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South Africa: Diving into Culture
By Andrew Zimmern on September 22, 2009 9:00 PM | Permalink | 11 Comments
Traveling to Africa is not about the animals, it's not about trinkets and it's not about getting double miles on your frequent flyer card. Its about meeting the people. Don't get me wrong, I adore all of the above, and I see them as benefits of spending time on the ground exchanging culture and diving in to a place face first and mouth wide open. I shot a beautiful impala on a game preserve, a thrill for me as an avid outdoorsman, and got to follow the culled animal all the way through the process of seeing every part of the creature being utilized for food, tools and clothing. Very impressive stuff, and at the same farm I saw a 5 day old giraffe eating with his mom and dad. This was the first giraffe born in this area in 50 years, a huge by product of game and land management and a sign that things are getting better in a part of the world that sorely needed it, and still does. I nursed some penguins back to health and released them in the ocean off of Cape Town, and wandered the witch doctor markets of Jo-Burg, and I bought my share of trinkets too, and I got my miles, but the best day of my South African experience was connecting with people I never thought I would get a chance to meet.
Jeppie's Hostel is one of a series of run down ancient factory style slum buildings that are populated by thousands of families so far below the safety net that their lives are dominated by a level of hopelessness that I have rarely encountered. But yet hope is alive there. The level of violence is such that the police don't even go into the Hostels, when there is trouble there they simply allow all the rioters, criminals and evil doers to have it out, and when the calm replaces the storm the army rolls in to clean up. Its horrifying and many experts call it the scariest piece of land on earth. So we went there one Saturday evening to a basement room packed to the rafters with hundreds of Zulu men eager to sing and dance with each other as a way to keep their culture alive and their spirits high.
By the time we left, we had made many friends, dozens of whom simply showed up to see a white man for themselves. Many told us they had never seen one in the Hostel itself. Ever. Our show continues to be a mechanism for lowering barriers and uniting people around the world and it's the aspect of the show that gets the least attention and yet makes me the proudest. Enjoy the South Africa episode.
11 Comments
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Very disapoited about the episode as it only showed from the one side of culture the old apartheid and nothing about the Dutch Africaner and also there rich culture at all. I'm not a person that take sides and even my dark color friend had the same feeling as they where part of our adventure to Africa to visit the mother land. Traveling to South Africa before opened my eyes on how the Rainbow nation has become one but you just made it a one side culture episode. Very selfish as my family in US watch all your shows but with us being over there before just brought a different thinking of your mispreseption and interpritation of the amazing country and the Rainbow nation.
Just do a eating episode over there to exploide the different culture's.
I was wanting more information on the meats that you tried at the Carnivore. My husband is an avid meat eater and I know that there was one that you said was wonderful... using this animal to raise in place of cattle is all I caught. Thanks Andrew!
My husband is from South Africa and I have visited his family many times. The Dutch, Afrikaaner culture has a wonderful,vibrant family and food culture! I was so dissapointed that the Afrikaaner, white peoples of SA,culture was not even mentioned! Agree w you Francois...
No koeksisters? No Vetkoek? Potjie? Rooibos tea even?!
This show made me so happy! I worked with a group of kids from the Komazi region for 7 months this last year. The gumboot dance and other aspects of the show was a taste of their culture and spirit I miss so much. Thank you!
I was very happy to see this show, I am traveling to Cape Town in December. My wife loved the penguins and hopes to see them first hand. I would love some suggestions on South African food to try when we are there. We are staying for 9 days, and your show came at the right time. Thank you so much!
P.S. Loved your gumboot dance!!
I loved the show! My favorite were the penquins ... bet it is more fulfilling to help those cute little animals than sitting at a desk all day! Thank you for all the unique cultural aspects of the places you visit!!!
I have to agree that the Afrikaaner culture was a little too predominant in the show but over all a very enjoyable episode. I do miss seeing more food and market time in the show. I know it is Bizzare Worlds now, not food, but I really miss the food segments. I would like to see a little more time devoted to food and what the locals eat.
I loved the show, Andrew is great with people from every walk of live. Truly a great individual and educator on the different cultures. I am glad he showed the Afrikaaner side of the country, they are the natives, not the Dutch. People get over it!
Super job Andrew, and I love it when you do AHHH...Avid fan-Gudrun
The Afrikaaners are the Dutch. They speak Afrikaans, a German and Dutch combination language. Not many people know about the Dutch in South Africa and how they have adapted. And brit you're right...no Biltong(southafrican jerky)!!! Yes I know this is Bizarre World, not Foods. Andrew you still rock...
surprisingly a lot of my friends that i know that are from south africa are afrikaans, interesting enough! i think itd be great to showcase that culture as well but i did appreciate this episode in showing the culture of the people on the other end of the socio economic spectrum and class status. im sorry you didnt get to take the "dive" but lol i kno how i would feel about it if i had a wife and kids back home lol
i wish you couldve really taken that dive tho lol! that was dramatic stuff, i understand how you feel tho, i wouldnt want to go splat in south africa either