My tale is told as a Tsonga child growing up in the privileged suburb of silver lakes then being forced to adapt to a predominantly Zulu speaking poverty stricken area , navigating the sharp contrasts between extremes of privilege and poverty, all this has made me into the man I am today that's able to navigate between both sides of south Africa effortlessly 

In the gated communities, well-kept lawns, and calm atmosphere of luxury that characterized Silverlakes Estate in Pretoria, I spent my early years. Encircled by luxury and wealth, I delighted in reckless misadventures on expansive golf courses and relaxed afternoons by sparkling pools. Even still, I never noticed that there was a gap between Silverlakes' luxuries and the rest of South Africa's socioeconomic environment. My privilege was lifted and I was forced to face the hard reality of poverty only after my mother bravely decided to quit her work. The well-kept lawns and gated neighborhoods of Silverlakes gave way to run-down houses and congested streets upon our return to the township of Daveyton. All of a sudden, it was difficult to get basic essentials, and poverty was a constant in all facets of life. Being close to wealthy neighborhoods had protected me from the glaring disparities ingrained in our culture. I will never forget the hardships my neighbors in Daveyton endured, the lack of basic necessities they faced, and the tenacity of those who lived on the outskirts. It was a sobering event that made me face the glaring differences that persisted even in my own nation.

My knowledge of cultural variety has been further enhanced by my upbringing in a primarily Zulu area. I ended up caught in the rich tapestry of the Zulu people's heritage, fully immersed in its rich traditions, dialects, and customs. Their happy parties, lively music, and get-togethers added vibrancy and rhythm to my everyday existence I often feel guilty for not being proficient in my own language of Xitsonga because my upbringing was predominantly English and Afrikaans speaking and the one i deicide to learn an African language it was Zulu ,through my exposure to Zulu i have been able to learn other languages like sepedi,setswana,xhosa and Swati, all this is due to the area i grew up in my teenage years of daveyton exposing me to virtually every language in south Africa even a few foreign ones like Mozambican Portuguese . Managing these cultural differences had a significant impact on how I viewed myself. I gained an appreciation for the resilience and resourcefulness of communities facing hardship while yet carrying hopes for more wealth and opportunities in the future. The combination of my exposure to the Zulu way of life and my Tsonga background gave me a sense of cultural pride and belonging, while also broadening my knowledge of diversity.

I am always reminded of the intricate connections that exist throughout the human experience when I think back on my journey from the immaculate Silverlakes vistas to the busy streets of Daveyton. It's a voyage full of contradictions, intricacies, and, in the end, a greater understanding of how resilient the human spirit can be in the face of hardship. The tenacity, variety, and limitless potential that characterize us as a people in the vibrant mosaic of South Africa are echoed in my story.

my social networks and reciprocation

through millions of years of evolution ,humans have developed unto the ultimate herd animals ,although we may try and convince ourselves as if we are unique an can survive as lone wolves per say ,nature ultimately proves us wrong as your brain is hotwired to seek companionship and to be a part of a tribe of people who understand you ,we also crave to make said tribe happy this can be through various actions like completing tasks or reciprocating their actions through positive reinforcements or actions that the tribesmen would be pleased with like gift giving

my strongest social network would be that of my friends ,we are all brought together through common interests like rugby,football,fifa and anime amongst other things ,i strongly believe that this social network of friends is the strongest and shapes you into being ,growing in a predominantly Zulu speaking area as a Tsonga speaker was tough but ultimately through my friend group i managed to learn and speak Zulu properly so much so that I'm more proficient in Zulu than i am in Tsonga currently, this social network is strong because we provide each other with support in different avenues for example I'm able to 8 languages so if my friends ever need help with a certain tongue they'd call me ,this group provides us with the strongest social capital because we are usually judged by the group of friends we keep around instead of who  our parents are and thus this social network i believe is the strongest

the social network of family is strong but ultimately it'll depend on the pockets of your family to determine how strong it is ,family provides you with social capital given who your parents are in the community if your parents are well respect in the community that respect will ultimately fall to you as you are seen as an extension of your parents and that makes it super hard to be a rebellious youth because people wouldn't judge your actions alone but rather your actions would be pinned to your family name ,this social network is also strong because given your parents financial standing they can afford to send you to the best schools in the country thus giving your family more respect in the community and if your work at those schools speak for itself then this shines a positive light on your ,this is true for me ,as much as my family didn't send me to the best schools in the country ,i was heralded as one of the smartest kids in school during my younger years and that increased our social capital in the community as people even refused to let me do any sort of manual work as they thought it was beneath me because i was so smart ,all that pressure in my younger years came to bite me in the ass when i became a teen

