South Africa 2022 - a new dawn?

I have been fortunate to visit over eighty countries in my lifetime and I still try to visit at least two new ones each year. It was a little difficult during the covid pandemic but despite the restrictions, I managed it.

People have asked me to write something about places I have visited and to give my impressions. I’ve decided to start with South Africa as I have visited quite recently and it’s fresh in my memory. In fact, I have now visited the country on two occasions. I’m calling this article – ‘South Africa – a new dawn?’

Cathedral Peak in the Drakensberg Mountains.

Ireland has always had a reputation for being friendly and welcoming. I would venture to say that South Africa matches it in every aspect. Before my visit, I was warned that it was a dangerous place and since I would be travelling alone and intended to see most of the country, I should beware. I had seen the crime statistics and I’m not naïve enough to ignore them so I was cautious but I would have to say that all I encountered were wonderful friendly people, very welcoming and accommodating in every way, as well as being helpful and generous. This was true of all races but particularly black people. Perhaps I was lucky?

Let’s start at the beginning. It is generally known that South Africa operated a repressive apartheid regime until the late 1980’s. With the release of Nelson Mandela in 1990 and his subsequent election as President in 1994, all that changed. Almost thirty years on, the country is a modern democracy and has made huge strides, particularly in the area of education; having said that, not everything in the garden is rosy. I’m not going to make this a political piece or a modern history of South Africa; I just mention it as background.

View of Lions Head from Table Mountain, Cape Town.

I started my journey in Cape Town. I had never even been on the African continent before, so everything was a new experience. First impressions were very positive: I saw people of all races socializing together. Everyone was very friendly. Table Mountain, the Twelve Apostles Mountain range and Lions Head were all magnificent. So was Camps Bay; Chapman’s Peak; Boulders Beach; Constantia; Hermanus; Kleinmond; Kirtstenbosch and the V&A Waterfront. But I guess the highlight was the visit to Robben Island; the tour was given by an ex political prisoner and was probably the best guided tour I have ever been on; the whole emphasis was on reconciliation; recognizing the wrongs of the past but not dwelling on them, probably straight out of the Mandela philosophy.

The hard way to climb Table Mountain - Platteklip Gorge - worth it though - the views are incredible.

I had hired a car and I had a rough plan in my head. I was going to travel what they call ‘the garden route’ along the south coast and then head north to the Drakensberg mountains. However, my first stop was in Stellenbosch, which is wine country and I met someone there who completely altered my plan. Suffice to say that in three weeks, I saw some of the most magnificent sights of this huge country and made many friends along the way. I even made it into Lesotho which is a small independent land locked country contained entirely within South Africa.

In retrospect, I wouldn’t recommend the garden route. It’s fine and has many interesting places but if you want more spectacular scenery, I’d recommend the Drakensberg Mountains, in particular Cathedral Peak, Tugela Falls, Blyde River Canyon, God’s Window, the Cederberg Mountains and the Magaliesberg Mountains. There are countless other attractions close by these landmarks.

My guide had recommended I stay at Cathedral Peak in the Drakensberg and I did, but to get there, I had to go through one of the African homelands called ‘the Transkei,’ which runs for about 500 kilometres. I was told to drive this non-stop; not to even stop for coffee or a bathroom break as it was ‘too dangerous.’ Nonsense; I stopped many times and met only happy, friendly people. I also committed what my guide called ‘the Cardinal sin’ of giving lifts to hitch hikers. That’s a phenomenon in South Africa which has all but disappeared in other developed economies; here, numerous people hitch hike. Every major road is full of people looking for a lift. I figured they couldn’t all be bad and I have always found it a great way to get to know a country so I gave lifts to lots of people, all of whom were black. I figured a woman with two small children or a man with his small son weren’t going to do me any harm and so it proved. The first great thing regarding communication was that, although there are ten official languages, everyone speaks excellent English. I met thoughtful, intelligent people, who were very interested in where I came from and most knew a little about Ireland. They were also forthright and forthcoming in their opinions of South Africa, not all of which were complimentary.

Nelson Mandela's cell on Robben Island - his home for 27 years.

