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South African Time Explained
(thelemmy.club)
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this post was submitted on 09 Feb 2026
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So, "Tomorrow" would mean "absolutely positively definitely never", am I getting this right?
Tomorrow is Tomorrow, if someone says they'll meet you tomorrow they actually will.
If they tell you 10min beforehand that they're on their way and they'll be there Right Now, they're probably an hour away.
Very different to South America, then.
If someone says they'll be done with their job "mañana", that's not a point in time. It's a constant.
When you ask again the next day, it'll still be done "mañana".
I experienced this after spending a month in South Africa.
Me: “When are we heading out?”
🇿🇦: “We’re going now.”
Me: (Gets ready quickly, stands around waiting 30 minutes for everyone else). “Are we leaving yet?”
🇿🇦: “Yes - sorry for the wait, we’re going right now.”
Me: (Waits another 15 minutes)