my outer layer of friends is pretty interesting as it has given me social capital in spaces i wouldn't typically enter, as someone who grew up pretty introverted i have a knack for getting people to like me ,using vague knowledge on stuff that interests them i get people to lower their guard and open up for me and this has led to me being spaces i wouldn't have discovered on my own, like for example i have a lot of musician friends and this has led to me attending thee most niche parties ,as much as i don't speak frequently with my musician friends every time i meet with them i always end up in some crazy party

through my social networks i have became more than what i present ,looking at me you'd see a nerd who's into anime but peer deeper you get to unfold a Russian doll  ,its through my social networks that i am ,a few years ago i was isolated and suicidal ,if it wasn't for a friend i wouldn't be writing this right now ,this goes to show that our social networks can literally save our lives sometimes

[02:48, 13/03/2024] Thabang: The potchefstroom heat makes the cold showers more pleasant,the cold water rushes over my head jolting my senses ,for an instance I am transported to a different world ,where my mind isn't cluttered as my room after a drunken night out ,for an instance the cold water makes the  distance from how seem less daunting,this brief moment is a ritual that prepares me to weave across campus ,as i stand over my bathroom window i realise fhat i am running out of time and i quickly rush to get out of the house asap,on my way out i grab an apple ,the apple is as green ad the rolling hills in my mother's village in Limpopo,my housemates still sleepy moves very slowly across the room to grab cornflakes ,I see this from the peripheries of my view as i call a e-hailing cab , surprisingly the driver looks a lot like my dad as he advices me to focus on my school work, if only he knew the burden of work and health that weigh heavily on my mind like a stone,the brutalist architecture of the school campus makes it very imposing
[02:58, 13/03/2024] Thabang: The imposing nature of the campus and it's brutalist architecture is made bearable by my small tribe of friends ,mainly rea and thato ,we weave through the bustling campus buildings ,nervous to our core and as inexperienced about the world as much as baby deer but solidarity presents a tough shell for to the world around us ,our lecturer is quick to begin classes youd swear the man was meant to work a train station in another life the way he keeps time ,he breezes through class randomly pointing at pwople for answers ,i try to be less conspicious as i avoid his gaze but not my friens as i glance over at thrm ,they seem to be inviting his gaze fully,I am dazef off in my own world as i contemplate my other assignments ,my thoughts are disturbed by the rumbling of chairs and shoes signalling the end of the class ,we gather agaim amd weave through campus still nervous and inexperienced

in this essay i argue that eurofication and othering has lessened the chances of upward mobility for africans

the single story often originates from simple misunderstandings or ones lack of knowledge of others but these stories can also have damaging intent{adichie:2009} this is true for europeans and the rest of the western world ,african traditions and customs are often seen as weird and as going against god and praising the devil and other totems 

these are the accounts of various african authors but mainly chimamnda adichie{2009}. bart williams {2015}

eurofication is the the process of adoptiing european norms ,values and standards in a non european context{bayart:1989}. this is specially true for africa as for ages now ,My older sister encountered otheringn in her work place which was predominantlly afrikaans speaking ,she recalls being the last one to be on the loop about certain projcts in their work and having to sit through metings without undrstanding what was being said because most of her colleauges weere speaking in afrikaans and she would be left behind which led to her eventual termination of employment,this has dented her reputation in her field and has been unemployed for a year now as shes seeking greener pastures abroad

therefore through my vicarious experience i have noted that a lot of these institutions have been purposefully set up in such a way as to preserve european standards and processes that exclude africans from them thus reducing africans into a servitude role without the possibility of ever being self sufficient or even achieving upward mobility because of the ridiculous barriers they hav to jump through in order to get into these institutions

in this essay i have showed how eurification and the othering of black and indigenous people has diminished their chances of being self sufficient and having upward mobility through observations and my own experences,the unneccesary rule from laws firms of having a vehicle and being fluent in afrikaans as a junior confirms my argument that eurfication and othering directly stops black and indigenous people from moving up in the economic ladder

reference list

chimamnda adichie ngozi ,the danger of a single story , 2009 , Tedxtalk

mallence bart williams , change your channel , 2015, TedxBerlin

jean-francois bayart , the state of africa:the politics of the belly,1989