Afrikaans is a lovely language that I'm told is similar to Flemish, but it is a blend of several languages.  I liked it and worked hard on the chuffing sounds that remind me of some German words.  For instance, the name Gert is pronounced more like Hairt, except that you have to collect some spit at the back of your throat and sort of clear your throat when you pronounce it. Afrikaans is unique to South Africa.  A hill is a kopjie, pronounced copy, and if someone threatens you with a klop, bear in mind that it is usually delivered to the head and could hurt you.  My husband's favorite Afrikaans word is skimmerkelkie which is also referred to as a sundowner or cocktail.  He especially likes baie danke which sounds like 'buy a donkey'.  It means thank you very much.
 
Even using English, there are some interesting quirks in South African terminology.  For instance, a pick-up truck is a bakkie.  An eighteen wheel semi-tractor/trailer is a lorry.  Directions can be confusing when someone tells you to go to the robot and turn left.  You may whiz through that traffic light while you are looking for a robot and wondering why a robot would be there in the first place.  People there go to university and to hospital.  They do not go to the hospital or to the university.

If you are working with a South African and ask if that person has completed something, he may tell you that he will do it 'just now'.  Do not go off happily and wait for it to happen.  He meant he would get to it sometime, some day.  If you need it done immediately, you must insist on 'now now.'  Over the years, I have been heard to say, "No, now, now, now, now!"  It is best to smile when you say that, but it conveys the immediacy.

As I've said before, the giraffe is my favorite African animal, and when my husband and I were at a game reserve near Kruger National Park, I begged the ranger to find some for picture taking.  The ranger got on his radio and spoke in Shangaan.  The radio crackled back from another ranger who used a word that sounded like klimiti, or clemeetee, and shortly thereafter our open land rover drove up to some giraffes.  I wasn't sure how to spell that or even if I had heard correctly so I wrote and asked my friend David Colquhoun if klimiti was the Shangaan word for giraffe.  This is his recent reply which gives you some idea of how complex tracking down spelling can be.
     
"According to our domestic worker she believes that the Zulu word for giraffe is mukulumiti. As you probably know, shangaan is a local dialect from our border region with Mozambique and many of the shangaan words are directly derived from the main, predominantly Zulu dialect of the area, so klumiti could very well be correct. I will however find out as soon as I can get to Rietpan which is where many of the shangaans wait to get work."
 
"Just for interest sake, the old mine language (Fanagalo) is derived from a combination of Shangaan, Zulu, English and Afrikaans. In the Fanagalo dictionary, the description for giraffe is makulu perd nalo langwan tsong which translated directly is "big horse with long neck". Such a descriptive language. How's this one? A mosquito is "'n picaninni flying mashine nalo jomper". It is derived from the fact that the mosquito is a small flying "machine" with a "jumper" which is the English name for the drill bit that is used to drill the rock underground on the mines."
 
"A "bat" is known in fanagalo as "'n picaninni goondwan mashine nalo night shift" which directly translated means that the bat is a small flying rat machine on night shift. Quite a descriptive language hey?   Anyhow, I'll get back to you on the klumiti issue as soon as possible."

I've no doubt he will.  Southern African people are very accommodating, and they are rightfully proud of their heritage.  David and his wife Sally emigrated years ago from Zimbabwe, long before the current dictator Mugabe destroyed the country's economy.  Sally and I worked together at First National Bank in Johannesburg.  Having the opportunity to get to know people from other countries on their own turf is very enriching.  Language is a thought process, and learning other languages gives one a glimpse of who the people you meet really are.  Of course, it is a two-way street.  They learn who we really are.