How to make friends in South Africa

Accept every invitation that is offered to you. You will meet a lot of duds, but every now and then there will be one person you 'click' with.

If you have a hobby or an interest (eg bird watching, quilting) join a local group, it's a good way to meet people with a similar outlook to you.

hi!, am a new member and searching for new friends, i come from mombasa kenyan. currently am unemployed.

I think neighbourhood bars are a good way to meet new people in your area, even though you might end up with a lot of drinking buddies and no real friends

ex-capetonian

Expat.com wrote:

We have been talking about loneliness when you are abroad, let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in South Africa

Which are your best tips to meet people and to make friends in South Africa??

Thanks in advance for your participation

Good friends in South Africa is not easy to find, people are not relaible and sly. Maybe because of the hardship and 3rd world conditions. What you will find is not real and basicly every one for them selfs and be aware of certain women wanting to get something out of you.

Well this forum is as good a place as any

Meeting people is not that easy in South Africa, especially after the frist time intorduction telling wher you are from i.e. a Nigerian in South African is often seen as BAD eventhough you have good intentions, good and honest job.

However, i think people should be given a chance and also allow to express themselves.

If we treat ourselves in AFRICA with hostility bcos of the mistake and deeds of a small group of bad inhabitants then it means that we will never be able to change the way we are been treated in other countries i.e. Europe, Oceania and co.

Please re-consider and treat each other (Africans, Afrikaans and Africa) with some respect.

hello,
I'will come to pretoria in march and i want to find friend too.
If some people are living in pretoria and could drive me at the biginning, thank

I'm not the kind of person who goes easily towards people. But South Africans are really friendly. While I lived in Jo'burg it seemed easy to make friends wherever my cousins and I went. Like while having a drink in the Randburg Waterfront, people came to us and we talked and some of them even became friends. Many local acquaintances we had were from the Waterfront or Sandton City :-D

People say that South Africans are rather friendly and I agree. However, SA girls are among the more difficult girls to become friends with from what I've experienced.

Just go out and be social, start a chat, join a club, get involved and you will find it very possible to make a lot of friends quickly.

richardscott65 wrote:

Well this forum is as good a place as any

Here Here.

South Africans are friendly people, a local chatted to me about changing his car from his 4x4 to a hatchback like mine just the other day in a car park. There are some duds as has been mentioned but on the whole a good bunch.

I have made friends from online groups like this.  I also attend things like 27 Dinner, which happens on the 27th of the month in various cities - it is a network of creative professionals.  internations is another online group - but it is all expats.  i really do like the expat community here...

If you are not too shy, and working here, the easiest way is to ask a few colleagues to go have sundowners altogether. You could do this once every month or once every two months. You could also find a group to join, for instance a yoga class, art class or something that interests you. There are clubs avaable such as running clubs where you could enjoy the sport and also meet like-minded people. Put yourself out there and keep an open mind wherever you go - your next new friend can be that person in the same supermarket aisle as you, in a share-taxi, on the beach, anywhere!

just inroduce yourself to everybody

Its not easy to find good friends , not just in south africa but everywhere around the world. Thats just the way life is.  not all south africans are rude and sly or mean it all depends on the persons personality.

But, try try and try again one day you might get lucky. I am south african and its even difficult for me. Its easy to say go to a bar or a nightclub or look on the internet but for alot of people that is just not their scene and the internet isnt always that safe.

Granted a few websites on the net are safe and actually trustworthy, but finding one is difficult.i know of one or two good friebdship/penpalling websites but once again  meetinf in person us not always possible or safe.

My afvice though is try a busy yet safe place like a mall, or a coffee shop maybe even a restaurant. Look on the internet for social groups, but be careful when joining, get to know the people s little more by exchanging emails or letters first. Im starting a social group now and hoping that id get some friends.

Just ve yourself, be honest and respectful. Watch a persons body language if they seem nice and calm approach them and introduce yourself. Maybe just maybe you will meet your new friend

Somr people make friends easily and some dont but im sure there is hope for lonely people

hi guys...i am a motswana who frequently visit south africa for various reasons but this time around i would like to have afriend from j/burg or pretoria to take me thorugh corners of south africa i will divulge reasons why for any interested party ,Age should be 27 and under and e be ndoda

Hello ndoda,

For info, the last post in view on this thread is dated 2012.

You may not have great chances having responds, I suggest you create a new thread in the South Africa forum and relaunch a new topic.

Thank you,
Marjorie

Hi, my name is olatunde, am a nigerian, a mixologist by profession. Am here for a real friendship trusted and obidient. Believe me am for real. Looking forward for a place to stay in johnnesburg and work as a bartender in any hotel or lounge. Thanks.

Hi
Iv moved to Johannesburg recently and looking forward to meet people from all over.
Iv got my own expat group where you all can connect with each other and we organise events and meetups. You can join the group and build your friends circle.
*

Morning you....

Hope you sorted with job and place to stay...
still looking for friends?
regards

That you for your post...very informative and useful as I plan to visit SA in two weeks...I had been online 'googleing' the friendliest city in SA and I happen to find this forum..Thanks for the heads up...Anyway have you created the social group that you talked about in your post? Maybe I will be lucky to find a friend in South Africa.Keep me updated.Cheers!

I think that it depends on where you go. If you hang out in bars you will meet drinking buddies etc. Just be open to new experiences and new people. I have had no problems making friends where ever I have traveled and lived. For me it was really just a matter of being open to it. I am naturally a friendly person and have found that people are drawn to that so now I have friends in many different parts of the world as well as here in my country. I have also found that South Africans more than anywhere else are really friendly people and way more relaxed than anywhere else. You can find true friends anywhere and every where.

Silky33 I agree with you. I have lived on three continents and about 9 countries...deep down, people are all the same.

Be the friend you want to have.

One other place I have made lifelong friends is at the local church. It worked for me and I return the courtesy.

Likewise, my kids have friends all over the world, different nationalities and we have lots of fun...forever hosting their friends and friends of friends and as a result, anywhere we travel, there is a good reception.

Friends make the world go round. This forum is awesome. I made good friends in Namibia on Expat.com so it does work.

Cheers,

Zee