A Recurring Love Affair

by Fiona Kigen (South Africa)

I didn't expect to find South Africa

The year was 2005. I didn’t expect to visit South Africa. An almost independent adult living and working in Nairobi with graduation just a few months away, I was looking to make my mark in the world. I had been busy filling hours at my internship when my lecturer called me up one day and encouraged me to enter a competition being sponsored by the British Council to represent Kenya at a youth conference in Cape Town. I had never been that far from home. The call from the British Council that I had won was the beginning of an adventure that sparked my love for a country that was so different yet so similar to mine. I remember looking through the window in the shuttle on the way to the hotel from the airport in Cape Town, marveling at the underpasses and overpasses. The conference was eye opening in so many ways. We spent hours locked in rooms in debate, but we also went out into the communities and got to see the other side of Cape Town – youth projects in the inner cities and places of historical significance that were off the beaten path. It was a life changing experience that sparked my love affair with South Africa. Fast forward, the year was 2010. I didn’t expect to find myself back here. Two years earlier, my sister had moved to South Africa and thus here we were. Six of us, all crammed into her a one and a half bedroom flat, had taken the opportunity to craft an amazing family holiday. It was epic. We rented a van and drove over 3,000kms from Johannesburg to Cape Town and back. There were endless stretches of silence as we took in the breathtaking South African landscape, and stretches where we were all abuzz chattering away and playing music at full volume. Cape Town did not disappoint. So much to see and do and so little time. We scaled Table Mountain, discovered the Cape of Good Hope and Robben Island and strolled through Camps Bay and Simon’s Town, taking in the sights and sounds of that vibrant city. It was magical. Fast forward again, the year was 2015. I didn’t expect to find myself settled in Johannesburg. Two years earlier, my employer had offered me an opportunity in the regional team, which meant I had to relocate to South Africa. I jumped at it. Johannesburg was great, but the winters were punishing. Temperatures of below zero were not uncommon. For someone who lived her whole life near the equator, I felt like I was in a fridge most of the time. Four months of layered clothing, electric blankets and gas heaters were difficult. And add on to that all the admin of work permits, tax returns, leases and all the other mundane things that make up life. Yet the magic remained. The summers were beautiful and there was so much to see and do. I got used to the winters. The years passed. The year is 2020. I am still here. This is not unexpected. My love affair with South Africa continues. I have made a conscious decision to stay. I am no longer a stranger here. This country has become home. They say home is where your bed and all your stuff is. I can understand that because I really miss my bed when I travel. This recurring love affair looks more like a marriage now. Nevertheless here I am entering another competition. After all, nobody knows what the future holds.