Culture Shocks for Americans in South Africa: Funny & Unexpected Differences (Part 1)

Traveling always comes with surprises—but nothing prepared me for the delightful, baffling, and sometimes hilarious culture shocks I found in South Africa. From traffic lights that aren’t robots (except they are) to braais that last longer than a Netflix series, I’ve collected the quirks that make daily life here feel both familiar and completely upside-down.

Here’s my tongue-in-cheek guide to the unexpected differences Americans will notice in South Africa.

1. The Robot Is Not a Robot

No, R2-D2 is not giving directions.

In the U.S., “robot” means sci-fi gadgets and Elon Musk experiments. In South Africa, a robot is just a traffic light. A born and raised South African I remember the first time I gave directions to our house in Austin, and I told people to turn at the robot. They looked at me like I am from another planet. After almost 30 years in the US the first time it heard “turn left at the robot,” I half-expected to see a shiny metal cop waving me down. Spoiler: it was just a red light.

2. Power Outages With a Brand Name

Netflix buffering has nothing on this.

Americans lose their minds when WiFi hiccups for 10 seconds. In South Africa, the entire power grid takes scheduled naps, politely called load-shedding. It’s so routine that people plan dinner parties around it. Back home, the only thing scheduled with this much precision is Amazon Prime delivery. The good news is that load shedding is currently much better than it was 3 years ago, maybe there is hope that the lights will stay on.

👉 Electricity: available just now.

3. The Great Outlet Hunt

Two plugs, no patience.

At home in the U.S., my kitchen has 14 power outlets—one for the toaster, one for the blender, one for the air fryer, and probably three more I don’t even use. I even have two on each side of the kitchen island—four per island—just in case I feel the urge to run all my small appliances at once, like some kind of culinary ninja.

In South Africa? You’re lucky if you have two. One for the kettle, one for the microwave. If you’ve got anything else that needs juice, prioritizing is the name of the game.

Need to dry your hair? Forget the bathroom—those don’t come with real plugs, just the sad little two-prong adapter for men’s shavers (and only if you’re lucky). Hairdryers must be exiled to the one single plug in the bedroom, which is almost always placed in the most inaccessible corner of the room, directly behind a bed or wardrobe.

And while you’re crawling around on the floor, here’s the kicker: in South Africa, walls are made of solid brick, not paper-thin drywall like in the U.S. So yes, you can bang your head in frustration all you like—at least the wall won’t dent.

👉 Appliances? Prioritize. Patience? Mandatory.

4. Need a Hairdryer? Bring Your Own

Because “bad hair day” is part of the package.

In our travels through Namaqualand, Gauteng, and even the Western Cape, one thing became clear: hairdryers are not standard amenities. Most places didn’t even pretend to offer one. In South Africa, it’s bring-your-own—or embrace the “bad hair day” look as part of your cultural immersion. Just dont bring one from the US, it will get fried the first time you plug it in – here the power is 220V at 50 Hz vs. US 110V and 60Hz.

Thankfully, Roelien came to the rescue with her little travel hairdryer. Without it, I would’ve been forced to suffer the full wild 80’s hair look. Think perms, frizz, and volume you could spot from across the Kalahari.

👉 Bad hair day = authentic cultural experience.

5. What’s a Bakkie?

It’s a truck, a stage, and sometimes a bus.

South Africa may argue in 11 official languages, but there’s one word everyone understands: bakkie. It’s a truck—but not your neat suburban pickup. A bakkie is a shape-shifter, the original transformer. The smaller the model, the more people you’ll see crammed onto the back—yes, on the back. Even on highways. Who needs a double cab so popular in the US, when you can transport ten people hanging on for dear life from to the open bed?

Of course, thanks to the great RExxx cultural phenomena (see my earlier post about redistribution), you’d never leave anything unlocked in the back. Around here, an unattended bakkie is basically a “free-to-a-good-home” notice.

And then there’s the music. In Afrikaans videos, the bakkie is always the star—dusted roads, guitar strumming, and love stories that would make Nashville proud. It’s like American country songs, but with more dust, fewer cowboy hats, and tighter shorts on the men. Even if you do not understand the words you will enjoy the video that underpin what I am saying.

👉 It’s not just transport—it’s a lifestyle with four wheels and a soundtrack.

6. The Grocery Store Security Guard Is Watching You… Kindly

Fort Knox, but friendly.

In the U.S., you get a Walmart greeter with a forced smile. In South Africa, uniformed guards flank the grocery store entrance. At first it feels like you’re entering a high-security vault. But two minutes later, the same guard is pointing you toward the canned tomatoes. It’s part SWAT team, part concierge service. Service with a smile in the hope of a little monetary reward.

👉 Don’t worry—he’s got your back while watching your bakkie.

7. Wildlife = Actually Wild

Sorry, squirrels don’t count.

