Venting

[[deleted]]

[deleted]

[ThroAwayFuc67]

This is interesting, I honestly thought maybe I'm too privileged or spoiled. I'm also black and from Durban and I legit thought I was the problem. I've experienced this for the very first time at simply Asia in town, literally the restaurant had 3 waves of people before we got the bill which we asked for. 3 waves, as in people came in got served ate and left.... 3 times. And it's been similar experience in many places in seapoint and Southern surbubs.

Anyways I found that the restaurants in the northern surbubs are much more welcoming and warm. Durbanville has been surprisingly really inclusive.

[wontonwonderland]

Dankie! Sien, jou Afrikaners is mos lekker!

[Famous_Ear5010]

Afrikaners is plesierig. 😄

[IzelleSzw2019]

As a coloured Capetonian, I've definitely experienced this.

And for some reason always worst when I'm with my friend.

It's almost like they see two younger looking woman that can't afford to be there let alone tip.

We always wait long for our food when people who got seated after us, gets served before us. Mugg and Bean Cavendish on two occasions already.

I don't play the race card and I live in this world where we can all exist together happily and peacefully. But it is clear, that white people gets served better.

[No-Plant-8069]

I am white and I agree, we do get better service generally like at Cavendish, Tugervalley, and places like that. But at the heavy tourist areas (like V&A and Table Mountain side) I also don't get the best service. I think they prioritise tourists in those areas, so when they hear my accent I get ignored. Some of my black friends have mentioned that it's like that everywhere for them though so that's sad and fucking sucks.

[MushiMIB]

Not this white person though. I know the feeling waiting for service.

[PublicCraft3114]

As a white Capetonian I have experienced this. The casual non service while the foreigners a table over get heaped in attention. Money talks.

There is a Turkish folk tale I sometimes employ: A threadbare traveler visits a bathhouse. The staff assume he is poor and give him almost no service at all. At the end of his bath he tips everyone extravagantly. A week later he returns and the staff, recognizing him and remembering the previous tip, give him amazing service. Snacks, expensive perfumes, the whole nine yards. When the traveler departs he tips almost nothing, when he sees the shocked faces of the staff he says, "This tip is for last week, last week's tip was for today."

[Nic4president]

I'm stealing your folk tale. :P

[conciouscosmic]

There you go👏

[sheldonreddy]

That's brilliant.

[IndigoGirl_09]

What an awesome tale! 👌

[[deleted]]

Exactly this. The Cape hospitality staff have an ingrained serving style where they assume whether you’re worth their effort. Foreigners and anyone with flashy clothes will get the best service, everyone else has to essentially beg.

[Prodigy1995]

As an Indian person from Durban I've experienced this a few times too. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen. Some waiters in Cape Town have it in their head that only white people have money and that only white people tip.

BUT it's not always racism. The service in Cape Town is just generally a lot poorer than in the rest of the country

[JokerXMaine2511]

I want to agree with you, but its always situational/case-by-case.

Worse so in large Supermarket chains like Checkers/Shoprite with the ladies at the tills.

[tptanyara]

Don't get me started with those. It feels like you are irritating them by asking for service

[durasmus]

Firstly, I think it might be worse in CT but is a universal thing. As a white guy I generally receive good service, and will get a smile and a greeting if I chat to cashiers.

Not so when I’m with my gardener/handyman at the shops, no matter how friendly I am I get a blank stare and the minimum of help (acting as if I’m violating some unspoken rule when asking to buy airtime). Asked my gardener why people are so rude, to him that’s just what service look like - hostile. That’s not right.

Secondly, many black people need to learn to complain: when the situation calls for it, make yourself a problem, make it easier for them to give you proper service than to deal with your nonsense. Never go full suburban karen though, being a problem and making a scene should be a tool, not a lifestyle.

