you will experience, and above all, you will have fun doing so.