Chapter 42
South Africa- Global
Immersion:
“2 clocks”
They were right, and then some.
For so long, I listened to others’ stories about studying
abroad and the incredible experiences they had in another country. And after
sitting through numerous pre-departure sessions I was ready to experience a
2-week study abroad for myself in South Africa.
On May 10, 2015, I checked another goal off my list as I departed
from the Raleigh-Durham airport. My program consisted of visiting Johannesburg
and Cape Town, and we would be in each city for about one week. I was joined by
31 of my fellow business students, and 3 faculty advisors. My trip to South
Africa was only my second trip out of the country, and note that my college
experience has been a huge factor in increasing my “travel bugginess.” And I
love it. However, this was another huge step for me, this time I would be
traveling way out of my comfort zone, 8,027 miles out of my comfort zone.
If you have never traveled to South Africa, please be aware
that the flight is long, the planes are huge, and you may experience jet lag
(no, you will experience it). In total, the flights took 20+ hours, this
consisted of a layover in London, and a 12hr flight across the continent of
Africa.
My group and I arrived in Johannesburg at 7AM May 12th,
and began our day at 11AM.
Johannesburg
(Jo’burg):
Before making the trek to South Africa, I had very clouded
views of the country. The American media has polluted my mind with sights of
animals running wild, dry, deserted towns, and no hope for opportunity.
However, I quickly learned that all were false.
During our first day we visited the African Leadership
Academy (ALA). The ALA is an academy that is similar to a high school, but has
students ages 16-19 from 44 countries in Africa, and has a lower acceptance
rate than Harvard. While at the ALA we spoke with a few of their bright
students about some of their entrepreneurial endeavors. For example, Genesis, a
young guy from Cameroon, was interested in starting his own paper bag company
that would help with the high unemployment rates of his home country. Hearing
the stories from these students was such an eye opening experience for my
career. Each student was more passionate about helping his/her community than
making a profit.
While in Johannesburg we stayed in an affluent area, so
affluent that we were in the richest square mile of all of Africa. For those of
you unaware, South Africa is the most unequal country in the World, with more
than a 50% unemployment rate, and the average person lives on $1.50/day. Just
outside of the little affluent area I was staying, were 700,000 South Africans
that live in strict poverty. These people live in shanty towns, called
Townships. Townships were created during the apartheid era, and were used to
keep the black Africans out of the white African areas.
Although these areas seem desperate, and hopeless, I was
able to see a side to the story that the American media rarely talks about. We
ventured to Soweto, which is the home of Nelson Mandela. On the drive from
Jo’burg to Soweto, we slowly saw a change in scenery. The large houses with
even bigger fences began to disappear, and the small shacks began to multiply. While
in the township we saw a protest, in which the citizens of Soweto were
protesting the load shedding issue in South Africa. In order to conserve energy
for the country, the government has to shut down power for extended periods of
time, which is slowing the growth of their economy. We also got to visit a
local restaurant called Sakhumzi. The food was different. Way different. They
served intestines, lamb, and some other things that I can’t even describe. I
probably wouldn’t go back to that restaurant, but hey, it’s all about the
experience.
My favorite part about Jo’burg was meeting local
entrepreneurs, and hearing their life stories. We met Askar, a Somalin that
ventured to South Africa while he was a young teenager. He made his way by
boat, car, bus, and train, until he eventually arrived with only the clothes on
his back. However, he didn’t let his lack of resources hold him back. He became
a hawker, which is someone that sales arts/crafts to tourists. This job was
very dangerous because he had to travel from Jo’burg, to Cape Town by train
with all of his goods. On one occasion, he met face to face with a thief, who
stabbed him in the stomach with a knife. Luckily, he made it to the hospital in
time for a quick recovery. As Askar told his story, I was inspired. Not just
because he defied the odds, but that he never gave up, and he was one of the
most sincere individuals I had ever met. He continued to tell us that he
started a local supermarket after he quit selling goods on the street, which
eventually got him to where he is today, working for Barclays. In only a few
days in South Africa (Jo’burg), I had already learned so much. I put my
negotiated skills to work as I bartered a UNC shirt for some goods at a local
market, I learned that the World is huge, and has endless opportunity, and
finally, South Africa is on the rise, I saw it up close and personal.
