Every child deserves the right and the means to have a proper education and pursue their dreams, but for a long time, the education system in South Africa didn’t allow this. Apartheid caused great inequality in terms of education, meaning that not every South African child was able to receive a good education or attend a decent school. In this article, you’ll learn a little about the events that led to a better South African education system, some interesting facts about Youth Day in South Africa, and essential vocabulary for talking about this holiday. Let’s get started. 1. What is Youth Day? Youth Day in South Africa is a holiday set aside to onthou ("remember") the 1976 Soweto oproering ("uprising"). This uprising... Show more

Freedom Day is one of the most significant holidays in South Africa, marking the date in 1994 that non-whites and alien residents were allowed to vote freely in an election. In this article, you’ll learn a little bit about the history of this holiday, how it’s celebrated, and more information about Freedom Day. Let’s get started! 1. Why is Freedom Day Important? On National Freedom Day, South Africa celebrates the date in 1994 that the country’s first free and demokraties ("democratic" ) elections were held. This took place after the time of apartheid and marked a nuwe era ("new era" ) for South Africa. Now, all citizens eighteen or older were allowed to vote in a fair election, regardless of their rasse ("race"),... Show more

Depending on where you live, you most likely know what Valentine’s Day is, and celebrate (or dread) it every year. But what do Valentine’s Day traditions in South Africa look like? In this article, you’ll learn about how South Africans express their love for significant others on this day and more fun facts about Valentine’s Day in South Africa. If you want to learn romantic Afrikaans phrases to use on Valentine's Day, check out our Afrikaans Love Phrases blog too! 1. What is Valentine’s Day? As you probably know, Valentine’s Day is a special holiday for couples to express their love (liefde) and appreciation for each other. In South Africa, Valentine’s Day is a huge deal, and lovers will go out of their way for each other... Show more

On the Day of Reconciliation, South Africa both remembers its rocky, violent history and strives to move forward in peace and hope. The significance of Reconciliation Day in South Africa can’t be overstated, and if you want to really dig deep into the country’s culture, there may be no better place to start than here. In this article, you’ll learn about the importance of Reconciliation Day in South Africa, as well as its history and modern-day observations. Let’s get started. 1. What is Reconciliation Day in South Africa? Like many of the nation's public holidays, the Day of Reconciliation was instituted in 1994 after apartheid ended and all South Africans were enfranchised. So what is the purpose of Reconciliation Day? ... Show more

Each year, South Africans celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of their country’s many cultures and peoples. Essentially, the meaning of Heritage Day in South Africa is that of unity and togetherness in spirit as a country; this is especially vital for the country when considering the rough South Africa heritage history of apartheid leading up to this holiday’s creation. In this article, you’ll learn some valuable information about Heritage Day in South Africa. In doing so, you should have a greater understanding of South African culture in general, and the significance of diversity therein. At AfrikaansPod101.com, we hope to make every aspect of your learning journey both fun and informative! So let’s get started, and delve into... Show more

Being understood in any language goes far beyond the spoken word. Everyone communicates with their entire body, not just with what they say. To muddy up communication even more, add cultural differences to the mix (take, for example, gestures in South Africa vs. the United States). This is succinctly explained in a quote from an article by Cynthia Ntuli, a student at the University of South Africa: "As human beings, we use language, i.e., verbal and nonverbal signals to communicate and interact with one another and to link us to the world. Much of what we do when we interact with others is based on our cultural values and background. In this interaction we often encounter people who not only use different languages but who also come... Show more

South Africans call themselves ''The rainbow nation,” and with good reason. South Africa is home to a variety of very diverse cultures, with eleven official languages! Approximately 14% of the population speaks Afrikaans, which is a unique cousin of Dutch that was born on the African continent centuries ago. Learn to speak this beautiful language with us at AfrikaansPod101.com—starting with the most commonly used Afrikaans text and internet slang! You can use any of these in voice-conversations too, of course. One thing you'll notice is that most of these expressions are filler words. Afrikaans native speakers, locally called "Afrikaners," just love them. You can safely and prolifically use most of these in almost any social... Show more

Nelson Mandela is a respected and well-known person all around the world, and this is especially true for South Africa. It’s no surprise that in South Africa, Nelson Mandela is such an admired figure. Because of Nelson Mandela, South Africa became the "Rainbow Nation," a name representing its post-apartheid status. In this article, we’ll be going over Nelson Mandela’s life and legacy (including the development of the Mandela Rainbow Nation), as well as common Nelson Mandela Day celebrations. By learning about this important figure in South Africa’s history and development, you’re putting the right foot forward in mastering the Afrikaans language. And at AfrikaansPod101.com, we hope to make your learning journey both fun and... Show more

At AfrikaansPod101, we know that language is a wondrous thing! It gives 'shape' to people's thoughts and experiences, but is also much more than that. As humans, we share a "consensus reality," which comprises experiences, traits, concepts, and so on. (Everyone experiences food and air, and can breathe and eat, for instance.) Yet all of these are filtered through different lenses, such as geography, history, religion, and a host of other factors. Our differences, in turn, can be enriching, informative, and fun to share with others, and language is the tool to confer this magic! What a great incentive to learn! Take the untranslatable Afrikaans word springmielies, for instance. Literally translated, it means "jumping corn," but... Show more

There's a perception in the world that Afrikaans-speaking South Africans are racist and nasty. This couldn't be further from the truth. While overt racism isn't dead in South Africa, it's common only among a tiny percentage of the nation. Most South Africans ignore color, creed, and nationality. Let AfrikaansPod101 help you to endear yourself to them quickly! Knowing how to introduce yourself in Afrikaans will help oil the wheels of conversation. It will also ease your way with local clients, and help you to more easily connect with your colleagues. Introducing yourself in Afrikaans language doesn't have to be difficult or frightening! Starting with "My name is," in Afrikaans, we'll show you all you need to know about... Show more