h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't know who you are over there but the sentiments expressed in your offering will do for me.

I like good beer, and wine. It's great to be able to go out and buy South African wine - which is bloody
good - now that the politics are gradually sorting themselves out (I hope) good to meet you gud buds

Cheers

Draxus

Juslaaik Ou! You need to taste a Castle - now that's real beer! Our intrepid scribe ommitted to mention that our cricket aint bad at all and that 90% of the population are mad for the Bafana Bafana (national soccer side). Rugby is the main reason for living for some of our people - but love the place and 99% of the populace / hate the car hi-jackers, muggers, con men (and women),disasterous gdp,petrol price increase and unemployment, South Africa is on hellava fine place to be in my opinion

I've got a job offer to work for Lonmin at a mine just north of Johannesburg (may to september).

Apart from the fact that down-town Johannesburg (sic?) is supposed to be dangerous, what else is there to know?

What are the pubs like? Being white, I could see a few problems resulting from SA's previous dominance by whites.

Can you go out on your own, or is that a shure way to come to grief?

Any replies on the do's and don'ts of living in SA would be good.

Max

I spent 5 weeks in S Africa last year (J'burg/Cape Town/Durban). It truely is the most beautiful country I have ever seen. Some guide notes for you:

1. J'Burg - Dangerous! Just about sums it up. I never had a problem but crime rate is high. I have also considered working down there on a more permenant basis - and am still thinking about it. My conculsion - as a single male (I am also white) it's a chance I will take. I would not take a female partner / family there.

2. Durban - Crime rate high - very colonial - fun place to go

3. Cape Town - they say SA is God's country - well if this is true he lives in Cape Town. No more to be said other than greatest place on earth.

If you need more info from a traveller who has been drop me a mail at [email protected]

Have fun
LIC

Hi THERE!
You're safe, black and white people kind of know each other better here than anywhere else on the planet - try smiling if you don't speak North Sotho. Get out on the weekends. Best (easiest) option to head for is the Sun City/Pilanesberg Game Reserve combo (3 hour drive). Best option is to head down to Cape Town (15 hour drive)...

Being South African ourselves, and living in the great "city" of Midrand (near Jo'burg), I must admit that all the fears about crime are sorta valid. The worst is that the crime is so violent - you have to be careful about where you go. Most of the time, we lead a pretty normal life and just hope that we don't run into any of the violent kind. I have been to the USA and to the UK and must admit that I still love coming back to sunny SA and won't swop it for any other country in the Universe. We have a lot of family and friends coming over from other continents and they all keep coming back to visit - so I must assume that things are not too bad!

That's good to know. When I go there, I am going to try to find work for after graduation, so if all goes well, I'll be calling SA home as well.

I never thought I'd consider leaving Canada -I think Canada is paradise, but there's no real work here as far as I can see. Too many taxes, too many rules -nobody wants to invest in Canada, and particularly not in BC.

An interesting thought I've had is that I know what I think of foreigners in general. When I go to SA, I'd better be on my best behaviour, so as not to be a hipocrit.

I might try and head for Zambia as well -with the copper mines being de-nationalised, maybe there's work up there.

Probably more importantly - try to get paid in Dollars. I heard that the next edition of Monopoly is coming out with South African money as it saves costs....

Hi Jim Lad good to see a new researcher head straight for the *important* Guide entries. If you fancy a virtual pint head oveer to the Forum and Firkin at http://www.h2g2.com/A187508

We're currnetly in round 19.

's a bloody good thing to know -I can tell 'm to pay me in monopoly money -that way I'm ahead of the game.

Apart from AIDS and then rest, at least I can look forward to new high levels of Malaria.

This job offer is getting better by the day. To think I renounced being a fork-lift operator. Being an engineering student better not be indicative of engineering life -if it is, I'll retrain as a welder.

