I Visited South Africa During Xenophobia 🇿🇦

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]a lot of problems with the foreigners.

[00:00:01]>> Oh, there's enough for >> Yeah. So, what do you say about that? Do you feel scared? Are you threatened by a normal person in the street saying, "Show me your ID." Do you think that's normal?

[00:00:11]>> I see.

[00:00:11]>> It looks very nice.

[00:00:12]>> Yeah. Is from the sprint. Yeah.

[00:00:15]>> Let me Let me try.

[00:00:18]>> Is there like a special song I can sing?

[00:00:25]>> It's very hard.

[00:00:26]>> No, I want to practice this. It's a must. So you saying majority of South African people are peaceful?

[00:00:32]>> Many many they are very peaceful.

[00:00:34]>> Hey guys, welcome back to another video.

[00:00:36]Today's video is just totally different.

[00:00:39]Um I'm in Frankfurt airport right now.

[00:00:43]I'm so nervous. I'm heading to South Africa, Johannesburg. There's so much going on right now with xenophobia and all of that. So I'm just going to have to be careful. But I'm very excited to see the city. Um, I'm also excited to see what's happening, ask people, get to know, you know, talk to the community and uh, I ask God to protect me because it's not looking great over there.

[00:01:11]Everybody I called that I said to I'm going to South Africa, they told me, "Don't go. Don't go. Don't go."

[00:01:18]Especially right now. It's a very dangerous time. So, I don't know what to expect, but follow along. Let's see what's up. Let's see. I'm arriving there tomorrow.

[00:01:27]Um, they've been having crazy protest.

[00:01:31]Uh, they even went to the Somali embassy. I hope they don't target me because when they see that I'm Somalian, my goodness gracious, I don't know what to say. But anyways, let's go.

[00:01:44]Frank, let's go.

[00:02:01]Hello first. Hello.

[00:02:12]>> Good morning, guys. We are landing the longest 11 hour flight of my life.

[00:02:20]I'm ready to get my passport stamped and just go and explore and go home and sleep.

[00:02:49]This is so cool.

[00:02:52]We have made it to uh Johannesburg. Uh so I'm waiting for my friend to pick me up. Just was sitting here. This airport looks decent actually. Looks really nice.

[00:03:07]Yeah, there's no like chaotic, not too many taxi people in your um on your face saying, "Do you need taxi? Do you need taxi?" So, I'm loving it so far.

[00:03:20]Um yeah, I think we will know the real deal once we step outside of this airport. How do you pronounce this airport? O Tambbo.

[00:03:34]I'm so ignorant. I have to research. It must be a very important person. So, I'm going to search it up.

[00:03:41]>> How you doing?

[00:03:44]>> Sorry.

[00:03:50]>> Oh, okay. I'm sorry. Sorry. Sorry. It It's It's my face.

[00:03:54]>> Yeah, but here.

[00:03:56]>> Okay. I I didn't see you.

[00:04:02]>> Okay. Sorry about that. I'll turn it off.

[00:04:16]Good morning, guys. We have finally made it out of the airport. It's looking like a very nice day.

[00:04:24]Thanks to my friend Hakeim picked me up in a nice car, too. Look at this.

[00:04:31]Mashallah. Mashallah. Mashallah. One thing that I'm loving is how huge the roads are. Huge. It's reminding me like I'm in America, you know? They do drive like the UK. So, they drive on this side and we drive right here as in uh American. So, I'm very excited. First thing first, we're going to have to find a place to get coffee and some breakfast. It's very early in the morning, so it's like almost right now like 9:00. Um, but I'm very excited. I'm so scared, but I'm excited. I'm just playing. Um, I'm not scared, guys. I'm not scared. Uh, I think it will be a very interesting experience cuz I want to talk to the South Africans. I want to talk to the locals. I want to go to I want to go to different areas.

[00:05:19]But I will definitely go with the local friends uh and local people so that at least I'm safe and that my phone is not stolen and my camera and my laptop. My goodness gracious, I will cry. Anyways, we are here finally 11. Thank you for picking me up. I appreciate that. Thank you. Um, so I'm also excited to guys to show you how the the African immigrants are living here in South Africa, especially Johannesburg, the Nigerians, the Somalis, the the Ethiopians.

