What it’s Like to be a Teen in South Africa

To better understand what it means to be a teenager in South Africa (SA), I met with Joey, a teenager from Johannesburg, for a talk in a small coffee shop near Mojo Market in Cape Town.

Joey, can you share with us your experience of growing up and as a teenager in SA?

Sure! For me, being a teen in SA means that you go to big schools which have a mixture of colours and race. I think this is the best way to study – it is challenging because there are cultural differences, but you mix with so many people and then people start to understand different cultures. Also, most of the schools are very “sporty”, meaning that they put a big emphasis on sport.

Which kind of sports are the most popular in SA?

Well, cricket is a big thing; I think it’s a big South African sport. We also play a lot of soccer and rugby.

What else is unique about the schools?

In SA there are 11 official languages. In each high school you have to study English and one more SA language. I had the chance to choose between Zulu or Afrikaans and I chose Zulu.

What do you love about SA?

I love my city, I love visiting Cape Town and going surfing or ice skating there. I also love the special handshakes I have only with friends from SA and the slang we have in our country.

And one last thing – could you teach the readers a few slang words?

Of course! So we use a lot the words ‘Bru’ (instead of ‘Bro/Brother’) and ‘Howzit’ (a short version of ‘How is it?’). We also use the Afrikaans words ‘Lekker’ (‘Good’ or ‘Cool), ‘Aweh’ (like ‘Hello’) and Chana (friend).

Thanks Joey! Hope you continue to enjoy all the ‘lekker’ things you do!

To find out more about Mojo Market or other fun things to do in Cape Town, visit 5 Top Places to See in Cape Town.

TeenBuzz blogger Hanny loves traveling, hiking, gardening, reading, spending time with friends and doing all kinds of crafts, preferably from natural elements ?☀