Considering what the Rand/Dollar and Pound/Dollar is doing ... I sure that Monopoly money is an understatement!!
Interesting that all the South African's are leaving for Canada / Australia / New Zealand or the UK and it seems that things are not that different over there when it comes to unemployment - or are we really mistaken?
Getting paid in Dollars is not a bad idea - can we sign up for that please?
There is lots of places out of Jo'burg to go to - excluding Sun City. There is the Magaliesberg (about 1,5 hours drive out of Jo'burg). Also lots of Mineral Baths / hiking or camping resorts all within a couple of hours drive. SA is also well known for its game parks which are all pretty close to Jo'burg. The south coast (near Durban) is also very pretty to go to for a weekend (about 5 hours drive). This is some of the prettiest country to go to visit.
I'm not so sure about Zambia - I would give that a miss have heard some horror stories from the SA guys that travel up there quite a lot. As long as you stay within the "compounds" related to the mines it is not too bad - but AIDS, etc is quite rampant up there. Namibia and Botswana are better options. There is also better infrastructure there. Zimbabwe is badly affecting the situation in SA at the moment. Lots of tense faces around due to the fact that many have family up there on the farms.

As a South African I can assure you of your absolute safety in this country as long as you are bullet proof and impervious to bladed weapons. The reason we white people are running like jackrabbits is quite simple. For every white that runs it is a white that won't die
here. I intend to run from the hell hole as soon as possible(ie. some time in 2002 when I finish my tertiary education.) . Also noone tell me it's not that bad as my father got shot through the chest with a 12 gauge shotgun at all of zero inches on 16 Aug 1996. I don't intend to be next. Advice for surviving here? Shoot any of our darker brothers you even think might be a bit suspicious. Don't hit the head though. It has no effect whatsoever.

I really am surprised at you rapier_za for your racial intonations. This discussion was quite interesting until your comments!! How dare you recommend anybody to "Shoot any of our darker brothers you even think might be a bit suspicious. Don't hit the head though. It has no effect whatsoever." This is NOT remotely funny!!!

You seem to have been so eager to add your racist comments that you did not even bother to read the rules for these forums;
>>Minimum standards
-----------------
Use of the site constitutes acceptance of the following terms and conditions.

1. You agree not to use the forum to transmit material that
- promotes bigotry, racism, hatred, or harm of any kind against any group or individual;
<<

Can you really sit back and fail to see the roles all races in SA have played in the violent situation you now have - especially the white S.Africans who have led it for ages? I am an African who has lived in Europe and travelled widely - the white people who shock me most are the racist white S.Africans who are escaping the situation at home and trying to settle in other African countries. They unfortunately carry this racist attitude with them and inflict it on the rest of us!!
The rest of Africa loves and welcomes ALL S.Africans - with open arms - but please please leave that racist attitude behind. We do NOT want it and it is NOT normal!

My apologies for this interrruption, please do continue all your suggestions of places worth visiting in your lovely country.
Jerry

I am sorry you were so offended by the advice I gave Jerry.
However I was not expressing my personal opinion. I am merely
passing on the advice given to me by a , dare i say it lest i get misinterpreted, black friend of mine. He was quite adament about it.
I thought he was joking but he told me he had seen a german tourist gutted and left to die in the street when he stopped to ask for directions. Of course he could always be lying . But he was quite adament about not hitting the head! I did not intend this as a joke!what kind of sick person would recommend shooting someone as a joke.
No I was merely pointing out that it is prudent when visiting this country to err on the side of caution. A bullet in the arm won't kill an attacker but it may save your life. The reason I mentioned our darker brethen is simple. In this country they are the carjackers.
no if ands or buts 99.9999% of the carjackers in south africa are black. this could have something to do with the fact that they are the poor people as a result of white impossed injustices of the past.
However no level of poverty excuses the murder of innocent tourists.
Murder us white locals instead. As to my being racist this is simply not so. I hate all nonsensical people equally regardless of race. Carjackers are nonsensical. I am a practical person , thus for every tourist who wounds a would be carjacker , the more likely the criminals are to reform. With the rampant corruption in some levels of the police , these criminals are often freed on technicalities.
If you behave like an animal , you should be treated as one.
No one laughed harder than me when old Eugene Terblanche went to prison. As for those racist farmers who belong to the mindless AWB , have they ever considered that is the acronym of Are We Black?
I don't think so. Not the kind of thing they would pick up on though.

So to finish. I am not a racist! In this country the majority of murderers,rapists,thieves and carjackers are black. They are extremely well armed with fully automatic AK47's. If they get to close you are dead. They will not hesitate. They would snuff you like a candle. Do not mess around . Shoot first and ask questions later.
And don't think it can't happen to you. Complying with their demands only gets you shot from behind instead of from the front. I should know. That is how they killed my father.

