http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/features/travels/2005/aug/27/travels-27-08-2005-001.htm

South Africa doesn’t smile at strangers
By Ijeoma Ogwuegbu [ijtruthhurts@yahoo.com]
Saturday, August 27, 2005
•Journalists from other African countries
Photos: Sun News

*
Travels Index

It was 5 am and the temperature outside was about 5C. For a Nigerian more used to a warmer 30-32C, this freezing cold was near impossible to endure. But I was even colder inside the car that had picked us up from the airport than I thought it was possible to be. The reason? The words of our driver and impromptu guide, Charles:

“In South Africa,” he said, “be careful not to make a call on your cell-phone, especially if it’s a very good one, even if the window is wound up. If you stop at a traffic light, someone might smash the window and take it from you.”
I had just arrived in Johannesburg for a week-long stay for The Face of Africa finals and had planned to have as much fun as I could cram into that period. Now I was having second thoughts as two fellow journalists, Nonye, Emmanuel and I, were regaled with what I could only call Tales from the Twilight Zone.

Oh well that's sad.

And they say Nigeria is very corrupt.....dem no dey see that one abi?

even when the windows are up? thats crazy!

I have always maintained that stories about crime in Nigeria is overblown with respect to countries like SA.  A recent report on BBC puts SA gun crime as second to Colombia

Gosh, I read the piece with a feeling of deja vu. This is me coming to SA from the US to work for three months. It is so easy to tell a south african, they have this look on their face, this look of anger, resistance, aggression, you name it; something which was lacking in me.
I believe we Nigerians are lucky, even when the british were in nigeria, we were free not oppressed. We are so trusting and open and it shows in our face and in the way we greet.
So there I was in SA, having lived in the US where even where racism exists, it is veiled. Where I say hi to total strangers on the street, where I smile at the next person to me on the train, where strangers stop to pat another stranger's dog on the sidewalk. There I was in South Africa, saying hi to whites and blacks alike and being ignored.
The whites because you were in their territory and because the only blacks they interact with were their domestic servants and they are like "doesn't she know her place?". The blacks because they instinctively recognize by your sunny disposition and cheerfulness that you are not SAfrican and are like "you don't know what I have been through". Maybe some blacks do that in the US but I have never experienced it. instead I have a posse of black american friends who see you as a black sister not a black from Africa.
Anyway, the only great expeience I have had so far in SA is that I am working for this three months with a Canada based firm and most of the staff are canadian or american and the south african (3 whites, 2 blacks) have lost some of their bigotry through interaction with other people.
I stay in a guest house and the owners are white while the domestics are of course black. The white woman goes like "the people (insinuating blacks of course) are unfriendly, don't you think?" I'm like "no, the whites never reply if u greet them but the blacks reply if they think you are Safrican".

And the crime stories, they are so true. I read in the paper (SA not CNN) things like
- police are still looking for the rapists of an infant (they believe sleeping with a virgin cures aid)
- two people were thrown off a fast moving train this morning after being robbed
etc. The Tsosti movie didnt do any better in calming my fears either.
My conclusion is SOUTH AFRICA IS A VERY XENOPHOBIC COUNTRY!

sOUTH aFRICA IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL AND DEVELOPPED COUNTRY but they do not like "strangers" like other African a lot We Nigerians have a bad reputation in South Africa as most other African, too. A friend of mine has been to South Africa (internship for a market research comapny in the UK) and talked with a lot South africans regardless of colour and he was shocked at some of their attitudes and how they view the rest of the continent, (I do not want to enlarge on it in this forum as it is not the appropriate place to do it) , It is sad but South Africans regardless of their colour (black, white, Indian) do not regard themselves as Africans but as a "continent" within in the continent.

