We got our luggage and my wife, who was here to receive me, called the local cab company to check whether they remembered our reservation for airport pick up.

After a ten-minute wait, Star, our cab driver, arrives in a Toyota Corolla, which given the size of our bags did not look big enough. We quickly load the bags into the trunk of the car and had to squeeze in the last one.

And, alas, when it is time to go, the driver informs us that he has yet another person to pick up.

After a few minutes wait, a stern-looking parking enforcement lady walks up to our car and waves us to drive off from the airport terminal. Fortunately, the other passenger catches up with our cab, we pile in and quickly drive off into the streets of Johannesburg.

Back In Africa

As we drive off, I feel great to be back in Africa where life will once again be all too familiar. Our cab driver is quick to make his presence felt on the road to Tshwane (Pretoria). We weave though traffic at break-neck speed and when we arrive in downtown Pretoria, our driver nearly runs over a few pedestrian.

I had missed this kind of dare-devil driving after years away in the US. Now I was back in Africa where chaos reigned all too often. Driving here is not for the fainthearted, most of the drivers try to outrace each other on the roads as they show off their top-of-the-line model cars. The rich here are really rich and the poor really poor.

One might assume there are no traffic rules because drivers hurriedly switch from one lane to another without any concern for other road users. If you feel offended by another driver, you might as well consider honking for a couple of seconds to vent your frustration. The blaring honks add to the chaos and confusion.

Traffic Jam

New phenomena in South African cities are the infamous traffic jams caused by power outages thanks to power shedding by ESKOM the local power utility. South Africa is in the mid of a power crisis that has resulted from failure to adequately plan for the country's fast growing energy needs.

The traffic jams coupled with frequent tragic accidents are common items in the local news. Taxis (public transport vans), the equivalent of Matatus in Kenya, flout all the road rules just like in Nairobi.

If you opt to ride in a Taxi, be careful not to take the front sit especially if you are mathematically challenged. Taxis are manned by only one person -- the driver.

Once on board, all the passengers pass their fares to the front of the car. It is the duty of the passenger seated at the front to gather all the fares and give out the appropriate change to the rest of the passengers. The driver then receives the lump sum of the fares.

Giant Malls

On my first shopping trip to the Menlyn mall in Pretoria, I was surprised by the size of the mall. Some of the malls in South Africa dwarf those that I have visited in the United States. The malls have many of the big brand names found in Europe and North America and more. They have spectacular architectural designs unlike those in the United States, which are more box-like.

South Africans are avid shoppers. I always thought Americans are the champions in this game but milling the crowds of shoppers at Menlyn mall left me dumbfounded.

It is great to be in Mzanzi (the South) as locals call it, enjoying the sunshine and trying to learn some of the 11 official languages spoken here.

Many of the Pretoria’s affluent inhabitants live behind walls topped with electric fences. Everyone treasures their pricey Mercedes Benz or BMW and will take any measure to keep them safe from gun-totting bandits.