You cannot appreciate the Ubuntu of South Africa until you see it.
United Kingdom (07 May 2022) – After hearing some really negative things about South Africa, I was really anxious and nervous about going over. Much to my surprise, I was pleasantly greeted (literally at the toilet as I got off the aeroplane) by a toilet cleaner with a big smile! And so it went, for the rest of the two weeks.
Everyone was just so friendly and happy to see you!
All the staff, everywhere we went, gave such good service and with a smile and a joke and just so happy to be serving us! From the shops to the restaurants to the places we stayed—just the friendliest, happiest people.
Sure there were potholes and times when the electricity went off. And we were OK. In fact, the electricity going off for me was the best thing. No Internet, which meant not seeing or being influenced by negative people.
I loved driving around my old home town to see how so many people have advanced themselves, in cars and their homes.
Don’t get me wrong, I also saw the poverty and the hardship, and yes, areas have deteriorated. But others had flourished and survived.
My overall impression of what I saw was a country that has made a lot of progress, but perhaps there are far too many people pointing at all the negative stuff, which completely makes the good stuff invisible.
On our way to the airport, my nephew Justin told us that a while ago, he was involved in an incident of a smash and grabber in the area – the informal settlement – we had driven through a few days before.
On speaking to the “chief/mayor/leader” of the settlement, he said that 98% of these people just want to live a good, normal life and are not criminals. It’s that 2% that don’t and are doing these bad things.
And yet, that’s what we always seem to be drawn to. The bad stuff.
So for me, regardless of what the situation is, I found the people to be out of this world. You cannot appreciate the Ubuntu of Africa until you see it.
I miss South Africa every single day!
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