23 and still a virgin? But sure!.

His friends worried when Nico Pointner went to South Africa - because of the crime and the AIDS risk. During the academic year in Stellenbosch experienced student politics Hamburger hard contrasts between his campus and the luxury ghetto arms next door.

 

At the Cape of Good Hope is not only the football World Cup 2010 Headlines. HIV is a common disease, one in five carries in the virus itself. The crime statistics would record values. Just a few months ago were foreigners through the streets of the townships hunted and burnt alive.

With these thoughts and advice from concerned friends ( "Use condoms and do not let you shoot") I climb the plane to Cape Town. Two semesters of South Africa also.

All the more surprised me Stellenbosch after landing. The city is surrounded by majestic vineyards and is located just 50 kilometers east of Cape Town. Grell exude the white buildings of the Dutch settlers in the sun.

The historic old town is young and alive: Around 20,000 South Africans here studying at one of the best universities in the country. In the "Oxford of the Boers was the racist system of apartheid designed - and later the thought of democracy. Today, students study here from all over the world the racial separation, to the evening with locals over a glass of wine to philosophize.

After the wine tasting? We need the Great White Shark diving

The courses at the university are less demanding than in Germany. So more time for exotic hobbies. Higher education, there are clubs for almost everything from wine tasting to improvisational theater. Although South Africa is not boring. Get ready with the dolphins gesurft ridden or an ostrich? Who needs yet more kicks, dives with White Sharks or herself from the highest bungee bridge in the world.

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Social barbecues (braai) are cult section at South Africans are generally very open and friendly, albeit conservative than German students. There are still maintained traditional gender roles. The men pumping weights at the gym, the women wear short Röckchen and do not talk about politics. All races in the church. 23 and still a virgin? But of course!

But it is not all sunny and fine in Stellenbosch. Who only five minutes on the outskirts of the city goes suddenly feels like a commercial for "Bread for the World": In the Township Kayamandi semi children play in the dirt, while an old woman a chicken's head abschlägt. The people here are dreaming even 14 years after the end of apartheid of hot water in their corrugated iron huts. Ten families share 50 square meters. Few have work, most of them have HIV. Everyone is black.

On Wednesdays I'm here to volunteer with the local schools. Almost exclusively for international students discover the ugly sides of the country, hardly making a white South Africans in the township's hands dirty.

Black and white checkerboard of injustice

The teaching at the school where I teach as an assistant teacher, is miserable. The students find it difficult even with English, the most important of the eleven official languages. The least-create it later two kilometers further to one of the best universities in the country. On the other hand, the prosperity of whites in Stellenbosch is significantly greater than in the German upper class.

These social inequalities are preceded by a society in which black and white not only on skin color clearly be distinguished. White set up a treadmill brands, Black pack them into the bag. White Geländejeeps drive huge, black crowd in minibus taxis. White chuck their tilt at the roadside, black smoke filter stub.

South Africa is still a long way from his ex-President Nelson Mandela praised the rainbow nation - the country is still a black and white checkerboard of injustice.

"If you go inside there, they stick you up"

The only apartheid was abolished on paper. There are still "black" and "white" bars and clubs. Sad is that the white elite to the problems in the country is relatively indifferent. Who dares to the political discussion is often bombarded with stereotypes: blacks are criminals, lazy and subject to the state on the bag. "They are but the whole self to blame apartheid," says the white student next to me at the counter.

The stark juxtaposition of rich stone bettelarm and toll calls. South Africa is one of the countries of the criminal world. Every few seconds, a robbery every 30 minutes a murder. "If you go inside there, they stick you up," warns me a white and shows the receipt of a "black" disco.

Crimes are the number one topic of conversation on the streets. Hardly a South African who has not yet been attacked, or in the barrel of a gun had to look. Before my eyes a thief is trying, to break into a car. I scream at him for so long until it takes flight.

The student dorm is like a prison

Sums of money are always in different places on the body hidden. In Johannesburg, I literally ran to my credit card around. South Africans are trapped in paradise. They buy barbed wire, high walls move, hire security personnel. They go back home before sunset. Our student residence is like a prison guard. The South Africans want to host next year in the world, but dare not even on their own streets.

Nevertheless, the country has in the past years a great leap forward. The economy is booming, democracy is considered stable. Although many locals skeptical about the future, South Africa still enjoys a good reputation among beleaguered states of Africa. And maybe bring the South Africans for the 2010 World Cup even a little closer together and bring a little color in their black and white grid.