Back home, Americans take pictures of deer in the backyard. In South Africa, you pause your golf swing because zebras are crossing the fairway. And while Americans decorate nurseries with stuffed elephants, South Africans are dodging the real ones on game drives.

👉 Here, the safari doesn’t stop at the zoo gates.

8. Only in South Africa Do You Park With a Human Helper

Your parking app just grew a personality.

Forget meters and parking apps. In the U.S., you download an app, enter your license plate number, and pray the system doesn’t glitch, and you get a parking ticket. In South Africa, a living, breathing parking attendant waves you into your spot, keeps an eye on your car, and hopes for a tip when you return.

👉 Only in South Africa does your parking app shake your hand.

9. Cashiers Sit Down

And honestly, why shouldn’t they?

In the U.S., cashiers stand all day like marathon runners, shuffling items across the scanner while balancing on tired legs. In South Africa, they sit. At first, it feels odd—like someone broke an unspoken rule. But then you realize: what value does it really add to have them standing all day? Except maybe for the podiatrist.

It’s the same logic as a business dress code that forces people to wear stockings in a Texas summer while working in a call center. Completely pointless. This one, South Africa has right. I don’t mind the cashier sitting—in fact, I admire it. They look comfortable, efficient, and blissfully unconcerned about whether corporate America would approve.

👉 Meanwhile, I’m still the one standing—in line.

10. Milk in Bags (And Other Grocery Adventures)

Spilled milk takes on new meaning.

In the U.S., milk comes in a sturdy gallon jug you could practically use as a kettlebell. Drop it, kick it, forget it in the back of the fridge—it’ll survive.

In South Africa, milk sometimes comes in floppy plastic bags—like a Capri Sun for grown-ups. One wrong squeeze, and you’re cleaning your fridge like it’s a dairy crime scene. The trick is to slide the bag into its outer sturdy jug, a kind of plastic brassiere that holds everything together and saves you from disaster.

It takes some getting used to, but once you master the milk-in-a-bra system, you’ll wonder why you ever lifted kettlebells just to make a cup of coffee.

11. Braai > Barbecue (yes the math equation is intentional)

It’s not grilling—it’s a national sport.

In America, grilling is quick and tidy. Hot dogs are flipped in 20 minutes flat, and dinner invites often come with a neat time slot: “Join us from 7 to 9.” Efficiency is the name of the game.

In South Africa, the braai is something else entirely. It’s real wood, smoke that lingers in your clothes for days, and enough storytelling around the fire to fill a novel before the first sausage even touches the flames. It’s not just cooking—it’s ritual, community, and yes, a national sport.

There’s even a comedian who nails the experience: you arrive at someone’s house for a braai, nibble on snacks all evening, and feel like you’re eating yourself from the inside out. Then, sometime late at night, the host casually announces, “Ons gaan nou braai” (we are going to braai now), and asks his wife to take the meat out of the freezer. Yes, the freezer.

A braai is a long affair, and you’d better be ready for it. But here’s the beauty: unlike American dinner parties, a braai invitation never comes with an end time. You arrive, you visit, you soak up the hospitality, and you leave only when you’re full of food, laughter, and possibly a bit of smoke inhalation.

👉 At a braai, you don’t just eat—you commit.

12. For What Do You Use Your Garage?

Cars vs. clutter — the cultural divide.

In the U.S., garages are less about cars and more about… everything else. Boxes of “we might need this someday,” broken furniture, old sports gear, and holiday decorations for all four seasons. Many Americans happily leave their $30,000 (R500,000) car in the driveway while both garage bays are filled with junk.

In South Africa, garages are mostly used for their original purpose: to keep your car safe from the elements—or from “reappropriation.” That is, unless you’ve discovered that a spare bedroom is more profitable than a covered car. In that case, the garage becomes your Airbnb or LekkeSlaap listing, complete with WiFi password and instant booking.

👉 Because who needs a car space when you can have five stars?

Conclusion: Expect the Unexpected (and Enjoy It)

Traveling in South Africa is like opening a box of chocolates without the little map—you never quite know what you’re going to get. One day you’re turning left at the robot, the next you’re squeezing milk out of a bag, and before you know it, you’ve been sitting around a smoky fire for six hours waiting for the meat to thaw.

What struck me most is how these quirks aren’t just “differences”—they’re reflections of a culture that’s endlessly inventive, unapologetically relaxed about time, and unfailingly generous with hospitality. Sure, I may contemplate the plug shortage, wonder why there are no cars in driveways, or wait for the game to cross the fairway, but each moment has reminded me that travel isn’t about comfort—it’s about discovery.

So, to my fellow Americans: come ready to laugh, to wait, to tip, to eat bread bowls filled with curry, and to share the road and golf course with zebras. You’ll leave with your hair a little frizzier, your clothes a little smokier, and your stories a whole lot better.

👉 Because South Africa doesn’t just give you culture shocks—it gives you culture giggles.