[00:05:51]Hopefully I can interview a couple of people, maybe business owners, you know, what's happening right now, xenophobia and all that. So that should be very interesting. So stay tuned.

[00:06:17]Yeah, I'm going.

[00:06:19]>> Okay.

[00:06:20]>> So, I'm at a place called the Rosebank Mall. Very prominent, very safe area.

[00:06:29]Rosebank Mall.

[00:06:33]>> Is it possible? Yeah, we have pop.

[00:06:35]>> Pop.

[00:06:36]>> What is pop?

[00:06:37]>> Pop is like Yeah. Is it?

[00:06:40]>> Yeah.

[00:06:42]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:06:44]>> You eat okra soup.

[00:06:45]>> This brother knows.

[00:06:48]>> Yeah, I know.

[00:06:49]>> Yeah, he knows. There's pu.

[00:06:52]>> What is pu?

[00:06:53]>> Pu is very hard.

[00:06:54]>> It's hard. It's hard to put you.

[00:06:57]>> Really?

[00:06:58]>> No, that one is >> Can I Can I Can I hit you with it? like >> ah that one in the morning until evening >> you are full >> today. Yeah.

[00:07:09]>> Oh man you know >> and pu you don't get anywhere you get in text.

[00:07:14]>> Okay.

[00:07:14]>> Those type of places is where you can get >> Wow. Thank you. Thank you.

[00:07:20]>> And what is yama?

[00:07:24]>> Yeah. for the head.

[00:07:34]>> No, I want to practice this. It's a must.

[00:07:38]>> Okay, let me try it.

[00:07:39]>> Yeah.

[00:07:43]>> I will try. Yeah.

[00:07:45]>> Okay. One more time.

[00:07:53]>> Yeah.

[00:07:54]This is >> what language is that?

[00:07:57]>> Zulu.

[00:07:58]>> Zulu.

[00:07:59]>> Yeah.

[00:08:00]>> Can I can >> This meat is from the head of the car.

[00:08:03]>> Okay.

[00:08:03]>> Yeah.

[00:08:04]>> You know, >> so that one no soup just soup is just small but most Yeah.

[00:08:09]>> I seen on TV.

[00:08:11]>> This one is Zulu crown. Most the warriors and for the >> Okay.

[00:08:17]>> I see.

[00:08:17]>> It looks very nice.

[00:08:18]>> Yeah. Is from the spring box. Yeah. You can try.

[00:08:21]>> Let me let me try.

[00:08:24]Is there like a special song I can sing?

[00:08:30]>> Wow.

[00:08:48]>> Uh, excuse me, sir. Uh, I'm Zulu now.

[00:08:53]Women and men both wear this or just men?

[00:08:56]>> Yeah.

[00:08:56]>> Together?

[00:08:57]>> Yeah.

[00:08:58]>> Wow.

[00:08:58]>> You know when I was coming here I was I was scared. Everybody was telling me don't go to South Africa right now is dangerous.

[00:09:05]>> So those type of thing is there but not much.

[00:09:09]>> Not everybody.

[00:09:10]>> Yeah. But is too much only internet because Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:09:14]>> So the internet is the problem.

[00:09:16]>> Yeah. Sometimes.

[00:09:18]>> So you saying majority of South African people are peaceful? I have many many they are very peaceful. Yeah. But yeah >> because I was really scared you know I was like oh my god I want to explore South Africa but >> you know >> don't worry most places you go you are free.

[00:09:36]>> You are free.

[00:09:37]>> Yeah.

[00:09:38]>> Thank you. I feel happy now.

[00:09:40]>> Meet one of my friend.

[00:09:41]>> Hey how are you my friend?

[00:09:42]>> This guy is from Kenya. I meet him. I know him from home Nairobi Kenya. And he's working here around here. He's my friend. This guy I know him all the way from Kenya.

[00:09:51]>> So where's your shop now?

[00:09:53]>> Can we take and visit? No worries.

[00:09:57]>> So this we have to leave here.

[00:09:59]>> Oh, you can walk around then when you finish you can drink.

[00:10:03]>> Thank you so much. Thank you so much.

[00:10:04]>> Maybe from there you find some people like >> right. Okay.