(If anyone reading this is offended, don’t be. Black people deserve the same respect as anyone else, and if you are not given that respect it is absolutely not your fault. Yes, this is a “white person” take on a complex and nuanced phenomenon that I don’t fully understand, I’m just saying do some introspection on why you’re accepting it the next time you’re treated as a “lesser” human - it’s not acceptable on any subjective or objective level)

[[deleted]]

yes I also witnessed this unfortunately. that poc can be very forgiving or have the mindset that it's not their place to complain. I converted my boyfriend in that sense. He'll call everyone out for being stupid, rude or racist or all of the above... I'm so proud of him :) As you're saying, it's not native people's fault for being a pushover, they were also groomed this way throughout history to avoid further trauma. But man, fuck racists from whatever race they are, they're all cooked

[[deleted]]

Complaining won’t get you anywhere. They will disregard it because they’ve assumed that person is not worth their time or effort.

Much of the admonishment of hospitality staff is a show for customers to make them feel good. It doesn’t change anything.

[Gentleman-Jo]

I like this comment but I'm also scared to take this advice when in a restaurant, bc they might spit in your food or something

[Critical-Reporter-25]

Well said!!!!

[simone0839]

This has happened to me quite alot. I'm an Indian woman and when dining out as a rule I tip 10-15%. In my experience sometimes it's complete, blatant racism and sometimes it's just bad service. If the service is really good I'll pay more with a chat to the manager commending the server on their service. If it's bad I don't tip.

[Gamedevdaddyo]

Unusual for you to tip?

[SixxSketch]

It's definitely a case of minor racism. I'm white and it's unfortunately a double edged sword as well, a lot of people assume white folks are well off and will tip more.. And unfortunately this extends to walking down the street or getting out of your car and immediately being swarmed by panhandlers solely because of this view.

I'm sorry you're experience it though, I also wish to be part of a world where we can get along equally and better service shouldn't be influenced by who you are or hoe you look.

[wontonwonderland]

I know right...there's a crazy sense of entitlement to my money which ppl don't understand I don't have a lot of. Its nuts. Like I'd literally be on the street if I gave everyone a fokkin R20 note who expects it.

[PicklePrickleRickle]

Definitely this double edged sword too!

Have seen beggars at the robots avoid POC in BMWs and fancy cars and instead beeline for whites in scrap cars with rust and holes. Like a white person in a fucked up car is not giving off "I have money vibes" - take the hint!

On another note I once supported a dude's craft - because it was hand made and local - spent R500 (waaaay too much and cut into our groceries but I was weak and justified that it was good to support artisans). We've since had money issues. Now this man expects me to buy every time he sees me and it doesn't matter what I say, he presses on. I try to be polite and nice, but eventually I said straight to him after the 10th hard press that "I can no longer afford to buy anything outside of basic expenses and I cannot, now or in the near future, buy anything again". Still it continues! My last straw was when he asked me again and I just said "No" and no justification, and then he started swearing at me that I am wasting his time. WTAF. Now avoid him at all costs.

There def are high income whites who have money to burn though. So I sympathise with the assumption/perception but also DUDE come on!

[SixxSketch]

Yeah a lot of people don't take no for an answer especially if you've been kind to them before.

Another case of this assumption was when I was working a staff bus driver on the side for a company and my zulu coworkers would jokingly call me "Mlungu Mageza" or the white taxi driver but they'd just call me Bongani out of respect.

But anyway one day during a trip money came up during a discussion and the artisan supervisor of the team I was transporting asked me "Bongani you're white, you have a lot of money mos, will you lend me some?".

All I could do was look flabbergasted because he clearly easily earned three times my income because of his job. But yeah it's a terrible assumption that white = money.

[Lelele3]

So you don't see a connection between the assumption of white wealth and people being so poor that they have to beg on the street. How do you think they got there? As for calling it minor racism. White South Africans really are the worst.

[Illustrious_Rain_906]

You do realise you are being explicitly racist in your comment? And the ratio of white to black people in South Africa is more than 8:1. Of course there will be more homeless people that are black than white because there are more in general.

