A little spare change goes a long way

          I have found that if there is a way to make money, the people of South Africa have figured it out.   For instance, in America when you back out of a parking lot, you pretty much look through your mirrors and guide yourself out.  Well apparently that is too much work for South Africans because here in Pretoria, there is a guy in every row of every parking lot who will not only find you a spot to park in, but he will watch over your car and help you back out of your spot for a small tip of 10 cents.  And if you like he will help you load your groceries into your truck and return the shopping cart to the store whom he does not work for.  I have not quite gotten used to this help but I am sure over time I will wander what my car mirrors are even for.

Parking guide

          There are also several family friendly restaurants here that have playgrounds/game stations/trampolines/movies right next to the tables so your kids can play while they eat.  Located at these playgrounds are Child Watch Attendants who for a small tip (approx. $1) will not only watch your child play but will also play with them.  They seem to really be enjoying themselves playing with your kids and will even bring them back to you if they start crying.  I have seen these workers playing with school aged children all the way down to carrying infants around so the parents can enjoy a meal to themselves.  There are stations for kid’s to make pizzas so it is a pretty interactive dinner.  Now tipping is suggested but the restaurant does not charge for this service which is amazing.  A side bar about tipping, the standard tip for your waiter is 10% here and there is about 1 waiter per table.  

Kid's area for pizza making (we came early on a Sunday so it was pretty empty)

          While you go shopping at the mall in the US what is your car doing?  Normally it just sits there heating up in the sun.  But not here in South Africa.  There is an option to get your car washed, waxed and detailed while you shop for about $6 and then they will return it to the spot you parked in.  Fantastic service and a time saver for sure.  But if you do choose to go to a stand-alone car wash, you can entertain your kids at the same time because they all seem to have playgrounds and picnic tables right next to them.

          Getting my own gas is a thing of the past.  Here in South Africa you pull up to a gas station in which each pump is manned by a guy who will fill your tank up, wash your windows, check your oil and the tire pressure.  Then once you get your gas, he will either bring the credit card machine to your car door, or you can give him cash which he will take inside and bring you back the change.  But let’s just say you are hungry or thirsty, just tell the gas station guy what you want and he will go get it and bring back your change.  For this fantastic service people typically tip 20-50 cents depending on what you ask him to do.

Gas Station Attendants

Pretty much anything labor related is cheap in South Africa as one friend put it, “when 30 percent of the adult population is unemployed that leaves a large pool of people to hire at a drastically lower rate than US citizens are accustomed to”.