Some of the older ones felt that life was better ‘in the old days,’ when the whites ran everything. Their view was that black people are not well educated enough to manage the complexities of a large nation and that some of them are corrupt. Some of the young students I spoke to appreciated the chance to obtain a good degree but felt there was a lack of jobs for qualified graduates. But many had a positive outlook and while admitting that their country was not perfect, they felt that the rich legacy left by Mandela, Tambo, Sisulu, Biko, Mbeki, Tutu and even De Klerk could and should be built on and that they would eventually get there.

Whites and coloured people, I met mainly in bars and restaurants. Most could also be described as being positive and forward looking, with enlightened attitudes and excellent relations with their fellow countrymen of different colour. These people have adapted and gotten on with their lives. I did meet some people who told me they still encounter racial discrimination on a regular basis and I did meet some people whom I would describe as racist but I guess these things take time.

I did however meet a certain cohort who felt the world ended in 1994 and who were seemingly depressed since. These were almost exclusively Afrikaaners and rural dwellers. Now they say it’s not safe to live out the countryside any more so they may well have their reasons. I met them in rural pubs where the clientele was exclusively white and where, despite a nationwide smoking ban, everyone in the pub smoked, all the time. One patron told me that it was a form of protest because the smoking ban had been enacted by a black dominated Government.

I should mention that there are two separate and very distinct types of white people, those descended from Dutch, viz Afrikaans and those descended from the British, who tend to consider the Afrikaaners as a bit old fashioned and conservative. They even speak completely differently.

Tugela Falls.

There is some evidence of a breakdown in some services which had seemingly heretofore worked well. The most obvious of these is the provision of electricity. There appears to be a chronic shortage, particularly at peak times. This has led to a practice known as ‘load shedding,’ where large parts of the country have their electricity supply cut off on a daily basis. To be fair, it is structured and people are given notice, but to be without power for up to four hours a day is not sustainable for the longer term, even if people compensate with their own generators in some cases. To be fair, South Africa doesn’t have the luxury of an electricity inter-connecter to boost power during periods of high demand, which all European countries can avail of.

But I digress. This isn’t a political piece; it’s more of a travel blog, so a few important points: South Africa is a beautiful country with magnificent scenery. I love to walk trails and there are some fantastic ones here. But beware – most Irish walks/trails are reasonably well sign posted; South African walks generally aren’t. I had some wonderful experiences on walks in Jonckershoek National Park and in the Drakensburg but I had a somewhat frightening experience near Tugela Falls. I was staying at a beautiful mountain lodge in a very remote area. I arrived around lunchtime and I asked the hosts to recommend a walk. They suggested a circuit in the mountains which they assured me featured stunning views, which they felt would take about two and a half hours. The scenery certainly didn’t disappoint but the timing was off the charts – I started walking at 1.30pm and returned to the lodge, utterly exhausted, at 9.30pm. I venture to add that I only found my way back (in pitch dark) with the help of one of the staff, whom I called for assistance around 6.30pm when I was completely lost. To make that call, I had to climb to the peak of a particularly high mountain in order to get a signal on my mobile phone. I had thought that I was reasonably close to the lodge but I was actually two hours away from it and would not have had a hope of finding it on my own. The main issue was signposting, or lack of it. The trail had wound its way through the mountains and had traversed rivers and waterfalls and true to their word, the views were magnificent. However, I had been keeping an eye on my watch and I was mindful that I had long since passed the two and a half hours which I had been advised the walk would take. After three hours, I met the only person I encountered on the entire walk. A woman, walking in the opposite direction, assured me that I was still on the right trail. She told me to watch out for a left turn, which would take me sharply uphill through what she called ‘The Crack.’ This is exactly as it is described, a massive narrow crack in between two high mountains. I was aware that for the previous three hours that I had been going downhill so I knew there would be a significant climb to get me back on the level of the mountain lodge. But I wasn’t prepared for what I encountered – the crack is an almost vertical climb of close to 1,000 feet. The initial stages are a massive corkscrew pathway but the final five hundred feet is climbed on vertical chain ladders. There was nothing to do except climb, grin and bear it. I momentarily considered going back down and looking for a way around. Thankfully I dismissed the notion because when I asked about this option later that night in the bar, the locals assured me that I would have had to walk into the Orange Free State, the next province, to go around and that the walk would have taken several days. My lodge was located in Kwazulu-Natal.

