South Africa

South African Traditions

by Andrew Nicol, Standard 4,
De La Salle Holy Cross College, Johannesburg, South Africa


This is a collage of pictures I have collected over the years.

Hi. I would please like to contribute this article to "The Salad Bowl." It is about cultures in South Africa.

I was born in South Africa, and have lived there for the whole of my life. It is a beautiful country, rich in nature, and has a wide varity of cultures. In rural South Africa, there are many customs in the local tribes. One, for example, is a Xhosa custom, which envolves the groom paying the bride in form of cattle when he wants to get married. There are many other customs, such as the carrying of traditional weapons (spears and shields) at gatherings, as well as sacrificing a cow on special occasions. These are proud traditions, which pay tribute to our history.

Although quite a large part of South Africa is developed like many other countries in the world, there are many places where these traditional customs are still practiced today. In these villages, which usually consist of a few huts built around in a circle, with one chief per tribe, a whole different life is lived. It is a simple life, a life which is lived in a community of friendly people.

Andrew Nicol
Nicol@pixie.co.za

Back to the Salad Menu