Spring 2007 Newsletter
South Africa: The Rainbow Nation
By Lynn Unger, Program Manager
South Africa is a destination rising in popularity among high school exchange students. The draw to South Africa seems to stem from the fact that it is "off the beaten path" of study abroad destinations, its exoticism and of course, the influence of Nelson Mandela.
"South Africa is a country in which one can expect the unexpected. An inspiration for all. What made it possible was the determination of the people of South Africa to work together ... to transform bitter experiences into the binding glue of a rainbow nation."
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
A look at the South African flag reveals a lot about South Africa. The colors of the flag each represent a portion of the country:
Blue: For open skies
Green: For the land
Black: For the African people
White: For the European people
Red: For bloodshed
Yellow: For the natural resources, i.e. Gold
The Y symbolizes the merging of the nationalities, unity
It is important for students and parents to take a realistic look at South Africa, its history and what students are likely to experience. The flag is a good place to begin when contemplating an exchange program there.
Blue represents open skies relating to the almost year-round sunny weather. Known to some as "sunny South Africa", the country has a warm to hot climate, making it one of the best year-round destinations in the world. Most provinces enjoy a summer rainfall with occasional afternoon thunderstorms that are spectacular to view.
Green represents the land of South Africa. It conveys the essence of the virtually unexplored, untouched land that has escaped industrial development. South Africa's conservation efforts have been recognized world wide. Currently, South Africa is working with Zimbabwe and Mozambique to tear down fences between the countries' game parks to create a 35,000 km2 game park which will make it the largest conservation area in the world. South Africa has dedicated over 3,594,594 hectares to national parks. It has the third highest level of biodiversity in the world and is ranked first in the world for its floral kingdom.
Black represents the African people who make up almost 80% of South Africa. The black Africans come from the native tribes of the Nguni people, the Sotho-Tswana people, the Tsonga and the Venda. The black people of South Africa have a long, rich history that provides South Africa with much of its diverse and colorful culture.
White represents the European people of South Africa. South Africa's white population descends largely from the colonial immigrants of the late 17th, 18th and 19th centuries: Dutch, German, French Huguenot and British.
Red represents a harsh reality of South Africa: bloodshed. Racial discrimination, apartheid, land and resource rights caused great unrest and violence. From 1948 to 1994, under apartheid, people were legally classified into a racial group and were geographically, and forcibly, separated from each other. The Black majority legally became citizens of particular "homelands" that were so-called sovereign nations but operated much like United States Indian Reservations and Australian/Canadian Aboriginal Reserves. In reality, a majority of Black South Africans never resided in these "homelands."
This prevented non-white people from having a vote or influence, restricting their rights to faraway homelands that they may never have visited. Education, medical care, and other public services were segregated, and those available to black people were generally inferior.
Gold represents the natural resources of South Africa. South Africa is rich in many natural resources. Since 1886 South Africa has been the gold producing leader of the world. Today South Africa is responsible for about 25% of the world's production.
Finally, the "Y" in the flag represents the merging of nationalities and unity in South Africa. There are four broad racial groupings (including three minorities), 11 official languages, a huge gap between rich and poor, and growing communities of migrants and immigrants.
Yet since the end of apartheid in 1994, there has been a growing sense of nationhood in this race-conscious country, with most of all these different people seeing themselves as primarily South African, not as members of a specific racial or ethnic group. 71% of South Africans of all races define their primary identity - that is, the group to which they belong "first and foremost" - as African or South African.
What can a student expect from their time studying abroad in South Africa? To begin with, an education like no other in the world. Students will enter a culture that is predominantly black and that still experiences racial discrimination daily. Discrimination based on skin color will be a reality for exchange students. Students will be judged and be expected to do certain things, act certain ways in South Africa. Many students are surprised to learn that South Africans expect them to want to make a difference in their culture.
Although South Africa is officially an English speaking country, only 5% of the South African population speaks English as their first language. Students living with host families are likely to hear one of the 11 official languages besides English at home. Efforts to learn the language spoken at home is highly respected and encouraged.
Students should expect that their host family will welcome them and want to learn from them. Many host mothers ask that exchange students call them "mom" or "mother." Expectations of a host family's standard-of-living should be tempered with the realization that it was only eleven years ago that many South Africans were granted privileges that we enjoy daily. Many people still do not have access to running water and electricity, land line telephones are not ubiquitous, and computers, especially broadband internet access, are considered a luxury in many schools. Sharing is a major component of South African life. If a student gets a package from the United States full of goodies, it is an expectation that the goodies will be shared with the host family.
Students should also expect to have much less independence than at home in the United States. Teenagers here are still seen as kids and are not given the 'young adult' status that is common for teens in the U.S. Students are expected to always ask for permission before making any arrangements with regard to friends, outings, extracurricular activities, etc. Taking a walk after dinner or going shopping is not something that is not always acceptable for students to do alone in South Africa.
A visit to South Africa promotes understanding, friendship and learning about a fascinating culture. It is a wonderful place to study, to experience and to become part of the rainbow that makes South Africa so inspiring.
