Smitten

By Marieke Smits

Only a month ago I decided to pack my bags, said goodbye to family and friends in Holland and move in with my boyfriend in Johannesburg. The only things I basically knew about South Africa – apart from its history – were, one, there are nice wildlife parks and, two, crime-rates are sky-rocketing.  Especially the second point — South Africa’s alleged status as no go area —  raised some concerns among the people I left at home.  “Is it a safe enough country to live in?” they asked me. “Aren’t you getting robbed on every corner of the street? And is it true that you should never stop for a red traffic light because you risk being hijacked?”

I must say I cannot blame my Dutch social circle for being rather biased against South Africa’s safety situation.  Foreign media tend to stress South Africa’s negative image as a crime-struck country instead of focusing on the positives. When it came to the World Cup this was not any different:  South Africa wouldn’t be safe enough to host such a big tournament. Tourists better stayed at home instead of walking the crime-ridden streets of Joburg or Cape Town. An English security company even put stab- and bullet proof vests on the market for fans planning to attend the event.

One month and a World Cup later I can say the South Africa described above is not the South Africa I’ve discovered. I, and many people with me, actually experienced the complete opposite.  Instead of feeling unsafe I’ve partied alongside makarapa-wearing tourists with locals in Soweto. Instead of getting robbed, shot or mugged, I got offered a vuvuzela because the guy who gave it to me liked the Dutch team so much. Instead of stating that crime stats have gone up during the World Cup, reporters exclaimed on national television that the atmosphere was better than they would have ever imagined. What impressed me most though was the unbridled positivism and the warm hospitality of the South Africans.  People didn’t turn their backs on the World Cup after Bafana Bafana and Africa’s last hope, Ghana, were out, but they massively supported any other team of their fancy to keep spirits high and the atmosphere alive. This made people from all over the world feel at home. And it made them feel safe and welcome.

It might not come as a surprise to you when I tell you all my Dutch friends are arduously looking for a ticket to come pay me a visit in the most exciting country in the Southern hemisphere . What can I say? SA is AYOBA! And they know it.