A section of 'the crack, 'a sheer 1,000 ft climb in the Drakensberg Mountains.

But back to my vertical climb on the chain ladders. To be fair, each ladder was only about thirty feet in length and each reached a ledge leading to the next ladder. I should also say that the ladders were in excellent condition and that the locals think nothing of shinning up them. I was a little nervous having never encountered this type of a climb previously. I eventually reached the top and I would have to say the views were incredible. The only problem was that it was now 5.30 and the lodge was nowhere in sight and there was no signpost or no indication whatsoever as to which direction to take. In fact, there wasn’t even any evidence of a track or trail or that anyone had traversed the route previously. I possess a reasonably good sense of direction and it has never let me down. My sense was that I should go left and this was ultimately proved correct. The problem was that there was no obvious trail. I climbed to the top of two different mountains expecting to see the lodge in the distance – no such luck. I also had no mobile signal.

I came back down the mountain and climbed a much higher peak in a different direction. Surely here I would see the lodge? When I reached the top, exhausted, I was so high that I felt I could see most of Africa but the key thing was I had a faint mobile signal. I called the hotel and after much confusion, eventually spoke to a young man who seemed to understand where I was. He told me to stay where I was and assured me he would come and guide me back. He was as good as his word and within an hour, I could hear him calling. As it took us another two hours to walk back to the hotel, I eventually learned from him that he had ran all the way out, as he feared that he might not be able to find me in the dark as it was getting dusky at 7pm. Needless to say, I was extremely grateful to get back safely and in one piece and I rewarded my rescuer generously.

So beware; I would recommend that if you are going walking in this country, only go where you are certain there is good signposting and where you have a verified time and distance.

Blyde River Canyon.

This brings me to my second ‘incident.’ I hasten to add that I was assured that it was isolated and rarely happened but it personified for me the recommendation I was given by my Stellenbosch guide – she said: ‘always remember, this is South Africa, but it’s still Africa.’ How right she was. Irish people are used to walking freely everywhere without ever encountering natural hazards, particularly of the wildlife variety. Imagine my surprise then when having completed three hours of a four hour walk in the Drakensberg, I encountered, literally, a roadblock. A large black and orange cobra sat in the middle of my path, hissing loudly in my direction, and refused to let me pass. I didn’t have the option of either going back (too far) or going around it (ground too marshy and uneven). So we reached a stand-off. To be fair, the snake didn’t attack me or try to bite; it just sat there standing up, hissing. I even managed to take several photos of it. I had either heard or read somewhere that the best way to scare a snake away is with a tree branch, so I made my way back along the trail and found one – it worked – the cobra gave up and slithered away into the underbrush. When I returned to my hotel at cathedral peak, the management were very surprised at my encounter and assured me it had never happened before. They told me that had the snake bitten me, it would not have been fatal but that I would have been very ill. So, I wouldn’t want to discourage people from enjoying the many magnificent trails this country possesses, but just take heed of my guide’s advice.

My friend the cobra.

I think he was about 25 feet long - this section shows it in retreat.

Back to my travel blog – the good news is that South Africa is incredibly cheap. On my first day, I bought an Americano coffee for fourteen rand – there were seventeen rand in a euro at that stage. I stayed for three and a half weeks and I averaged thirty seven euro per night for bed and breakfast/hotel accommodation. This included a three night stay with full board at the magnificent Cathedral Peak hotel. For dinner, I struggled to spend about twelve euro per night and this included a bottle of wine. The country also has a very simple, logical and fair method of serving wine – a bottle contains 750ml – a glass contains 250ml and a glass is always one third of the price of a bottle. No sneaky mark-ups or price gouging. All of the wine I drank was locally produced and all of it was delicious. I asked my host for a recommendation in each location and the wines they recommended were always top quality and reasonably priced.

