From Woolies Cravings to Sausage Rolls – A South African's Journey

Being South African means having those little everyday habits that just make sense.
You know the ones...

Popping into Woolies for something lekker — not because you need anything specific, but because you know you’ll find Woolies yumminess. Filling up at Engen, grabbing a garage pie, and later stopping at Dischem for Gaviscon — because that pie always hits back, but we eat it anyway.

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It’s watching the Springbok game with a bowl of biltong on your lap.
It’s grabbing a melktert from the tuisnywerheid around the corner.
Taking the kids along to Builders Warehouse, no stress — they’ve got popcorn at the door.
Sunday breakfast at Wimpy, or Spur with face-painting and those unforgettable sauce bottles.
Lekkerrrr man.

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But then… things change.

You land here — in the Netherlands — and suddenly you don’t know where to go.
You walk into a supermarket and don’t even know what half the labels mean.
You just want a Woolies chicken mayo, and instead, you’re staring at something called “kip salade.”
Jinne man, you don’t even know what to call the things you’re looking for anymore.

And in those moments — especially in the early days — you feel like packing it all up and heading home.
Where things make sense. Where you know what to expect.

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But here’s the thing...

While building this website, I found myself tracing old paths in my mind — like the time I took the kids ice skating at the Grove Mall. And I realised:
We don’t forget where we come from. We carry it with us.

Yes, I still wish we had a Woolies.
But I’ve learned to enjoy a warm saucijzenbroodje when visiting Intratuin.
I’ve found new places, new treats, and even a few familiar faces behind Dutch store counters.

You’ll make it.
You’ll get used to the Dutch way.
And ek sê nou vir jou — if you put your mind to it, you’ll find your groove here.
Wees sterk, man. Jy moet net weet hoe.