At first I was disappointed that South Africa didn't seem "African" enough. It's so modern, too much like the United States. In the last few days I have gotten around more and South Africa is a country of extremes. I went to a mall (to exchange money) that could have been any mall in US and to a market across the street to buy African gifts that was so "African." Today, we went back to SOWETO to have Braai (barbecue) at a local (not tourist) restaurant. I had a steak and Micah had chicken. It was served with mashed potato, a spicy squash and bean and onion side-dish & pap and gravy. Pap is a staple food of Africans. It's basically thick grits, in Zimbabwe they call it Sadza, the English here in South Africa call it soft porridge. I ate my steak and pap with my hands as the locals do.
Economically it appears to be thriving. There is construction going on all over. Johannesburg is an industrial area where you can see mining (gold and coal) evidence every where i. e. factories and mine dams.
mining dam outside Johannesburg, South Africa
Photo Credit: Micah Costello
Then on the outskirts and all the way north-West to Kruger there is large scale ranching and farming. Huge cattle ranches, turf farms, orchards of oranges, avocado, banana and macadamia nuts.
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
There is even forestry. In the higher elevations a company has planted huge tracks of land with pine and eucalyptus trees.
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
Yet, unemployment is 35%.
The housing ranges from new million dollar mansions to squatter shanty towns with outhouses and one water spicket/spigot for the whole neighborhood.
Photo source: http://www.luxuryportfolio.com/browse~mc/south_africa/sandhurst_,_johannesburg.cfm
Even the landscape is diverse. Flat grasslands,
view at the exit of Sterkfontein Caves South Africa
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
to panoramic mountains,
Panoramic Route South Africa
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
to the bush of Kruger with it's black thorn acacia bush
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
to panoramic mountains,
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
to the bush of Kruger with it's black thorn acacia bush
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
The people are very political. I have had the best conversations with Simphiwe about politics and economics in Southern Africa. We even had to take a detour because of a mobile protest today. People are upset with new tolls on highways so they have taken their cars to the highways and are driving very slow all the way to Pretoria with a stop at the hospital where Mandela is sick to lay flowers and then continue the protest. Another hot button issue is redistribution of land and reparations for those who were forcibly moved off their land in 1912. President Obama's visit was obviously a topic of conversation and Mandela's legacy.
South Africans would love Robert Frost ' s poem The Mending Wall. They strongly believe that "good fences make good neighbors."
Photo Credit: Rachael Costello
I have seen walls like this in Arizona (minus the electrified razor wire) around people's homes, but feel it is more to keep coyotes and snakes out. I think the walls in South Africa were also originally to keep dogs in and predators out but it has become a cultural norm. Francois told me that when he visited the US he thought it odd and a little unsafe when he saw no walls around houses, and Simphiwe said the walls help keep privacy from your neighbors.
I have seen walls like this in Arizona (minus the electrified razor wire) around people's homes, but feel it is more to keep coyotes and snakes out. I think the walls in South Africa were also originally to keep dogs in and predators out but it has become a cultural norm. Francois told me that when he visited the US he thought it odd and a little unsafe when he saw no walls around houses, and Simphiwe said the walls help keep privacy from your neighbors.
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