Right hand palaver
The first lesson for a Nigerian in South Africa is to learn the traffic rules in the country. Unlike in Nigeria, vehicles in South Africa are right-hand drive. The danger is that pedestrians who are not used to the inverse directions of traffic can be knocked down dead by vehicles coming from the direction he is not used to. The death of a Nigerian athlete, Higinus Anugo, comes to mind. He was crossing the road in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games when he was hit by a car. The solution is simple: while you watch for oncoming vehicles on the left in Nigeria, watch for them on the right in South Africa.
Compulsory bus conductor
South African inter-city buses do not use conductors as it is done in Nigeria. Once you sit in the front, you are automatically the conductor. Without volunteering to do it, other passengers will contribute money and give to you because you sit beside the driver. You must sort out the change and mind you, you must pay your fare too.
Rand to naira
Nigerians value their naira when they go out. Here in South Africa, Nigerians first convert any price of a commodity from the local rand to naira to check if the price is worth the value. At a shopping mall under the massive Michelangelo Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, Nigerians could not believe how much they have to part with for a wrap of fresh fruit when converted to naira. A rand is N22 and a wrap of fruit is R25 which is over N500.
Everyone is a ‘Baba’
When you say my guy in Nigeria, it means that you are talking to someone you know very well. Sometimes, the slang is used to deceive someone into believing that he is treasured by the one addressing him. Here in South Africa, the key word to hook someone into a conversation or get something from him is to refer to him as ‘Baba’. The drivers, in order to squeeze more Rands from you will refer to a male passenger as ‘Baba’ and it is done respectfully.
Enlargement and elasticity
Erotic leaflets thrive on the streets of Johannesburg and in the dailies. On the streets, there are bill boards advertising enlargement of male organs with the assurance of 100 per cent perfection. There are others inviting ladies to try free service to get firm private organs. Most stunning are advertisement of abortion procedure at reduced rate for women. In the dailies, in fact on the back pages, porn sites and channels are advertised.
Maradas stuns Ethiopians
FIFA and CAF Executive media officer, Emmanuel Maradas, does not hide his love for Nigeria. The Chadian, who had visited Nigeria several times, was speaking with a group of Nigerians just before the kickoff of the Nigeria versus Ethiopia match and, guess what, he was speaking Yoruba fluently. The Ethiopians felt undone by someone who should be neutral to every team. Unfortunately, Maradas does not understand Amharic, Tigrinya or Arabic. So the Ethiopians swallowed an early defeat even before the match.
Oyinbo with Eagles jersey
A few minutes before journalists left the media centre for the media tribune section of the Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, a white journalist was seen keeping a Nigeria jersey that has been hard to get in the South African market. How he got it remains a misery because all efforts to buy one for friends in South Africa have failed.