What caught my attention more than the captivating story itself, is how many families she is now part of. Take a deep breath. Her search for ubuntu saw her being embraced by 92 families of 13 different cultures in and around 121 towns.

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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.

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What do you think matters now? Tell us in the comments.

We’d like to share your stories as well. Click here to publish your pictures, short articles and videos that amplify Mzansi.

It was less than 2 weeks ago, come to think of it. Last week most of us still had withdrawal symptoms, holding on to our Vuvuzelas and waiting for the most opportune moment to blow them. 

Brand South Africa is making it possible with the idea of Flying The Flag, which is meant to keep the spirits both South Africans and the world high. I took a moment to go out to Brand South Africa and talk to the CEO, Miller Matola, about what that means. More than anything, he took the moment to speak to me.

Below is a short video between me and Mr. Matola, where he gets into detail about what it means to Fly Your Flag.

Today I can honestly say that I am grateful to the powers that be that I am not a mathemitician, a statistics expert or even a politician.

Today I woke up a fanatical fan of this marvelous, superb, outstanding and inspiring country! As a self-proclaimed expert on the benefits of being a positive South African, I can honestly say that a mere 24 hours post the final 2010 World Cup whistle, I am already reaping the rewards.

Each lifetime is marked by something. I am lucky enough to be living in an era of hope, witnessing extraordinary miracles as they unfold.

During the world cup I watched as the world apologised for their non-belief in this can-do nation. When we said it will be ready, we meant it!

I watched as “the crime capital of the world” took  responsibility for keeping its space crime free and how this impacted on the whole country allowing us all, visitors and residents to feel safe and secure.

I watched as security guards walked off the stadiums exercising their constitutional right to strike, and watched as the once much loathed police force took up to the task of protecting us without missing a beat.

I watched as black fans drove to the “white” capital Pretoria to watch a game and white fans drive to the “black” capital Soweto to watch another.

As I watched mainstream pessimism and racism disappeared before my very eyes; blacks, whites, asian, indian and Europeans united in their love of the game.

I smiled when “white” fans supported Ghana and “black” fans supported the Netherlands.

I cried as I sang my national anthem, on the field and off the field.

I watched as rich and poor, the hopeful and the despondent all came together to proudly play hosts to over one million visitors!

I watched as South Africans kept filling the stadiums long after Bafana Bafana were out of the game, showing support all the way!

I watched as two never-crowned-before nations met for the final round and Spain be crowned the new world champions.

But most of all, I am watching as the magic keeps unfolding. Which other country can boast a 20 year history as rich as ours?

From the moment Mr Mandela was released from prison, this country stood united in its belief that tommorow will be better than today. We repeated that belief in 1994 when we stood united in our first democratic elections, and again in 1995 when we won the Rugby World Cup, a story which inspired the movie Invictus. In 2002 our disbelief was palpable when Germany won the 2006 Fifa World Cup bid. Four years later we won the bid and another four years on, we proved to the world that we are a nation of our word, a can-do nation.

So while the debate and speculation continues around the R40 billion spend on infrastructure, job creation, tourism investment and social cohesion continues, I am going to turn a deaf ear.

I am going to hold on tight to the jubilant feeling in my heart, because I know that as South Africans we do not need a football game or a trophy to show the world that we are top-class.

We have done it before and will do it again!

What remains constant is this video of Japanese business people who have been in Johannesburg for 6 months. Their overall experience of South Africa has been of a welcoming and comfortable place. However, the Japanese World Cup loss against Paraguay still does not sit well with them.

Take a look at the video below.

What has changed for you in the past few days? Tell us in the comments we would really like to know.

Andy and Andre from the Netherlands shared their touching story with us. And they left me secretly rooting for the Netherlands on Sunday.

When Bafana Bafana lost their place in the World Cup, I will be the first to admit that it was almost over for me. A bit teary eyed, I heard the vuvuzelas become quieter around the neighbourhood. We all went to bed without admitting what had just happened and avoiding conversation altogether.

The big wake up call came on Twitter the following day when I realized that non-South Africans are speaking positively about being here. And I’m still the host. After all, the World Cup is only an event that ends in a few days, whose legacy lies in successfully hosting our guests.

The vuvuzela was also one most popular topics on Twitter for weeks, which in itself is a record. Even YouTube a few weeks ago had the South African flag on their logo. Another reminder came when the latest release of WordPress (a blogging and web development tool) came with a mention of the vuvuzela.

When did both sportsmanship and being a hospitable African host become determined by how we perform on the soccer field? It’s true, for a moment there I got blind-sided. The greater plot was lost in the fest.

This Friday I’m dusting off my Bafana shirt, celebrating victory beyond the World Cup and hosting our guests.

Beyond the final this Sunday, I will be flying the flag because it defines our true values. A part of us is going out to the rest of the world after this Sunday.

Which story are you sending with them?

And then the boys made our day!  After a rather shaky first half, they showed us and the rest of the world what they have been spending the last few months preparing for – top class football.  They played well.  They looked like they could take on the world.  I think  they  created significantly more great opportunities than the score board bore testimony to.  Had Teko, for example, been slightly more willing to pass the ball when he knew he should have, I reckon we could have had an even more pleasing end to the long awaited kick-off day!  Be that as it may, 11 June was a great day for all South Africans!

The euphoria kept momentum with those who previously had car flags on each side of their vehicles, now flying two or even three on each side.  More vuvuzelas were sold and more South African flag scarves kept us warm on those very cold winter days earlier this week.  New national heroes stared on the pages of every newspaper in this country, almost every day.

Siphiwe Tshabalala reached superstardom in a split second. As supporters, we were so ready for the Uruguay match on Loftus we could hardly get through the weekend and Monday fast enough.  At last Tuesday arrived.

This time I wanted to watch the game in the stands with my friends and with the fans.  The pre-match vibe was amazing. And then, from about the 24th minute, one could literally feel the mix of anxiety and disappointment reverberating among the fans.  Our boys put on a brave show, but the 16th ranked Uruguay was just too good.  They won because they were the better team on the day.  The ref did what he had to do, and while I’ve never been a great advocate for football referees, I don’t believe we can blame our defeat on poor judgment by the ref. Our opponents played better than us.  That’s it.

Now, we have another weekend and a Monday to get through and then we face France.  I choose my words very deliberately if I say “we” face France next Tuesday in Bloemfontein.  There will be 11 football players on the field representing us in those 90 odd minutes, but ultimately it will be OUR match.  And that’s why I am asking all South Africans to remain as passionate and as committed to Bafana Bafana as we were last Friday.  They have lost one match. So what?  That’s the nature of this game – some you win some you lose.  Ask Spain.  They came into this tournament as hot favourites to take the Cup home and they lost against a far less rated Switzerland.  It happens.

Our team needs our support, now more than ever.  So, I am urging you to wear your yellow Bafana Bafana shirts and to wave your flags on Tuesday.  We’re a proud nation – let’s show the world our true character.

Rock on!!