Hiking, Hustling, and the Beauty of South Africa: A Love Letter to Our Country

When it comes to South Africa, I’ve always been annoyingly optimistic - which is strange, because in every other area of life I’m a fully qualified pessimist.

While everyone else is busy shaking their fists at the sky, blaming South Africa for their bad Wi-Fi, burnt toast, and the unfair parking ticket, I’m over here, still starry-eyed, seeing the beauty in our country and its wonderfully chaotic people.

Honestly, it's infuriating.

The constant doom-and-gloom brigade who act like they’re personally being held hostage by this country - yet here they are.

And because I refuse to join the national pastime of complaining about South Africa, I’ve been judged.

Naturally, this has earned me eye rolls and ridicule because, apparently, if you’re not actively plotting your escape to a First-World "paradise", you’re doing life wrong.

And worse - I’m not even drafting an exit strategy for my children - because, apparently, they have “no future here.”

Not because I’m selfish or trying to “trap” them in some dystopian nightmare - but because I genuinely believe they have endless opportunities in this stunning, chaotic, country, surrounded by resilient, resourceful, and incredible people.

But - I’ll admit - there was a time when I allowed the noise to make me doubt myself.

Maybe the great exodus had a point.

Maybe I am being irresponsible?

For years, I worked - juggling jobs, weekend side hustles, skipped holidays, and sacrificed free time, all while quietly building a plan - survive long enough to get the children educated and create a future somewhere else - a first-world utopia where the streets are paved with gold and crime, corruption, and power cuts exist only as cautionary tales.

But then that weekend side hustle came to a screeching halt.

Boom.

Gone - no warning.

And strangely enough, I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t panicking - something in me simply stayed calm.

On some level, I knew this was life shoving me - rather unceremoniously, I might add -towards a different path.

After a year of doing absolutely nothing on weekends, except feeling guilty about the amount of spare time I suddenly had - that path turned out to be hiking.

Yes, hiking.

Exploring mountains, trails, small towns, and hidden corners of a country I'd spent years defending but surprisingly little time experiencing.

And let me tell you - this place?

STUNNING.

Jaw-on-the-floor. Can't-believe-this-is-real stunning

The "dream" of travelling to foreign lands? Yep, that’s slipping further and further away.

But I don’t care anymore - because every hike, every road trip, every small-town adventure reminds me - I’m already living in the most beautiful country in the world.

And for those of you who can't wait to tell me about the trail your cousin's friend's neighbour's accountant just hiked in Peru - please don't.

I'm sure the Inca Trail is magnificent. Truly.

But must every conversation about South African hiking immediately become a TED Talk on somewhere else?

We've become strangely skilled at admiring beauty from a distance while completely overlooking what's sitting on our own doorstep.

South Africa is what it is, and that's precisely what makes it special.

It's raw. Unfiltered. Occasionally dysfunctional. Spectacularly chaotic.

Other countries? They can keep their sterile "perfection".

We have character.

We'll keep the resilience, the humour, and the uniquely South African ability to find a solution using cable ties, sheer determination, and a phrase that begins with, "Don't worry, we'll make a plan."

Our small towns?

Our local communities?

They’re full of people who look out for each other, who still know what it means to have your neighbours' back.

I love this place.

It’s messy, it’s ridiculous, it’s frustrating - but it’s beautiful and it's home - and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

And you know what? I’m living my dream.

Not the one I spent years planning for - the one that was quietly waiting for me all along.