TAMUK South Africa Program 2022

    The Texas A&M University-Kingsville students, who participated in this Study Abroad Program, all contributed to the multiple ways in which this Program succeeded. The University takes great pride in the depth, diversity, work ethic, curiosity, humanity, and substance the students demonstrated throughout their visit to South Africa.   Nirmal G 07/27/2022

Today in Cape Town, we toured the city to visit all the must-see sites. We started by driving up Lion’s Head and getting some great pictures and views, including Green Point Stadium. We continued, driving past The Twelve Apostles, and stopping at a fishing harbor where we got to pet a giant seal! We then made our way to a market where all items were made in Africa.  Then we moved on to Chapman’s Peak overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and arguably the most beautiful scenery of the day. Next, we visited our guide’s “favorite spot”, a mountain with a rusted canon, unused, overlooking the Indian Ocean and Simon’s Town, a naval base. We headed over to Simon’s Town to Seafront/Boulders Beach where penguins can be observed on a scale that is truly unparalleled in the world, at least within the confines of a mostly urban area. The penguins of the Cape, all in their natural habitats, are a remarkable sight.  We then had lunch at the Salty Sea Dog, famous for their Fish n Chips.  We e...

En Sudáfrica, el término municipio se refiere a las áreas urbanas segregadas racialmente, a menudo subdesarrolladas, que, desde finales del siglo XIX hasta el final del apartheid, estaban reservadas para los no blancos: indios, africanos y mestizos. El municipio de Kayamandi se encuentra en el Cabo Occidental de Sudáfrica y fue establecido en la década de 1950 como un área específica para trabajadores no blancos que trabajaban en las granjas de esa área. Hasta el día de hoy el municipio continúa creciendo y las casas nuevas son claramente visibles en la parte superior de la sierra. Este municipio claramente demuestra la disparidad de riqueza extrema. El hecho no tan sorprendente es que Kayamandi está oculto de la vista por los miles de turistas que viajan a los viñedos del Cabo cada año. La cruda realidad de las miles de personas empobrecidas que viven justo encima del centro de la ciudad es una representación de cómo hasta el día de hoy decidimos ignorar las consecuencias de la histor...

The City of Stellenbosch has many sculptures displayed both in public squares and in museums. The common thread of these exhibits, while appearing to be connected to the history and life in the surrounding region, also seems related to the larger environment of South Africa.  Many of the pieces suggest the battling identities of two worlds, the wild and the tamed.  “Wild” may be perceived as expressions of strength, stealth, grace, and the hunting skills needed to survive in the wild. Representations of the “tamed” could show narratives imposed on the subjects by those who wielded power over them and make the subjects seem to be something that was not inherently theirs. Many works of sculpture throughout Stellenbosch seemingly symbolized depictions of these two opposites.    Some pieces show intricate details of faces and movements frozen in time. However, at the same time, many of the city’s artworks, including non-sculptures, could also be emulating the evolving cu...

Today we listened to a presentation by Stellenbosch University’s Rabia Abba Omar about her project, Open Forum. While in Stellenbosch, we heard about several instances of student protests and their impacts. One such instance was about removing the statue of Cecil Rhodes at the University of Cape Town.  Rhodes is one of Southern Africa’s most controversial figures.  Open Forum’s intent was to give an opportunity for artists to provide works of art, which represent the perspectives of people involved in these protests.  At Stellenbosch University, student protests were receiving media attention, which depicted protest acts as violent. Open Forum sought to change that. Ms. Omar’s project provided workshops to allow students to “decompress” and focus on how students can use art to convey protest messages. Ms. Omar showed us three examples of the students’ works: “Is this a protest?”, “Flight," and “The Dustbin.” Although not all of the activities led to “successes” or “discip...

 On Wednesday, our group had the opportunity to tour a local art exhibit, "Rugby Gives Me An Eerie Feeling," by the Filthy Plinths. It featured 5 pieces titled: "No Parking," "Hyper Wholesaler Hawkers Line," "Rugby Gives Me An Eerie Feeling" (the title piece), "Fast Deadly," and "Empty Promises." Each piece is comprised of different photographic elements which were combined into large collages. Located in a former church, the pieces, done by Stellenbosch University students, were shaped as arches to reflect the architectural details of the building, such as doors and windows.  "No Parking" At first glance, the artwork seems to offer only a colorful window of life within South Africa. However, as the viewer examines each piece, the artwork becomes more jarring. Beautiful elements, such as landscapes and smiling people, are juxtaposed with grittier images, such as poverty and political propaganda.\  Altogether, the exh...

 When thinking of the San, a distinctive and historic indigenous population group in Africa, it can be very hard for outsiders to understand their life culture. That is the reason Khwa ttu San Heritage Center was so informative. The center is an exceptional educational and cultural entity that compellingly provides insights into the San way of life.  At the center, we got to view how the San people live. We went on a walk/hike to observe and identify different plants and how the San used those plants; we experienced how the San prepare food by actually sitting around a fire and cooking braai; and we learned about the nuanced use of different "clicking" sounds as part of the San's language.  The clicks were an integral part of the languages of the many different San groups, not just in South Africa, but also in other parts of Southern Africa. We were even given a quick tutorial about how to pronounce/speak several "click" words. Our visit to the Khwa ttu Center w...