[00:10:10]>> Wow.

[00:10:12]>> This guy is a very friendly guy. He even said you can walk around with this.

[00:10:16]Don't worry. If you see this one.

[00:10:21]>> Listen, bro. It's right there. Look, >> this is like I can tell every so he can see.

[00:10:28]>> Yeah, you have the Kenyan one. Somali one in Uganda.

[00:10:30]>> In Uganda. Yes. Because the Uganda one is so she's my good friend. So I represent her. And the Somali I'm Somali.

[00:10:39]>> And then I'm representing you because of Kenya.

[00:10:42]>> Have you have you live in Kenya? I >> I live there 2023. one year >> only for one year.

[00:10:47]>> Yeah, it was it was the best time of my life.

[00:10:50]>> I miss K, you know, there is so much things happening online. I came from London right now. Everybody's telling me don't go, don't go. It's very scary.

[00:10:59]>> Okay.

[00:11:00]>> Uh because there there's a lot of problems with the foreigners.

[00:11:03]>> The xenophobia.

[00:11:04]>> Yeah.

[00:11:05]>> So, what do you say about that? Do you feel scared? Are you threatened or >> No, not really cuz uh by the end of the day, we all Africans.

[00:11:12]>> That's true. and I believe but since they're talking about documentary people if you're documented then you're good to stay >> but if you're not please go to the nearest maybe nearest embassy of your like of your country maybe try to find an aslam or something to sustain you here >> but is it is it good idea for a normal citizen to ask >> someone hey show me your because I understand if you're a police or someone that's in in in a you know higher position to ask you but a normal person in the street saying show me your ID. Do you think that's normal?

[00:11:47]>> That that's actually to me sometime I may feel it's good to show some uh maybe >> in a in a way of like a crime happen somewhere >> and that area the police just happen to be in that area. They have to show you have to show them your ID. So >> not the police like regular people >> or like a leg no it's not >> as long as you're not doing bad or you're not doing crime then why should I give you my ID?

[00:12:09]>> But that's all that's what I've been seeing online someone coming to you.

[00:12:12]Hey, >> show me show me your idea. Are you are you here legally or >> for for me for me that means like you are not even xenophobia. You're afrophobic. You don't like the blacks at all.

[00:12:20]>> Okay.

[00:12:20]>> You don't like that like your brother >> even though you're black?

[00:12:23]>> Yeah. You don't like your It's like it's like a self-hatred to me. That's how I feel it here.

[00:12:28]>> That's true. How long you been living in South Africa?

[00:12:30]>> 6 years.

[00:12:31]>> And all those six years did you feel safe?

[00:12:33]>> Yeah. I haven't I have never encountered anything like uh like a negative negative uh respond >> cuz where I used to like where where where where I'm um I'm working my working space area it's always kind of um >> in a in a position of uh >> I meet good people. I happen to meet good people. Amazing people. Amazing people. That's >> and it's also central here >> and there's so much tourism happening.

[00:12:58]Rosebank is very uh I guess affluent area you know. So I guess you're positioned very well as well.

[00:13:04]>> Yeah, I'm very very well positioned here. And uh I also I kind of feel like I I have this good life of of meeting amazing people around and uh >> I never like had any any negativity.

[00:13:16]>> I love that. I love that. Thank you.

[00:13:18]Thank you my brother. What's your name again?

[00:13:19]>> John.

[00:13:20]>> John. Nice to meet you. My name is Marion. I'm a YouTuber. I travel around the world. So it's and I like to share stories of people whenever I travel. So yeah, thanks for giving me your perspective that it's going to help a lot of people who have different ideas about South Africa. You know, people are scared, >> you know, and uh I think they have every right to feel scared, but >> someone like me comes down, they want to tell the different story like, hey, don't be scared. Everything you see online is not the reality. Some people are living life, they working, and they had no issue.

[00:13:47]>> That's true. Yeah, that's true. Man, >> I really love this area. Like amazing restaurants around here.

[00:13:57]What the hell is Nando doing over here?

[00:14:01]Bro, this is a cool spot. This is a really cool spot.

[00:14:09]>> Rosebang is really a nice It's a very nice area.

[00:14:13]I love it.

[00:14:16]Wow.