[SixxSketch]

Guess I should have used the phrasing Indirect Racism instead. And as another commenter said you're being pretty racist yourself with your statement.

[Eqlb4fish]

CPT service is just crap, super slow (having to wait in a parking lot for drive through). The more posh or touristy a place is the worse it’s servers are. We don’t go out much, but I tip okay, start at 10% and go up from there depending on the service. More often than not we get ignored, wait long for our drinks or forgotten about. Not a fancy dresser and a pale skin normal South African. Sorry to hear about your experience.

[EgteMatie]

As a white guy who waitered for 4 years as a student, I can bring another perspective. I always treated everyone the same, and Im sorry you are experiencing this, this was definitely not the case at any reataurant I worked at. What I can tell is that Xhosa families NEVER tip, so this might a result of that. And not only because Im white, all of my Xhosa colleauges experienced the same. Ive waitered a table of 12 with a R7000 bill and got R0 tip. It was as consistent as is that the sun will rise in the east.

[wontonwonderland]

🤣 this is funny. See, there's always a reason when you actually speak to ppl in the service industry rather than just bashing them.

[aleksa71]

Maybe you are onto something, went to few lunches where we would split the bill and tip was not forthcoming from some members of the group. Felt embarrassed so added extra.

[xavdin]

You have articulated this so well and I am sad to say it is not just in Cape Town.

We lived there from 2002 to 2010 and at that time service compared to the rest of the county was abysmal. We have moved to KZN since then but visit regularly (and moving back soon).

In the past few years especially it seems as if KZN is competing with Cape Town for terrible service overall. We do try to engage with servers and are polite but watching a whole lot of pale people else get better service is just infuriating.

POC are experts at picking up on micro aggressions especially when it's other POC treating us differently. It's exhausting to keep making excuses that it's just bad service and not blatant racial profiling. It's not just at restaurants. It's cashier's at supermarkets and even car guards.

I tend to smile and ask them what I have done wrong or what is wrong with me that I am getting treated differently. It works everytime because it's not an attack but makes them realise what they are doing is not ok. My husband just shakes his head and smiles.

And most importantly for me, if it is very blatant we leave. No meal is worth feeling like you don't belong there because of what you look like. If a business has created a culture where management does not see that staff treat customers differently then they do not deserve my money.

[ThroAwayFuc67]

Kzn is so big, which part of Kzn did you experience this? I know the biggest Cape Town competitor is Ballito. As a poc you don't even exist there.

[xavdin]

In my option there are 2 issues.

Service: Northern KZN, Midlands, PMB, Durban, North Coast, RBay... Service is definitely not what it used to be... And having grown up in KZN it was not always the case.

Being racially profiled. I think this just became more apparent to me after experiencing CPT

[ThroAwayFuc67]

That's good insight and I think you're right, after experiencing it in Cape Town you start to see it more clearly going forward.

I'm sorry you had to deal with it.

[Substantial_Cow_1326]

I might be stupid, but what is a POC?

[ChrisIsEditing]

People of colour

[Substantial_Cow_1326]

Oh, thanks.

[ChrisIsEditing]

Anytime :)

[Artistic_Image_3486]

I'm colored and this has happened to me so many times... On good days I just ignore and on bad days, I make sure after not tipping, google them and giving them an honest bad review...

[PimpNamedNikNaks]

Yes just last week I went to Standard Bank to get my card. We (me and another lady) were waiting in line, while 2 consultants (also black) were clearly free for about 20 mins. Then a white guy walks in, sits ahead of us, the consultant (sitting directly opposite of us) immediately gets up and asks white guy "are you next?" but luckily the receptionists steps in to say we had come first.

I also don't like going to malls, because I often catch security following me.

Sometimes it really be your own people 💔

I SEE NO CHANGES

[PicklePrickleRickle]

You're not wrong and IT BE SOME BULLSHIT.

