My boyfriend and I are a mixed couple. I am white and he is black. (African, but not South African) Are we likely to encounter any prejudice or bad treatment because of this? If so, to what extent? Any advice?

Thanks

Yours is a reasonable concern and it's amazing I know, but mixed couples are fairly commonplace in SA. The only places where you may find prejudice could be in remote, conservative small towns, or a few isolated areas on the PWV - I'm thinking the far East or West Rand. But these are not the tourist areas that I think you'd be frequenting.

As an aside, I've observed people meeting mixed race couples for the first time. Most "whites" go out of their way to show how unperturbed they are, and it's "black" people on the whole who may comment or ask a question about whether the couple has encountered any problems. I honesty don't think you will encounter prejudice or bad treatment. We've come a long way in 10 years.
To paraphrase Selwyn: we're all proudly part of the rainbow nation.

I just thought of something ...
If your boyfriend is "African" as opposed to "African-American" then you may find that some locals assume he can speak one of the South African languages. It shouldn't be a problem, but just so that you know ...

Thanks so much, Traci. You sure have made me feel a lot better. Things I've read in (old) guide books made me a little hesitant.

Monalisa -

On of my friends was on assignment in Africa for two years. She's black, he's white. Originally they chose to go to Kenya, as mixed race couples are seen all over the place.

However, in the end they and the company sent them to SA - they lived in Sandton and while she worked, he played golf - not a bad life for a few years.

They never ran into any problems, certainly not in their face, but then the company had lots of mixed race people working for them and other mixed race couples.

Monalisa,

The only so called problem you will come up against as a mixed couple in the new South Africa is an over abundance of hospitality from all.

Right now it is becoming quite the "in thing" to be a mixed couple in SA and it is just as "in" to associate with equivalent people.

So with that all been said feel free to come to SA so as to enjoy yourselves not as a scorned upon couple but rather as a couple that South Africans would love to have at their dinner table as dinner guests and friends.

Have a wonderful stay in our great land.

Selwyn Davidowitz
[email protected]
Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

This is good to read - my husband (white, English) and myself (brown, Indian-British) are going to SA next year.

This question hadn't occured to me but I was interested by (and pleased to read) the answers.