The standard of accommodation is excellent. Every hotel room is prepared like a 5 star, with huge beds, loads of cushions and pillows, large comfortable bathrooms with full bath, shower etc. All rooms have tea and coffee making facilities; all have milk and fridges; some have sinks and microwaves and all were scrupulously clean.

I found the atmosphere in the country to be very relaxed. People, the majority black, laugh a lot and are unhurried, but I dare say not inefficient. I heard some whites say they're lazy but I didn’t see any evidence of this. I think they just move at a more relaxed pace and have a joyful attitude to life, which I readily identify with.

Bourke's Luck Potholes - Panorama Route.

While this is not a criticism, certain aspects of the country have what I might describe as a ‘retro’ feel. For instance, brand names which have long since disappeared in Ireland are still big here: Woolworths, Caltex, Datsun and Wimpy bars, to name but a few. Self-build houses are huge, with DIY shops everywhere. I guess this is not surprising given the huge increase in population. When South Africa won the World Rugby Cup in 1995, the captain, Francois Pienaar, was magnanimous in referencing the support of all 45 million of the population. Today, this has increased to 67 million. The relatively low salaries and poor standard of living of the majority of the population makes the self-build option essential if people want a roof over their heads. Most of these self-builds are located in townships located on the outskirts of the large cities and conurbations. The main trader selling them seemed to be Shoprite, another name that was once big in Europe but has faded.

Locals told me that these townships can sometimes ‘mushroom’ almost overnight. People come from a remote area like the Transkei to a big city looking for work and they have nowhere to stay. They will usually know someone in a township so they will try to take over an adjacent piece of ground and build themselves a home. Some of these townships are phenomenally large and can cover dozens of square miles and are best viewed from the air. From a distance, the view is of a mass of tin roofs all connected with a maze of electric wires and usually with satellite TV dishes. I was also told that much of the electricity consumed in the townships is illegally connected and therefore not paid for. It may go some way to explain the financial woes of the main electricity provider, Eskom, but this company seemed to be the centre of all sorts of other corruption allegations while I was visiting.

Another 'friend' I met in a car park late at night.

But back to the retro issue; I brought a ‘universal’ electrical adapter with me but it was of no use. The plugs in use here are the ones that we used in Ireland in the 50's & 60's but got rid of, i.e.: the round three pin. And shaving has an old fashioned feel. You cannot buy Gillette 5G here. In fact, the highest level I saw was 3G.

But these are just minor observations. My overall impression was of a country undergoing massive change, albeit slowly. I would recommend it highly for a holiday, either guided or exploratory, as mine was. There is as much scenery here as there is in half of Europe and the place has all the natural advantages; a mild climate; massive mountain ranges with beautiful scenery including lakes, rivers and waterfalls, endless golden beaches, wonderful wild animals, safari parks; a plentiful supply of fresh food and wine and an excellent road network. It should be said that some South Africans complain about the roads but I found them to be generally good.

Cederberg Mountains.

I will leave the last word to Jim and Claire. These were two people I met who run a shop and petrol station in a very remote outpost in the ‘Great Karoo’ lands. I figured they were about 160 kilometres from any other habitation, in every direction. Unfortunately, their dwelling still had to be surrounded by high walls and fences with electronic surveillance, similar to almost every other detached house in the country. The reason of course is the high crime rate and the prevalence of violent crime. I had stopped to refuel but when Jim heard my accent, he immediately knew I was Irish (he said I spoke like Roy Keane ☺) and he insisted I stay for a coffee. This was served by his Mum, Claire and was accompanied by several delicious cakes. Jim, who is white and Claire, who is coloured live and work in this remote outpost. They were anxious to hear about my travels and were delighted to hear my views on the country. We spent a very pleasant half hour together. While they were a very positive couple, they warned me of the inherent dangers of living in or travelling in their country. They also told me that many white people are leaving the country, fearing that it may turn into another Zimbabwe. I certainly hope not and indeed, I spoke to many people who had immigrated from that country into South Africa in search of work.

Both of my visits were extremely enjoyable and to conclude, I would strongly recommend the country as a tourist destination. In the main, it is a wonderful place but it can change in an instant so beware lest you have a bad experience. I thanked my two hosts for their hospitality and advice and then I was on my way again.