Capital Times’ roaming editor Dawn Tratt is in South Africa to watch the Football World Cup, and renew her acquaintance with the African lifestyle. She tells us about watching the Kiwis play.

ALL WHITES fans pashed local women, danced on hay bales and got drunk and disorderly in the streets of Nelspruit after the All Whites-Italy World Cup upset.
The atmosphere was electric at the new Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, even before Shane Smeltz scored New Zealand’s only goal of the 1-all match.
All Whites fans, who removed their t-shirts in the last minutes of the game, were visibly moved by the unexpected result against the defending champions. Some had tears running down their cheeks, while others continued to sing in the stands long after the players had left the field.
The All Whites’ latest result followed their Slovakia draw in Rustenburg, which saw Winston Reid score in extra time.
Kiwi fans then moved from Nelspruit’s beautiful Mbombela Stadium, with its zebra-striped seats and 18 orange roof supports in the shape of giraffes, to a street party with a stage and DJ - partying into the wee hours.
New Zealanders flew their flags proudly and others tried clumsily to dance on tables and haystacks with hands full of beer.
The All Whites are sitting on two points (equal with Italy) in Group F, and their next opponents Paraguay lead the group with four points after beating Slovakia 2-0.
Despite its prestige, the Cup had hundreds of thousands of fewer than expected tourists arriving in the country – no doubt too scared to come here because of the reputation for violent crime.
Despite being born in South Africa, even I was anxious about returning after 15 years based on what I had heard from ex-South Africans, and had read in the news.
A South African butcher, living in Wellington, told me that if I get kidnapped and shoved into the back of someone’s car in South Africa, I must kick the lights out from the inside and flail my hands out of the holes so people know that I am in the boot.
I was told wearing a New Zealand flag around my neck while walking through the airport or any city in South Africa would make me “a target”.
Many shook their heads in disbelief when I said I was going to South Africa – a girl alone.
Of course, South Africa is more dangerous than New Zealand. And you have to be sensible (don’t drive with your windows down at traffic lights – robots – and don’t go walking through the centre of any main city alone, especially at night).
Yes, there is an extremely high rate of violent crime here. But I have only had positive experiences so far.
Sure, my bag with my laptop, credit card, camera and two days worth of clothes were nicked at a New Zealand-Slovakia press conference.
Turns out a New Zealand journalist mistook it for his own.
And you got me, I was a potential “target” while waiting outside Soccer City (the new 94,700 capacity football stadium in Johannesburg) as night fell after the Netherlands-Denmark World Cup game (2-0).
Feeling vulnerable, I walked over to a group of orange-clad fans and had a chat. Safety in numbers, I thought. Turns out, they were Saffas. One ended up sharing his vodka and coke with me for an hour, two gave me their phone numbers, another offered me a place to stay in Polokwane (for the NZ-Paraguay game), and the last refused to leave my side until my cousin arrived to take me home.
As far as racism goes...
I met an Indian man in a supermarket who was angry that pretty much the entire Bafana Bafana (SA football) team is black; a woman who was prepared to disown her (white) daughter for marrying a black man (she has since changed her mind), and white men who told me “I’m not racist, but there is no way I could ever date a black woman.”
I have met extremely wealthy retired folk who still call black people kaffirs, not to mention educated 20-somethings who also use the derogatory term.
In saying that, I met a Zulu girl madly in love with a white Afrikaner, university students and adults of all colours mixing and partying together in nightclubs in Cape Town, Durbs and Johannesburg. Every black person I have attempted to speak Zulu to has either hugged me, given me their cell number, or disarmed me with a smile.
So far, I’ve gone great white shark cage diving in Cape Town, climbed Table Mountain, jumped off the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, and most of all, talked to as many people as possible
This country is beautiful, gagging to be understood and loved.
With beautiful beaches, mountains, gardens, and wildlife. South Africa has it all. And, did I mention how cheap the booze and food is? (The conversion rate is about NZ$1=ZAR5.3).
That will surely set fans hopeful to see the Kiwi boys pull out another unbelievable game against Paraguay (2am NZT, June 25) well on their way to a good time.