It’s been almost 22 years since I left South Africa, spending 10 years in the UK before moving to Australia in 2013. And despite being out of South Africa for more than two decades (flip I’m old!), there are just some things that aren’t done better anywhere else.
So, for a bit of fun, here are 5 things South Africa does better than Australia – well in my opinion anyway!
5 Things South Africa Does Better Than Australia
1. Braais
You just can’t beat a regte braai, and there’s no way you can compare a BBQ to a braai. Just no.
While I’m not a massive meat-eater, the smell of a braai still hits me with all the feels (this happens a fair bit as we have the best SA neighbours and many a summer evening, I find myself jealous of all the scents wafting across our fence!).
While we can’t have open flame braais when there are total fire bans in place over the summer, there are plenty other days of the year that we can, and man, they really are the best.
2. Rugby
Growing up in South Africa, rugby is life. It doesn’t matter how old you are, whether you’re a boy or girl, or the colour of your skin, rugby has united the nation on so many occasions. We were also ingrained with this fierce rivalry between us, the Wallabies and the All Blacks.
But on moving to Australia, I realised how rugby really isn’t that popular here – AFL is the main sport by far, with NRL and cricket not far behind. I’d even guess that cricket is more popular than rugby in Australia.
Every time I hear our national anthem before an international match, I do get quire teary – my pride for my nation and my sadness at not being there anymore mingled together. It was especially emotional for me seeing them play in Perth in August this year – my first ever attendance at a Springboks match!
And with back-to-back rugby championships under our belt, and 4 in total, it’s impossible not to be insanely proud of our Bokke.
3. Slang
While the Aussies shorten everything to “-o”, and it’s kinda cute, its nothing like the slang we have back in SA. Thanks to the melting pots of cultures we have, languages have amalgamated to form almost one universal language that no matter what your background, you’ll understand if you’re South African.
Lekker, kiff, shongololo, eish, kaalgat, yebo, now now, dop, padkos, shame, fundi, robot, skinner, bliksem, wena, skelm, jol, aikona, hayibo, jislaaik, bru, mielies, indaba, bakkie, chop, muti, klap, tannie, goggo, hawu, Mzansi, spaza, toyi-toyi…the list really is endless.
Despite not living in South Africa, I’m sure you all use at least some South African slang to this day. There’re just no better words out there for some things!
4. Safaris
Now this might not have been something you did often in South Africa, unless you were very lucky, but it’s the kind of experience that you cherish for life.
I got to go to Kruger and Pilanesberg as a child and loved running barefoot in the bush with our binoculars spotting animals as we went. And as an adult, we went on an amazing safari experience at Ndaka Safari Lodge in Nambiti back in 2018. It was unforgettable, incredible and simply one of the best holidays of my life.
And while I know this isn’t something you can strictly compare with Australia, or anywhere else in the world really, driving in the bush seeing emus and kangaroos is still cool, just nowhere near a true African safari experience.
5. Ubuntu
Ubuntu is usually translated as ‘humanity towards others’, or ‘I am because we are’.
But really it is so much more than just words – it’s a feeling.
Australia has what is commonly referred to as ‘mateship’ – a cultural statement that embodies friendship, loyalty and equality. Its origins are traced back to colonial times when new settlers (often convicts) had to rely on each other to merely survive the harsh new world in which they had arrived. Ironically though, if an Aussie says to you, “there goes your mate”, that person is most definitely not your mate!
Ubuntu is defined by the African Journal of Social Work as:
A collection of values and practices that people of Africa or of African origin view as making people authentic human beings. While the nuances of these values and practices vary across different ethnic groups, they all point to one thing – an authentic individual human being is part of a larger and more significant relational, communal, societal, environmental and spiritual world (ref: https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajsw/article/view/195112)
And while South Africa has much darkness, and sadness, it is this very concept of ubuntu that drives the nation to persevere, to create a better place for ourselves and our children, to remind us that we are all humans and we are the only ones we can rely on to uplift each other.
So, there’s my take on the 5 things South Africa does better than Australia – what do you think? Do you agree? Would you add any more things to the list? Perhaps next month I’ll do a post on 5 things Australia does better than South Africa, in the interest of balance and fairness. Let me know what you think should be on that list!
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