Difference between revisions of "South Africa"
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=== Communication === | === Communication === | ||
| − | + | As in every Southern African country you hitchhike with you thumb and not by waving you hand up and down as in many other parts of [[Africa]]. | |
| − | + | Another useful thing to know is that in South Africa there is a special sign language used by hitchhikers in South Africa to communicate '''what kind of hitchhiker''' they are to drivers. For example in many areas it's common to see people stand with cash in one hand while thumbing with the other hand to indicate that they wouldn't mind paying for the ride. Hitchhiking with your indexfinger instead of your thumb signalizes that you're going long distance along the main road. Hitchhiker [[Theo]] found the index finger-technique to be especially useful when hitchhiking out of major cities. | |
| − | Generally everyone speaks basic English but it could | + | Provided that you intend to hitchhike in the western sense of hitchhiking (i.e. for free) the most useful word you'll need for hitchhiking is '''Mahala''' which is a South African slang word meaning roughly free of charge. Possible ways to use the word include: I'm mahalaing or I'm a mahala. You could also ask people 'is it mahala'?. |
| + | |||
| + | Generally everyone speaks basic English but it could be useful to learn some words of the local languages if you intend to hitchhike on small roads in the countryside. In many predominantly Afrikaans-speaking areas it's some older people may not speak English but unless you really venture deep in the Afrikaans heartlands you're not very likely to encounter them. | ||
=== Safety === | === Safety === | ||
Revision as of 04:25, 30 April 2012
 South Africa | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Language: | English, Afrikaans, Southern Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu |
| Capital: | Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town |
| Population: | 50,586,757 |
| Currency: | Rand (ZAR) |
| Hitchability: | <rating country='za' /> |
| Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots | |
| <map lat="-29.236080457085" lng="25.275075312611" zoom="5" view="0" float="right" /> | |
South Africa is a big and diverse country with 11 official languages and a complicated history which still manifests in a deeply rooted racial-obsession. This will inevitably affect anyone who hitchhikes in South Africa so come prepared.
Generally most people who hitchhikes in South Africa pays a little bit for the ride so most of the time you ought to make it clear that you're not intending to pay for the ride. Peculiar enough Theo found that white South Africans rarely stop for hitchhikers but if they do they never seem to expect money for the ride. However most other people do so you may have to let 1,2,3,4 or even 5 cars go before someone is willing to take a mahala along (see Communication for the word Mahala).
The hitchability is very dependent on the region and with the notable exception of main roads in between main cities (i.e. road N1, N3 and some parts of N2) it is generally fairly challenging to hitchhike in South Africa. If you do persevere you'll be amply rewarded with a lot of spontaneous hospitality, extraordinary scenery and a beautiful melange of different cultures.
Contents
Getting in
Most people of Western countries don't require a visa and shouldn't encounter any hustle at all at the border. All borders are crossable on foot. You'll most likely get a stamp which is valid for 90 days in the country.
From Namibia
The main bordercrossing at Vioolsdrif sees a of traffic going directly to Cape Town. It's a fairly quite border without too much traffic. Hitchhiker Theo made the mistake of arriving after midnight and found himself being searched thoroughly and asked ridiculously inquisitive questions. Most people who arrive in a inconspicuous manner (i.e. don't cross the border in the middle of the night on foot) ought not to have any trouble though.
The most common route from Namibia to Johannesburg and Durban is through Botswana but the border close to Upington is also fairly hitchable. Most people tend to head south-east from there. Sometimes as far as Port Elizabeth.
From Zimbabwe
There are 2 border crossings. If you take the tourist crossing into Kruger National Park it might be pleasant. However the hitchability of that crossing remains unknown. If you do take the main border crossing at Beitbridge one good advice is prepare for Chaos with a big C and do not get to the border hungry. It's the the busiest border crossing in Africa. People cut in line shamelessly, it's quite a confused system of different queues for people with non-Southern African passports and overly helpful people abound (beware). Even if you cross it in the middle of the night you're not guaranteed to leave the border without a severe headache. Generally things are a little bit more manageable after darkness though and many people going long distance tend to plan their trip to they cross the border either early in the morning or after midnight.
From Mozambique
From Swaziland
From Botswana
Communication
As in every Southern African country you hitchhike with you thumb and not by waving you hand up and down as in many other parts of Africa.
Another useful thing to know is that in South Africa there is a special sign language used by hitchhikers in South Africa to communicate what kind of hitchhiker they are to drivers. For example in many areas it's common to see people stand with cash in one hand while thumbing with the other hand to indicate that they wouldn't mind paying for the ride. Hitchhiking with your indexfinger instead of your thumb signalizes that you're going long distance along the main road. Hitchhiker Theo found the index finger-technique to be especially useful when hitchhiking out of major cities.
Provided that you intend to hitchhike in the western sense of hitchhiking (i.e. for free) the most useful word you'll need for hitchhiking is Mahala which is a South African slang word meaning roughly free of charge. Possible ways to use the word include: I'm mahalaing or I'm a mahala. You could also ask people 'is it mahala'?.
Generally everyone speaks basic English but it could be useful to learn some words of the local languages if you intend to hitchhike on small roads in the countryside. In many predominantly Afrikaans-speaking areas it's some older people may not speak English but unless you really venture deep in the Afrikaans heartlands you're not very likely to encounter them.
Safety
While South Africa is by no means the safest place to hitchhike in it isn't that bad either. Sure armed robbery and rape is rampant in some parts but by using the simple preventative safety measure of common sense you'll almost certainly encounter no more than the occasional pickpocket attempt. For example hitchhiking after darkness is generally not a good idea. Some areas (e.g. Gauteng) can be considered fairly dangerous to hitchhike in but in these areas people don't tend to stop anyways if you just thumb it by the side of the road. In those areas you can just ask people at gas stations.
You might also want to bear in mind that many richer South African live in fortresses with electrical fencing and all sorts of extremely high security. These people, no offense meant, tend to be overly paranoid about the dangers of life outside their oasis. Do take their advice but take it with a pinch of salt.
Cities
External Links
- How to Hitchhike in Southern Africa: 15 Tips [1]
