What do South African ex-pats miss the most about home?

Here are 10 things South African expats say they miss the most about the Rainbow Nation …

•  South African snacks such as Lunch Bars, rusks, Jelly Tots, Chappies and Nik Naks.

There are so many unique and wonderful treats beyond South Africa’s borders, but nothing compares to good ole’ South African chocolate and Ouma’s rusks. And not to forget All Gold tomato sauce which many South African’s say they can’t do without.

https://instagram.com/p/5sPlyBqlz2/?tagged=oumarusks

•  South African beers and ciders such as Castle Lager, Hunters and Savannah.

South African beer has had two main influences. European settlers who colonised the country brought expertise and beer-making know-how. Yet there was already an indigenous knowledge of beer-making. Local breweries have been brewing forms of sorghum beer long before Europeans arrived in South Africa. (source: wikipedia)

https://instagram.com/p/7yHW3YJdxH/?tagged=castlelager

•  South African sunsets

South Africa boasts some of the world’s most beautiful sunsets whether it’s a vivid orange glow over a wild grassland or the dying light of the sun’s rays across a picturesque vineyard.

https://instagram.com/p/tX_a9Pijvn/?tagged=southafricasunsets

•  Hadedas

The distinctive ‘haa-haa-haa-de-dah’ cry of these large birds (hadeda ibis) can wake the dead, but did you know that when foraging, their contact call is a low growl similar to that made by a young puppy. (source: Wikipedia)

https://instagram.com/p/6DB2IniiiC/?tagged=hadeda

•  The abundance of wildlife

South Africa boasts the Big Five which includes buffalo, elephant, rhino, leopard and lion, but have you also looked out for the Little Five? The Little Five includes the elephant shrew, buffalo weaver, leopard tortoise,  lion ant and rhino beetle.

https://instagram.com/p/oWWL38hx6G/?taken-by=krugernationalpark

•  Wide open spaces

South Africa boasts the Blyde River Canyon, the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and The Cradle of Humankind at Maropeng, which is at the centre of Unesco’s World Heritage Fossil Hominid Site. (source: southafrica.net)

https://instagram.com/p/70UX7_Eqq_/?tagged=drakensberg

•  Free toilets

We often forget that public toilets in South Africa are most often free. There is also free access to ablution facilities at rest stops across South Africa. Yet pay toilets are prevalent across many countries in Europe. According to Lonely Planet, in Norway one can expect to pay for the use of public toilets at shopping malls, bus terminals, train stations and some restaurants. (source: lonelyplanet.com)

https://instagram.com/p/60EXd_vV8W/?tagged=paytoilets

•  South African slang

Japan may be considered the politest country in the world, but South Africans have a habit of saying ‘sorry’ for no reason.

Watch a video showing all the idiosyncrasies of the South African-tongue, lekker hey?

•  Human cashiers as opposed to self-service

Self-service checkouts are common around the United Kingdom. In self-checkout systems, the customer is required to scan the bar codes themselves, input the types of items such as fruits and vegetables, weigh them and place all scanned items into a bagging area.

But the human interaction is priceless, and if anything, makes for great stand-up comedy material.

•  Boerewors and braai meat

The smell of a smoky fire and the sizzle of meat as it hits the grill … there’s nothing better than a South African braai, but what makes SA’s national sausage so special? Boerewors is based on a traditional Dutch sausage called verse worst. In order to be called boerewors, the sausage must contain 90 percent meat, either pure beef or a mixture of lamb or pork. Boerewors also contains spices such as coriander, nutmeg or cloves. (source:wikipedia)

https://instagram.com/p/72ub7EKxpA/?tagged=boerewors

Source: matadornetwork.com; witsvuvuzela.com

Have we missed anything? What would you miss the most about South Africa if you left the country? Share your suggestions on the Fourways Review Facebook page