Life, Lingo & Local Legends: Adjusting to Cape Town, One “Shame” at a Time

by Teresa Hills • 2 MIN • 378 Words

When I first arrived in Cape Town, I thought I spoke the language. English is English, right? Oh, how wrong I was.

Take the word “shame.” In the UK, we reserve that for actual tragedy. But here? It’s used for everything.
I told a friend my nan lived to the ripe old age of 96 and her response?
“Shame.”
Funnily enough I didn’t think so!

Then there’s the famous potjie. Sounds like a small dog, turns out it’s a cast-iron cauldron that turns stew into an event. And if you haven’t made a weekend out of one, are you even in South Africa?

One of my favourite discoveries? The Scone Shack.
Yes, it’s a real place. A duck jumped on to my table and stole my scone whilst I was tickling the pot bellied pig (this sounds like the start of a fairytale), the jam is cooked on an open fire, and the furniture looks like it was rescued from a jumble sale, nothing matches, but it all just works. It’s wild, delicious, and utterly Cape Town.

⚠️ Health and Safety? Not a priority.
Workers on scaffolding with no rails or made from wood, Ssteep cliff hikes with no rails, no warning signs, just a gentle “at your own risk” as if that makes it all OK. It’s equal parts thrilling and mildly terrifying.

But what I think really sets Cape Town apart is how connected it is.
It’s the kind of place where you mention someone’s name, and the reply is always: “Oh yes, I know their cousin’s neighbour’s friend.”

Once, whilst we were standing in the egg queue at a local hotel, we struck up a conversation with a really lovely woman. We got chatting, shared a few laughs, and by the end of it, she’d recommended someone who helped us solve a tricky problem we’d been stuck on for months. No bureaucracy, no gatekeeping, just people helping people.

Cape Town isn’t just beautiful. It’s brilliantly human. People talk. People help. And people know people.

📝 Coming up next time:
✔️ What my British guests really think about South Africa
✔️ Braais, baboons, and bakkies: A survival guide
✔️ How I accidentally became a plumber’s assistant (you’ll see)

Until then, stay safe on those cliff trails and always guard your scones. 🦆

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