[00:14:22]This area is one of the safest areas that anyone can be. I can see a lot of um a lot of uh tourists and today is Sunday so all the cafes are like really starting to open up right now.

[00:14:41]Um but I love it. It looks very Man, this is the train that goes uh different parts of the city. Uh, but I'm going to create another day, another video for another time where I'm going to take the train and explore explore the city. Uh, right now we're outside the mall. Hopefully no one steals my phone. For real.

[00:15:06]>> Where's your phone?

[00:15:07]>> It's in my pocket.

[00:15:08]>> One glass.

[00:15:28]It's right in front of me.

[00:15:41]I am very sad. I'm here at the uh I think this place is called Leonardo.

[00:15:47]It's the tallest building in South Africa and subsaharan Africa. So I'm sad because I flew my drone to get a beautiful shot of this whole place and also it's surrounding the streets and what's nearby and it's up there.

[00:16:09]The people that work here, they're not very friendly at all. Like I understand like we asked the the waiter like can we fly it and he said yes and then now the management is like oh you shouldn't be flying and he distracted me. While he was distracting me the drone went up there first floor.

[00:16:29]Um it's Sunday and they saying that I'll have to wait tomorrow and I hope I get my drone. This is the first time I'm losing a drone in my entire life.

[00:16:41]I've had like four or five drones.

[00:16:45]This is the first time and I'm very sad.

[00:16:49]But if you like this video and the video does well, I'll probably get a new one. You know what I mean? Hopefully this video does well. Um, but yeah, now we're going to go to Nelson Mandela Square and end it there. Inshallah. And then I have to head home, try to get, you know, catch some sleep and call it a day.

[00:17:34]local Indians local.

[00:17:38]Thank you Gandhi.

[00:17:46]Who's Gandhi?

[00:17:53]Is he lawyer?

[00:18:04]>> 1940s.

[00:18:31]Guys, right now I'm at Nelson Mandela Square, one of the uh most famous spots in Johannesburg. It's located here in Santon which is considered the financial capital of South Africa and this square is named after uh Nelson Mandela the country's first president and one of the most respected leaders here in in modern history.

[00:19:04]I don't know if you can see the statue everybody's taking a photo with um it's about this statue is Nasa Mandela. Um I think they said from what I read they uh unveiled it in 2004 and obviously as you can see the surrounding there's like luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and offices. Uh, and it's the busiest and most visited place in Johannesburg. I just want to take a photo, but these guys are standing right there. Everybody's in line. I love that.

[00:19:43]Welcome to my Airbnb.

[00:19:46]This is the kitchen.

[00:19:51]This is the living room.

[00:19:56]Wow.

[00:20:02]She beautiful.

[00:20:10]Look at this place.

[00:20:15]Man.

[00:20:19]Wow.

[00:20:23]Let's open it.

[00:20:28]Mel, this is so beautiful.

[00:20:38]I'm staying in a very, very nice place.

[00:20:43]My goodness.

[00:20:45]Let's look at the bed.

[00:20:48]Ah, >> yeah. Yeah.

[00:20:51]Woo.

[00:20:53]This is so nice.

[00:20:56]Look, I even have the view outside.

[00:21:01]This is crazy. I love this.

[00:21:08]>> Yeah. Let's look at the bathroom.

[00:21:11]Woo! Very clean.

[00:21:15]Very clean.

[00:21:19]Wow.

[00:21:22]I love this house.

[00:21:24]So guys, we're going to end day one first impressions of South Africa.

[00:21:30]Johannesburg, South Africa. That's it.

[00:21:32]I'm exhausted, jetlagged. Just came home. So I'm going to try to like relax, catch on some sleep, call my family, tell them I made it. But everything's good. It's been a great day. Thanks to my friend Abdin for showing me around the city. And soon you'll see different parts of the city. This was just the overall experience just to have an idea of what to expect from Johannesburg. But for a first day, I'd say it was really wonderful. Um, one thing I noticed is that this city is not a walkable city.

[00:22:06]Like you need a car, honestly. So, but yeah, other than that, I am, what do you guys say in in the UK? I am knackered.

[00:22:18]So, I'm going to go. See you soon. Stay tuned. Please like the video, share the video, subscribe. I love you guys.