Mixed feelings on African tour
SA rand devaluation brings simple happiness
The South African rand fell steeply over the weekend, as Turkey’s lira crisis shook the Middle East’s largest economy. My initial thought on this, however, was that Starbucks drinks will become even cheaper in Johannesburg.
During my short stay in South Africa’s largest city in July while covering the 10th BRICS summit, I was impressed with the metropolis’ tidiness and vibrancy, albeit that was mixed with safety concerns.
Despite being one of the wealthiest cities in Africa, Johannesburg is challenged by wealth gaps and high unemployment.
Consequently, I didn’t feel entirely safe going out on my own, especially during evenings. However, I bathed in happiness when enjoying Starbucks coffee at half the price I would have paid in Beijing. The falling rand now certainly allows for even deeper discounts.
The beautiful city scenery, cheap Starbucks and Haagen-Dazs, and villas going for just a portion of the price of an apartment in Beijing, should render Johannesburg a fairly livable city, if only crime rates decreased.
Before visiting the city, I spent a few days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on the first leg of my Africa-Arab trip, where I was overwhelmed by the extreme heat outdoors but super cool air indoors.
Compared with African cities I visited thereafter, the two UAE cities appeared a lot more regulated, judging from the taxi services at least. While I had to mostly negotiate with cabbies in Dakar and Port Louis, it was much easier to find metered taxies in the UAE.
Amid my first visit to Africa, it is fair to say what baffled me most was the variety of currencies used in different countries. At my connection in Casablanca, I used four African currencies, which served to satisfy my currency collection hobby but cost me a bit of a headache. I couldn’t help imagining the possibility of a unified African currency.
Besides this concern, I was also disappointed to find that the three pieces of clothing I bought for a total of $60 at a marketplace in Dakar were of poor quality, as the beach style trousers were easily worn out.
Further frustration came as my return flight was delayed due to mechanical issues, forcing me to stay in the West African city for another day. However, considerate hotel and food arrangements outstripped arrangements made by Chinese airlines in similar circumstances, which made me feel better.
And most impressively, local passengers waited patiently and peacefully, indicating some simple happiness. Meanwhile, one Chinese passenger shared with me that he was grateful that he had bought an apartment in Nanjing, capital of East China’s Jiangsu Province, on a mortgage a few years ago before the city’s home prices surged to unaffordable levels.