They don't know what we know - but they should

Every time the Springboks succeed in achieving a difficult victory as they did in the recent game against Ireland, I am reminded of all the other times that South Africans have exceeded all expectations or triumphed spectacularly over adversity, either as individuals or as a nation.

Indeed, defying the odds in all walks of life seems to be our superpower and we continue to exercise it, singly and collectively, to the amazement and/ or bewilderment of both supporters and opponents all over the world. Their surprise usually arises from the fact, as UFC champ Dricus du Plessis put it, that "they don't know what we know" about our country or the pride and tenacity and spirit of our people.

 But we believe they should know - at least about the benefits of living in SA and the incredible opportunities that far outweigh the often-publicised disadvantages. For a start, South Africans are rightly renowned for their friendliness, hospitality and sense of humour. We also have strong sense of community and, due to our unique history, we are highly tolerant of diversity, which is not the case in many other parts of the world.

Secondly, there's the weather and our spectacular scenery. Large parts of SA are sunny and bright even in the winter, which enables us to enjoy outdoor activities and the country's natural beauty and wildlife all year round, whether we are in the mountains, on the beach or in our favourite game reserve. 

Third, it is really easy for South Africans of all ages to have a healthy, active lifestyle due to the ready availability of high-quality, fresh and delicious food at very reasonable prices compared to many other parts of the world, and the accessibility of a very wide range of recreational activities and sporting codes. SA also hosts many international sporting events, from marathons and triathlons to bowls, cricket, soccer and rugby tournaments, surfing championships and cycle and golf tours.

Fourth, although we may not think so sometimes, and especially at the moment because of high interest rates and municipal increases, but the overall cost of living in SA is low in world terms and enables us to enjoy a better quality of life. Education, health services, groceries and housing all cost much less here than in Australia, Europe, the UK or the US, for example, and that fact is attracting many foreigners (and expats) to move here and spend their dollars, pounds and euros in our economy. This is decidedly positive as it will boost employment.

Fifth, it is important to note there is no country without political or economic challenges at the moment, but that SA stands out for its efforts to address and overcome. There are incompetent public servants and corrupt politicians everywhere, but the Zondo commission and the results of the recent elections show that in SA, we are trying hard to eliminate misconduct.

As for crime and unemployment, we can't just wish these away or hope nobody notices. But once again, progress is being made and should gain momentum as economic growth picks up. For now, we have many programmes and grants in place to support the poor, which are themselves quite remarkable in a developing country.

And our economic situation is improving rapidly following the establishment of the GNU because business and investor confidence is rising and money is streaming into SA bonds, the stock market and various industries, including property. The private sector has also played a huge role in solving the loadshedding problem by installing their own solar power plants - a typically positive South African response to a negative situation.

Indeed, we know what we know, which is that there are far more positives than negatives in SA, and we are delighted that we have opportunities through our international affiliations to  promote a growing local and global awareness of the opportunities the country offers as it continues to develop - and to confound its critics.