Born before the year 2000? *Dinosaur sounds.*
Western Cape, South Africa (19 January 2026) – In 1996, the last of the Millennials were born. The cuspers. Then came their successors, Gen Z. They ushered in a new generation, literally. Somewhere between then and now, millennials have become prehistoric.
The math is not mathing, or maybe we’re just in denial.
If you have ‘19’ in your birth year, apparently, you’re a certified dinosaur. Sorry, Gen X and Baby Boomers – that must make you ancient. As old as time itself.
Kidding. But Outeniqua SPAR does have jokes for its ‘90s staff…
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Jokes on you ‘noughties’. We are not the same. We’ve rightfully earned these badges:
1. Waiting for Generations to finish before you could shower. Hot water schedules were built around soapies.
2. Calling people on a real-life landline. And praying their mom or granny didn’t answer first. Bonus points if you memorised numbers instead of saving them.
3. Dial-up internet sounds. That robotic screech that meant nobody touch the phone for the next 20 minutes.
4. Recording songs off the radio onto cassette tapes. Finger hovering over the ‘REC’ button, hoping the DJ wouldn’t talk over the intro.
5. Tazos in Simba chips. School currency. Trades were serious business. Fights nearly happened.
6. The SABC test pattern. When TV literally ended for the night.
7. 7de Laan. Everyone watched it. Even if they pretend they didn’t.
8. Those thick TV guides in newspapers. Planning your entire week around what’s on M-Net.
9. Writing letters to YoTV or Jam Alley. And losing your mind when your name scrolled across the screen.
10. Blow-up furniture in your room. Especially the translucent ones that squeaked when you moved.
11. Nokia 3310 with custom covers. And Snake being the only personality trait you had.
12. Going to Video Town or Mr Video. Choosing a movie for 40 minutes, returning it late and paying a ‘fine’.
13. Those metal jungle gyms at school. Just vibes and broken wrists.
14. Thabang Thabong. It’s fun for you and me.
15. The pain of your CD skipping. Emotional trauma.
16. Burning CDs for friends. Track order mattered.
17. Saturday morning cartoons before chores. Pure joy before being told to go outside and sweep.
18. ‘Please call me’ being invented. Peak South African innovation.
19. MXit status wars. ‘Busy’, ‘Don’t chat’, cryptic heartbreak lyrics.
20. Teachers saying ‘this will be in your matric’. It never was…
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