Nobody is arguing that South Africa is developed and beautiful. It is, I know because I am in Johannesburg right now. Their xenophobia doesn't just extend to nigerians alone; common, you mean they see me on the street and automatically know i'm a nigerian.
Fact is that this country is a very tense one, and it's because of their history. For real, I really don't doubt the story (u can search on nairaland) that black SAs are planning to kill whites when Mandela dies. It is very possible with the way things are in this country.
Of course, it's also hard for them to identify with the rest of the african continent, because south africa is a very racially diverse place. Imagine sending some SA delegates(black, white or indian) to an AU meeting where the rest of the african continent is busy talking "black this, black that". It is this dynamics of things that make them kinda apart from the rest of black africa.
South Africa is very complex in ways that I can't even go into but , fact is - it is a very unfriendly place for foreigners living there.

south africa isnt the only country that is diverse so that shouldnt make them feel distant from the rest of the continent. almost eveyr country in africa is racially diverse, its jsut that many of them dont have the same opporessive history. check out botswana, namibia, cape verd, mauritius, madagascar, and upt to one point, ivory coast, kenya, zimbabwe, etc.

i think this is becas of their history. but i know they won't preperly smile at nigerians, as they hate us like hell. i took a south african history class n they seem to have so much hatre for nigerians, they belive that we brougth coruption to their country.

Omogenikky, as you are living in South Africa, I would like to know a few things. My friend told me that it is still a black and white country and that it is far fom being a rainbow nation. Is that true? Aren´t there any blacks who moved up the economic ladder? What about mixed marriages/couples between the races (blacks and Blacks from other countries or Blacks and Whites) which are quite common in so many other parts of Africa (like Angola, Cape verde, Ivory Coast, Gabon etc.)? What do you mean by a "tense" situation? (can you just give me example) Don´t you think that the horrible madness (apartheid) of the past slowly starts to drift into oblivion with the younger generation? and a last question: is the inequality and unemployment situation decreasing?
Sorry for bambarding you with sooo many questions but if you could just answer a few, I would be more than happy,

I have found a conversation on a South African forum, they were talking on Africa´s economic propects. Here is what a South African said:" I am a South Africa. I actually live and work in the africa for a US investment bank dealing with investments in africa and who deals with african governments every day as part of the job!!!Sorry but Africa (outside of SA) has some oppertunities to make money but none of it is well run by normal standards and as for living in it it is pretty miserable outside of SA and Botswana and Namibia. Sorry but whilst there is some good economic growth in parts of the continent it is still very badly run and things are not getting any better even worse. You go on about Angola and other african countries but i bet you would not at any cost like to bring up your kids in them!!! And I doubt in 50 years you would want to either. Sorry (, ) but that´s the reality. Corruption/incompetance/stupidity/skills shortages etc are NOT getting better here and in many places they are getting much much worse. Even with angola 20% is 20% of basically nothing and with all that oil it would be quite remarkable if they were not achieving such growth with current oil prices!!!"

I AM REALLY SHOCKED. Is this how they view the rest of Africa? Maybe someone can comment on it!No living outside SA and Namibia, perhaps beacause they are dominated by whites, ?

Not true - I have been to South Africa and they are nice - the blacks though,

I'm a South African but I do respect all other countries and I hate it when you Nigerians are busy talking crap about your own country as that's what makes us bad of your country. The reason why mostl South Africans don't like other fricans is because of the crime they have commited.

Otherwise I think I need to divert the topic. I thought I should post the good things that are planned for Nigeria so that you people will stop blaming your politicians but instead appriciate the good things that are happening there and be actve in economic growth.

The following are what's gonna happen in Nigeria.

Federal Government gives its approval for Nigeria's Technology Valley

12/5/2005

Vanguard (Lagos)

Emeka Nwosu

The Federal Government recently approved the establishment of a Technology Village for software and manpower development in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in Abuja, Nigeria's federal capital. The tech village is expected to cost between $600 to 800 Million Dollars.

According to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Nasir el Rufai, who appears to be prime motivator behind the initiative, "what we hope to do with the village is to have the highest quality infrastructure attracting the best brains in information and bio-technology, pharmaceutical and IT research". The technology village is expected to provide employment for about 60,000 people, with the eventual aim of boosting growth and performance through information technology.

The Minister said though the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology had been working on the village since 2001, Nigerians in the diaspora interested in the village made it a reality by investing millions of dollars to do the business plan and feasibility study.

