From the coastal city of Durban to the colourful jacaranda lined streets of Pretoria, all the way to the snow-capped mountains of Austria, moving across to the mesmerising mirages of the desert in Saudi Arabia and finally back to sunny South Africa. Born just a few days before the first democratic elections took place in South Africa, in 1994.  ‘Born Free’, free from the shackles of Apartheid but not free from life’s challenges. Being a child of a diplomat, my life spanned three continents and encompassed various cultures and languages. My story is, therefore, a double-edged sword. Being part of the ‘Born Free’ generation in South Africa as well as being a ‘Third Culture Kid’ has its own unique experiences and challenges.

Being a Third Culture Kid, which means growing up in a culture and country that is different to the one I was born in, has made me face unique challenges as a youth in South Africa. My early development started in a German speaking country, Austria, and continued as a teenager in a conservative Arabic speaking country, Saudi Arabia. Having spent my entire school life abroad and now returning to South Africa as a youth starting University, I experienced a myriad of challenges in terms of integrating back into South African life, culture and society. Firstly, language was the first hurdle I had to overcome. South Africa’s different languages, its own unique colloquialism had me baffled at first. For example, using the word ‘napkin’ instead of ‘serviette’ had people in stitches of laughter.

Furthermore, being an introverted youth integrating back into South African culture and university life was a major challenge. In many instances I had to push past my comfort zone in order to make friends and generally fit in. This was because friendship groups were already established from school. My undergraduate years were a blur of navigating through these challenges however being a resilient youth has enabled me to persevere in my efforts. 

On the other hand, living abroad as a South African expatriate has made me extremely patriotic and being back has reinforced my patriotism. I am grateful to be immersed in our Rainbow Nation with its unique cultures, food, sport and languages.

As a millennial in South Africa hope and opportunity are the catch phrases. Upon completion of my Honours degree in International Relations I was hopeful and eager to start the next phase of my life. However, finding employment to suit my qualifications has been a mammoth task. My journey into the job market has been demoralizing, to say the least. After numerous applications to organizations, government departments and embassies, entry into the work environment has eluded me thus far. I believe due to the fierce employment competition, economic downturn, government budget cuts and now the COVID-19 pandemic opportunities are few and far between. Moreover, this challenge seems to be shared amongst the graduates in South Africa because we are the casualties of the ‘status quo’ herein. As a graduate, excelling academically may not appear to be a prerequisite to obtain a job in South Africa because of various other factors such as corruption and nepotism. On one hand this has left me disillusioned however on the other hand as a millennial in South Africa, hope for the future is paramount in my life.

During these unprecedented times, namely the COVID-19 pandemic, has also given birth to new challenges for young people in the country. Our normal way of life has drastically been altered. New phrases and norms such as social distancing, lockdown and mask wearing have become de rigueur. However, this has paved way for virtual learning, working and living in a serendipitous way. Rather than being constrained by lockdown, we as the youth should be able to turn this challenge into opportunities for growth in the virtual world, for example, learning a new skill, language or exploring the online workplace opportunities.

Being a Third Culture Kid has exacerbated my challenges as a youth in South Africa. However, this has made me adaptable to my surroundings and made me culturally sensitive and able to breakdown cross-cultural barriers. I have always lived by the motto that challenges or adversity in life are opportunities for us to grow spiritually as human beings. I believe that as a youth of today it is my duty to give back to the country that has given me so much. I look confidently to the future to contribute positively and hope this generation of youth can inspire future generations.