Remembering and repeating names like Kgogelo, Ntokozo, Mpho, Lebogang, Mncedisi and Chukwuemeka is no longer a problem for me and unexpected names no longer surprise me. For example, my boss is called Witness and his brothers are Goodman, Wiseman and (my personal favourite) Godknows. These names are quite normal, just like Beauty, Precious, Prudence and Happy; not quite everyday but certainly not unusual either are Killmequick-Jeffrey, Victor Dont-Worry and Lucky-Day.
But it’s not only black Africans who have unusual names.
Many white South Africans also have rather interesting names since parents like to give their children half the mother’s and half the father’s name. This is best and most beautifully demonstrated by an advert for Wimpy featuring the new-born cutie Hendrikarinaki:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mvzu60f7mW0
So just when I thought that names in Africa would no longer surprised me, I came across a number of streets with rather odd names on my way to a friend’s house...
I started off on Jollifly Ring Road, turned left onto Skywalk Street and crossed Lightning Shot Avenue. After having driven past In Full Flight Avenue and Flaming Rock Crescent, I finally turned right onto Jamaican Music Avenue and arrived at my friends house rather baffled only able to ask “Dude, what the f***?!?”
Turns out, the “Namer” of the streets wasn’t stoned, but rather a horse racing fan – the roads are all named after previous winners of South Africa’s premier horse racing events!
PS: Thinking about it, there is a farm near Pretoria that makes all these names sound ordinary and easily rivals that place in Wales. The farm has the lovely, easy to remember name of Tweebuffelsmeteenskootmorsdoodgeskietfontein.
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