One of the aims of Nigeria's IT policy is for Nigeria to be an exporter of information technology products. India, which has already led other developing nations in this regard, benefits tremendously from the performance of its information technology industry. India is today the recognized and leading IT outsourcing hub in the world. With the global trend indicating phenomenal growth in outsourcing Nigeria can't afford to be left behind.

Some have dubbed the technology as Nigeria's Silicon Valley. The aim of the National IT policy and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is ensure Nigeria as a nation not just benefits from the advances in information technology, but also becomes a key player in information technology.

While information about the technology village mentions the involvement of Nigerians in diaspora, reports indicate that it is largely a government affair with still little input from local IT professionals.

Interesting some active participants in Nigeria's ICT sector are not too enamored with the choice of Abuja. For instance, the Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria would have preferred a development of Ikeja technology market - also known as the computer village - in Lagos which is Nigeria's current IT hotspot. And for many involved in IT, Lagos and not Abuja is where most IT activities are currently concentrated.

However, to make a meaningful impact, it is expected that the tech village will be a collaborative effort that addresses issues involving all stakeholders. It certainly appears to be a positive step for information technology empowerment in Nigeria.

The construction will begin in early 2007.

s-afri are such a joke!

howddy4:

i , they believe that we brougth coruption to their country.

That's hilarious. The history of SA is disgraceful.

@obong

Guy i dont Understand you,
You now making me change my mind of going
to that Country why will you say South Africa Doesn't Smile at stranger

Men i'm not yet convice am confuse,

To get da post reply soon.

::

Who says South Africans do no committ crime in Nigeria, What about the companies that have been accussed of evading tax payments in Nigeria? Or does your idea of crime has a specific definition?

Lol yea I hardly hear about daylight rape by HIV infected lunatics looking for a cure. *rolle eyes*

I'd definitely hear stories of "yahoo boys" than that kinda shit.

carry go.

South Africa: Robbers Kill Nigerian Toddler in South Africa


A holiday trip to South Africa by a Nigerian woman and her daughter ended in tragedy when armed robbers shot dead her two-year-old daughter in Johannesburg on Thursday. Nkechi Obiekwe and baby Tsahai were sleeping at their guest house when two armed robbers opened the door to her bedroom and demanded her laptop, cellphone and money. She added that she was frightened and gave the robbers her money.

"Then I turned around looking for a cellphone. A gunshot went off. I never thought they were killing my baby. When I turned to hand them the cellphone, I saw blood. I ran to Tsahai. She was struggling to breathe. She had been fast asleep when the robbers shot her in the head," Obiekwe told said.
Africa 2007

She said that the robbers came back and demanded for more money. "I said you have already killed my baby why do you want my money." Police arrived at the scene about 40 minutes later. Obiekwe, who works for the Nigerian Communications Commission, arrived in South Africa on Tuesday and planned to return to Nigeria on Sunday

She said before Tsahai was born she had tried for 11 years to get pregnant, and had to seek for medical help. "It took me so many years to conceive my baby, my only child. She was all I had,",Obiekwe said in tears.

"South Africa is not safe at all. What can a baby do to stop a robbery in progress," said Emeka Arum, one of the shocked Nigerians who came to sympathise with Obiekwe.

Johannesburg police spokesperson Eugene Opperman said the robbers had forced open a window and climbed through burglar bars adding that investigation has begun into the incident.

what i would like to point out to people on this thread which i keep pointing to every person is that every country has its own problems.
There's no need for a pissing contest. Nigeria obviously has a lot of corruption which is holding the country back and poor infrastructure.
South Africa too has a fair share of its own problems. Crime, poverty, income inequality etc. So instead of Nigerians and South Africans
having a pissing contest, we simply have to acknowledge our own problems and get down to fixing them. Simple as that. I know that it might
be difficult for Nigerians to acknowledge that SA may be better in some respects than Nigeria, but Nigeria too is better than SA in some respects
too. Its just natural. So i find this pissing contest a little childish if you ask me. I have been to Nigeria and i know what its like there, and i could
right a lot of negative things about your country too if i wanted, but i just don't see the point, if you know what i mean.

hey superman, i guess i also don't know what you meant, lol

superman:

there u go

bloody south african

Excuse me. . .

