Anglo-African - Culture

Culture

Anglo Africans generally enjoy an outdoor lifestyle and fondness for sport. The braai, although originally Afrikaans, is a popular way to gather friends. Another pastime is that of visiting game reserves, hiking, camping and recreational angling. There is a particular appreciation of country life and farms are often bought as weekend retreats. Farmers themselves generally prefer holiday houses at the coast. In other ways the culture of Anglo-Africans is more Anglo than African; afternoon tea - in fact, tea at any time of day - is still widespread as are pastimes such as gardening and reading. Families who live in the country are usually familiar with previously practical pastimes such as riding and shooting. Riding is popular in town and country alike and drag-hunting is carried out by the Cape Hunt and the Rand Hunt. Polo is more accessible in South Africa than in the United Kingdom and very popular amongst farmers. The most avidly followed (and participated in) sports are rugby, cricket and tennis. Many Anglo-Africans will follow South African as well as British news and watch BBC and Sky News rather than CNN, and prefer British humor as expressed by Fawlty Towers and the Blackadder series. There is a widespread appreciation for British things and a certain cachet attached to British books, paints, clothes, fabric, magazines, stationary, china and toys; most Anglo-Africans travel to Britain at least once in their lives to discover their ancestral homeland where some may have friends and even long lost relatives. Most, having been brought up on British nursery rhymes, history, and literature, are more conversant with Britain and its ways than is usually natural for people who have never lived there, or even visited. Conversely some Tanzanian and Kenyan Anglo-Africans occasionally affect Afrikaner accents and use Afrikaans as a badge to distinguish themselves from contract workers and tourists.