So Jerry you can take your higher moral values and smoke them in a pipe. The rest of the world's rules do not apply in this country. Most
visitors never realise that and that is what endangers them.
If you want to stand half a chance in this country , bring a gun , keep the safety off and keep it chambered . That bullet could mean the differnce between going home as a passenger or going home as luggage in a coffin.

I really am not joking. This place is dangerous

I arrive in J'burg on the 20th. Is it easy to get weapons there, and what is the penalty for carying them? Any tips on avoiding trouble with the law? (I am thinking that whites are probably always presumed guilty nowadays).

Are there any motorcyclists in SA, or have they all been shot by car-jackers? -I was thinking that motorcycling in SA would be enjoyable (apart from the bullet proof vest).

Hey MAX , yes it can be relatively easy to get weapons here. But I would not advise it. Penalties are stiff. Jail time here is NOT fun!
Picture bending over for the soap with 400-500 horny black Aids infected men just waiting for a good shot at your tight lil ass. NOT FUN! Then you get released and try to claim your personal effects.
hmm , what personal effects? we have no such items in our inventory sir. The motorcycling idea is a very good one. They don't hijack bikes. Can't be used for parts for informal(black/minibus) taxi's.

I sure am happy the copper prices are increasing again so that maybe I can work in British Columbia.

In the event that work in BC remains unlikely, I should should find out how hard it is to get a work visa for Australia. Perhaps drinking Fosters Lager is a good pass-time.



Is Fosters better than Molson Canadian? (For the record, Kokanee is one of the very few beers I will will not pay for (actually I am not keen on any Labatts products)).

In case anyone was going to say Canadian beer is crap, at least I can say Canadian beer has alchohol in it (i.e. iether 5 or 5.5%, with up to 7% if you don't mind the taste of cheap beer).

I don't normally subscribe or write to these types of forums but I had to get involved, here goes, as I start with the light stuff. Castle gives you a heck of a bablaas (hangover for you tourists), you should try Mitchel&#8217;s from the Cape or Windhoek beers as they don't have any chemicals, as does castle. I am an expat seff effrikan living in the UK (6yrs) and hanker after the warm climate, good food, drink, scenery and most importantly my family. Remember if you are visiting SA not to try and do too much in a short space of time as it is a vast country.
I had to comment on the stupidity of rapier_za as a bigoted fool enough to drive anybody away from visiting the country. Yes SA is violent but that is the outcome of poverty and greed (greed also fuelled by white cartels buying cars from the hi-jackers). I feel sorry that his dad lost his life but that does not give him the right to attack all black South Africans, as the majority of blacks just want to get on with their lives and it is only a small core of rotten apples spoiling more than just the barrel. I hope that the crime abates enough for all South African&#8217;s to live peacefully and God forbid that what is happening in Zims happens in SA, but it may, if people both black and white continue to be racists, yes Jerry there are also black racists too, but you know that.

Hi guys,
I'm a white female, I've lived in Southafrica (1968-1974). Later on I came every jear for several weeks to Johburg. In 1994 I was employee for one jear in RSA Cape. My father died on 18th of march 2000 in this wonderful country.
Your are right it is a very dangerouse place. Even if you respect survivalrules you cannot be save. Nearly all my friends (by the way they are black, coloured, asian, white,...) there can tell hororstories, but they still love SOUTHAFRICA. In my case there exists violent and very sad stories, but I'm still alife and keep on smiling.
I think your motor of life can be switched off anywhere and at anytime. For ex. I could die in a cararash on a german Autobahn (highway), or asphicsiate in an avalonge in swizerland...?? Who knows? But please go and visit Southafrica whithout fear but whith respect.
CoXinelle

Still alive. The high-veld rules-and so does Castle beer. The wheather is so far better than that of British Columbia, it's not even funny. Right now I'm in Capetown, and can't wait to head for the Rustenburg area.

I must admit, I am presently battling to remain objective in terms of racism (how many times should you have to wait to pay a bill by credit card when a restaurant supposedly accepts credit cards, and how rude are fast-food workers supposed to be?).

Racism here definitely works both ways.

I've got to admit I like working with the blacks -some of them work like dogs and enjoy work at the same time (like some British Columbians).

Right now I'm thinking that the "first world" has seen the last of me. S.Africa is great (though they seem to be working hard to screw it up, w.r.t. laws, etc).

I am hoping to move to S.Africa in January (and immigrate to Africa in general). The employment equity bills here are a pain in the ass (white people are not equal apparently).

When I've had a few less Castle's perhaps I'll write more.