This is very rude! I'm Nigerian as well as South African
and I find it highly insultive of u to jus blurt out summin
like that. VERY RUDE!! Crimes happen all over the world.
I've had terrible experiences in Nigeria as well as in Joburg.
It's proper stupid of any Nigerian to think they're betta than
a South African (or vice versa) Seriously!! Do not do unto others
what u wudn't want em to do unto u. . .Unbelievable!

@topic

so its not only in naija we have agbero's , after they will start criticising us dis are d pple dat should be sentenced to death by electric shock,after inviting some hausa's to use their koboko to wipe their asses one by one

Every country has its own problems. . .
none is left out. Let's stop comparing and getta
reparing. . .iight?! 

All of you are right in a way, South Africa is Xenophobic even to its own people sometimes, I mean a person can be a bit unfriendly to you just because they looked at you and thought you dont look south african.
The avarage iliterate security guard and your taxi driver type of person will probably have that mentality but your educated type of black person is different.
I dont think people not being friendly to each other is because of Xenophonia, the thing is when you walking in the road you dont just greet people,it doesnt work like that, you only do that at you own village in the deep limpopo where you will be greeting your neighbours cousins cousins.No body is interested in the other person in the city, I`m sure its the same in lagos.
The Xenophobic attacks were do to with inferiority complex. South Africans blacks have been told so much that being white is better that being black so your avarage NON-south african coming to SA with a darker skin reminds the SA guy than you just like me I guess
The second thing is that most Non-south africans work very hard and you will find someone coming into the country with nothing and then opening up shop and making money, your avarage SA guy just gets drunk and waits for the free government houses, so there is recentment that you come into my country and you do better that me.
Another thing is the women, SA women love foreigners and they normally have a pick at the best ones and it doesnt go down well with the SA guy

sinako:

All of you are right in a way, South Africa is Xenophobic even to its own people sometimes, I mean a person can be a bit unfriendly to you just because they looked at you and thought you dont look south african.
The avarage iliterate security guard and your taxi driver type of person will probably have that mentality but your educated type of black person is different.
I dont think people not being friendly to each other is because of Xenophonia, the thing is when you walking in the road you dont just greet people,it doesnt work like that, you only do that at you own village in the deep limpopo where you will be greeting your neighbours cousins cousins.No body is interested in the other person in the city, I`m sure its the same in lagos.
The Xenophobic attacks were do to with inferiority complex. South Africans blacks have been told so much that being white is better that being black so your avarage NON-south african coming to SA with a darker skin reminds the SA guy than you just like me I guess
The second thing is that most Non-south africans work very hard and you will find someone coming into the country with nothing and then opening up shop and making money, your avarage SA guy just gets drunk and waits for the free government houses, so there is recentment that you come into my country and you do better that me.
Another thing is the women, SA women love foreigners and they normally have a pick at the best ones and it doesnt go down well with the SA guy

Sinako,This is the best comment I have read.u just said it all.I am Nigerian,but have been 2 south africa b4 and I have 2 uncles living there presently.And everything u just stated is just 2 correct,especially where u said

The second thing is that most Non-south africans work very hard and you will find someone coming into the country with nothing and then opening up shop and making money, your avarage SA guy just gets drunk and waits for the free government houses, so there is recentment that you come into my country and you do better

thats what I noticed 2 while i was there and also what my uncles tell me.its just very bad.
While I was there 4 a visit,I spent 1 month there and I noticed that the guys r just 2 lazy.U c them carring a bag(whats even in the bag,i don't know) on their back and u think they r headed 2 work or hustle 4 money,but rather they r heading 2 the park 2 hang around with friends(i mean during the day time).And thats where they plan their evil cos an idle mind is the devil's workshop.Even me that was just visiting, helped my uncle in his retailing firm.Atleast i remember making around 2000 rands.In my uncle's retailing firm I noticed that some of the workers were 4rm botswana cos according 2 him,south africans r lazy and want stress free work.Luckily 4 him,his firm has not affected during the xenophobic violences that has taken place(maybe cos its located in the cbd).its so sad.