Leaving on a Jet Plane - Reflections on South Africa

I am about to leave Johannesburg, South Africa for Frankfurt, Germany. Several people have emailed me during my stay in South Africa curious about my experiences here. I promised many of you that I would write a reflection on my stay here. So, here it is…

I have had the privilege of living in this wonderful country for about 2 months. To put things in perspective, even though my travels have taken me to over 25 countries, I have only stayed in 2 other countries (Qatar and the USA) for 2 months consecutively. So, South Africa has been home away from home. About 90% of my time was spent in, and around, Johannesburg. Of the remaining time, about 8%, was spent in Cape Town and 2% in places such as Pilanesberg (the Game Reserve), Pretoria, etc. While in Johannesburg, I stayed in the Melville area, and was a visiting professor at the Department of Information Systems, School of Economic and Business Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand.

Here is a bullet-point summary of highlights and recommendations:

• South Africa is a humble, warm, and friendly country.
• The city of Johannesburg is a world-class city. People are extremely friendly, great food, and excellent nightlife (especially in the Melville area!)
• Cape Town is a beautiful and tranquil city.
• South Africa has some of the best nature and game reserves in the world (a must see!)

Best things to do in Johannesburg

• Stay in the Melville area (you will find everything in arms reach, food, pubs, nightlife, malls, universities, bookshops….)
• Take a day trip to see the Soweto township (while there, visit the Madenla’s House in Orlando, Regina Mundi Catholic Church, and the Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum)
• Visit the apartheid museum (a very moving experience), Museum Africa, South African Breweries –World of Beer, have dinner at Moyo
• Enjoy the nightlife in Melville (my favorites are Bar Social (if you go there, say hi to Bobby from me), Wish (a nice café, with free wireless internet and excellent steak sandwiches), Ant (a nice NY style Italian Pizzeria), and Nuno’s Restaurant (great Portuguese food, try the Peri-Peri Chicken and the Chouriço)
• Catch a few rugby matches (at Ellis Park, now called Coca-Cola Park, go and see the Xerox Lions play)
• Visit the game reserve in Pilanesberg (go on a weekday as it is less crowded…get there early…). If you have a lot of time to spare, spend a few days at Kruger National Park

Best things to do in Cape Town

• Winelands tour (By far my favorite…lots of great wines to try and indulge in…go with a driver, so that you can actually enjoy the wine and not have to drive!)
• Castle of Good Hope, Greenmarket, Long Street, and the Iziko Museums of Cape Town are great…
• Drive around the Cape Peninsula (simply beautiful…see the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Point, and the cities on the coast)
• Go up Table Mountain
  

What did I learn from South Africa

• Staying in this country and seeing its present condition and comparing it to its tragic, and dark, past, has taught me to forgive and the power of reconciliation.
• The other key learning has been on the nature of life. A large majority of South Africans do not have an easy life. They work hard to put food on the table, and cloth their families. Yet, I did not meet a single one who was not content and had a smile. I was simply taken aback by the optimism here that things will get better. Moreover, people knew how to have a good time with very little. Which makes you think, should “happiness” or “being content” be a measure of progress in societies?
• People here are motivated to work together, help each other out, and create a beautiful future. People here are friendly and are great hosts. While you do see ruminants of the past, most of the country is moving into a bright future.
• Before I got here, everyone told me how dangerous and how difficult places were. I have not encountered a single difficult situation or felt threatened. If you come here with an open mind, possess street smarts, and commonsense, you will enjoy this place…
• Students here are hungry for knowledge and work extremely diligently on their papers and projects. I have learnt more from the students here than they could have learnt from me…
• Professors and researchers here are equally motivated. My hosts at the various universities (University of the Witwatersrand, University of Cape Town, and the University of Pretoria) took excellent care of me. I have learnt so much from their experiences.
• South African executives are warm and welcoming. I visited several organizations (e.g. First National Bank, Business Systems Group, members of the South African Defense Forces, etc) during my stay here. Everyone greeted me warmly and openly shared their challenges and areas of opportunities.

I can go on and on, but will stop here…If you have more questions, feel free to send me a private email or post public comments….

In summary, I have had a great time here. I will surely be back.

Thanks to everyone who made me feel at home…Cheers!!!