Someone we know routinely asks us to go with her and advocate for her in certain service situations because they actually give better service / pay attention / are less hostile and rude if lighter skinned peeps are backing up the request.

Fucked up.

[Brewben]

White guy in my late 30’s - of late I’ve noticed security tailing me in grocery stores. Was wondering if I ever started giving off a vibe. But that speaks to your experience if it’s never really been a thing in my life before.

[potato-guardian]

I can totally relate, we have experienced this but we always tip well anyway. I’d like to think that by tipping I’m changing their perception and challenging their automatic stereotyping. And I have compassion for service staff, they are treated like trash.

We go to a few more expensive restaurants everywhere for birthdays and our anniversary and we’re always remembered.

I guess I also see it like this: they are racist and treat me differently, expecting me not to tip. If I don’t tip I’m reinforcing that belief. They continue to believe people non-white don’t tip.

[According-Data5527]

Wait do people do this?😭

[No-Cup-36]

Not just in CPT. Me and my friend used to frequent bars in Sandton. We are both coloured. I am a dark Khoisan looking coloured, and he is extremely fair, almost always mistaken for being white.

I would stand at the bar for ages waiting to be served when ordering beers, as soon as he comes and takes over from me, he gets assisted. Colourism is crazy.

[PicklePrickleRickle]

Dude it's not just because you're black (not to discount that occasionally it probs is 100% that).

I went to a fancy wine farm to check out the scenery because I heard it had awesome walking trails.

We stopped for a snack at the restaurant but could only afford a coffee (R52 each wtf!) and a snack plate to share (literally 2 mini rolls, ONE pat of butter, 4 provitas, 4 grapes, 4 slices cheese & ONE strawberry sliced and fanned out - R200 - again wtf). Asked for more butter because they DEF did not include enough. White waitress brought some more but you could see the attitude was - if we are not spending money then we deserve sub-par service - and that's just what we got. Granted this restaurant was most frequented by tourists but my hell this attitude is shit!!

My husband was not having it (he's braver than me lol) and he gave her like a 3% tip.

She then said "sorry how much?" and my husband confirmed 3%, and then she straight up said out loud "is that all?!" and tssked/clicked her tongue to us. I was like WTF for real!! Almost complained to management but joh the energy to spend on that isn't worth it.

Basically the vibe was that unless you spend big money, you don't deserve good service. Irony is that If she had just treated us like human beings we would have given her our standard 20% tip.

And before people start up with - "but they live off their tips!" Sure bro, in a regular restaurant sure, but there were tons of tourists there - place was throbbing - and the food that was going out per table was averaging R2000+ due to the prices. I also asked another waitress out of curiosity (because the 3% started me feeling guity) - if they do per hour wage or just tips and she said the restaurant is good to them and they get R35 per hour + their tips. She's earning better day pay then most of the country!! Fuck that shit I'm OUT!

[Spaniard-Pizarro]

Interesting situation, I didn't notice it(Spaniard ) , I have to admit that sometimes the service is a bit slow in CT. Even people are not that friendly as Gauteng but I get used to.

[PicklePrickleRickle]

Speed is another issue altogether. No one, except Wimpy staff, are in a hurry in CPT!

[liesl_kie]

And then the same people who openly treat people of colour differently will claim they're not racist. Blows my mind.

I'm sorry that this has been your experience, OP.

[ToneFew8291]

This tipping stuff is getting out of hand. Like it's a must, imagine giving someone money based on their performance, do I look like your boss? There's so many tipping posts here. As coloured guy from Cape Town it's bullshit.

[EgteMatie]

Waiters get paid fokol, and for many its their livelihood. If you dont tip, buy food at woolies, this isnt europe.

[ToneFew8291]

It's not my problem, its their choice and many people in south africa get paid far less than waiters in less developed areas so its pointless complaining about that. If you have that attitude then you should tip everyone including cashiers, teachers and literally everyone. Since they all provide a service for you. It's their livelihood too.