Cape Town:
After about a week in Jo’burg we hopped on a two hour plane
ride to Cape Town. Most of the group was most excited about Cape Town because
it is known for being a more touristy area, and has been compared
geographically with San Francisco. And with my first glimpse of Cape Town from
the airplane, I too could see the resemblance.
Our week in Cape Town was a lot like the week in Jo’burg,
but with a few added bonuses. We heard from many different speakers, saw
different companies, visited townships, but we also got to go on a safari, and
swim with Great White sharks.
In our time at Mflueni, a small township in Cape Town, we
interacted with the entrepreneurs yet again. This time however, we were selling
SIM cards, and winter coats on the street. This was another huge learning
experience because we selling items to people that could barely afford the
items that we were selling them, and my country accent didn’t help the cause.
During the time my group was selling, we only sold one SIM card. While on the
street corner people gave us a strange looks, but wouldn’t you if a whole group
of non-American students rolled into your neighborhood selling SIM cards?
As you might guess some of the academic parts of the trip
weren’t as exciting as selling SIM cards to local South Africans. However,
being with 31 classmates, it made the boring sessions worthwhile. In our final
debrief session of the trip on Friday night, May 22, I shared that my favorite
part of the trip was getting to know all of my fellow classmates. While in
class/college, it becomes difficult to branch out and meet new friends all the
time. You will find yourself sticking with a core group of friends for the
entirety of college. This trip allowed me to really get to know some people I
had never met. I challenged the group to stay connected with the people they
met on the trip because there is a great possibility that they will never again
go on a journey with 31 people of their same age. Following the final debrief
session, we had dinner and went straight to bed because at 5:15 am, 25 of us
would board a bus to swim with Great White Sharks.
Since learning about the global immersion to South Africa, I
have wanted to swim with Great White Sharks. Why? I really don’t know, but for
some reason I just felt the need to meet face to face with JAWS.
South Africa is home to “shark alley.” Every year Discovery
channel films Great White Sharks at “shark alley” for their features on Shark
Week, and my classmates, and I were about to get into a cage where those big
sharks swim. As the boat made its way from the shore, I began to get more and
more nervous. Then the eight person cage was dropped into the water, and the
“chum man” started chumming.
Within minutes a large gray object darted by, probably 9
feet long, a “small one”, the guides said. Being the impatient one, I wanted to
be the first group in the water. I nervously pulled on the wet suit, strapped
on the GoPro camera, and hopped into the water.
“Left, down, down down,” the guide yelled as Great Whites
darted by the cage. I came up out of the water yelling in excitement. This was
the coolest thing I had ever done. During some parts of the dive I thought I
was watching a video, it just didn’t seem real. Then, all of a sudden, this
huge object appeared from my right side. “Was that Megaledon?” I screamingly
asked the guide. Megaledon, is arguably this huge dinosaur like shark that the
people from Discovery Channel made an entire show about one year during Shark
Week. He laughed, and said no, but it was one of the biggest sharks they had
seen in years. It was roughly 5 meters, which is over 16 feet long.
I meant it when I said this was going to be a BIG year, a
BIG year for me, and a big, great white shark year.
I could write on, and on about my experience abroad, but it
wouldn’t do you any good. You have to go. Have to go. No matter the cost, a
trip in another country with students/friends your age, is priceless. When I applied
to go to South Africa, I really didn’t know why I wanted to go, yeah it was a
goal of mine to study abroad for some time, but I didn’t know why exactly. I do
now. It was for me to meet new people, learn new, exciting things, and for me
to be humbled. The people in the townships lived in houses, that most people in
America wouldn’t consider a house. However, these people love their community,
are not giving up, and are super optimistic about the future.
One of the guys on the trip reminded me of an old analogy.
There are two clocks in this world, a world clock, which is circular, and your
clock, which is an hour glass. Time is not on your side, so you must do BIG,
great things while hear on earth. Maybe it’s singing your school’s alma mater
in a foreign country, or as little as making small conversation to a stranger
on a plane, just go, time is wasting.