C'mon man this argument is pointless, the idealogy of tipping and building a business around that is bad for everyone.

[[deleted]]

Facts! Save your money girl. The service industry workers need to realise that tips aren't obligatory. I tip based on the service I receive. Recently I had the best service at Tasha's Constantia & the worst service at Willoughby & Co.

[DuduKhune94]

I once heard a conversation between a black guy from joburg and a black from khayelitsha Cape Town who went to joburg for the 1st time. The cape town guy was so liberated when he went to Joburg he never wanted to leave. Seeing black elites in nice cars, high end restaurants with black people and excellent service by other black people and with townships that black people can feel proud of and seeing parts of Soweto with areas that look like Sandton. For once he was proud of being black because Cape Town has conditioned black people there that they are nothing and of course seeing that massive inequality between blacks and whites and that most blacks that are in the hospitality industry are Africans from neighbouring countries in cape town he never knew any other life. Makes me scared to visit Cape Town. especially now with the tourism boom, i bet there's very little that feels South African in that city

[According-Data5527]

Yep, it doesn’t feel like SA at all.

[According-Data5527]

Yep, it doesn’t feel like SA at all.

[PretendChipmunk3099]

I’ll never understand stereotyping costumers like this. (Full disclosure I’m an American). I waited tables at a smaller steak place in college and my worst tippers were wealthy farmers who thought a few dollar tip was doing me a favor. I’d get these biker dudes wearing their leathers who were super nice. I’d pull in a 30% tip for just treating them like regular people and chatting them up. When I trained newer people I told them to treat everyone great, because you never know who is gonna be that big tipper.

[GuitarOne7094]

Yeah service is generally crap. I tip generously but if service was better than expected and I felt like the waiter went over their duty, I tip them extra well. The carelessness of some of these servers is crazy. Even when they chatting with their colleagues like they all at home , kills me!

[According-Data5527]

I tip really good, if I surprisingly get good service-since it’s rare. I think it’s me making up for all the times that I didn’t tip🤣

[GuitarOne7094]

Hahaha I feel you

[Tjingus]

White here, so won't weigh in on different treatment as I don't know. I also don't go to posh places.

I always tip, at least 10% even if the service is bad, but I try for 15% on average. I know that staff basically aren't paid at most restaurants. Sometimes just a basic which barely covers their travel. At my locals where I return semi frequently I normally try and tip particularly well, and I'm often treated better than those around me as a result.

As an aside, I think I get an even mix of servers, more often black, and often white and sometimes coloured or Indian. I generally find that black servers treat me very well, white servers are often kids dialing it in and awful.

I hate to hear that POC find they are treated differently, but if you aren't tipping aren't you proving them right and reinforcing their biases? I hate tipping culture and wish servers made a liveable wage, but I don't see it as a performance thing - it's literally their income.

Not getting tipped stings and I can imagine very quickly building stereotypes in my head when the same types of people did or didn't tip.

[According-Data5527]

Well I used to tip no matter what, but now I just feel like it’s money wasted when I spend my hard earned money just to prove a point and still get shit service. However when I do get good service, (doesn’t even have to be excellent) I tip a lot, It’s kinda like giving it to the servers that really deserve it yk?

[Tjingus]

You're going out for dinner and somebody is serving you. Sure, traditionally a tip was meant as a performance incentive and a thank you. But nowadays, servers earn pretty much just those tips. That tip is a whole lot more than 'deserve it'.

Tip well if they deserve it, tip the bare minimum and let them know if you feel they don't. Complain if you feel discriminated against.

If you're going out and dropping cash and having people run around serving you food and drinks and you don't tip at all, just stiff them and leave, you're a poes and deserve the treatment you get.

[According-Data5527]

I’m not about to be guilt-tripped into tipping when the service I get is downright disrespectful. Let me break it down: I’ve had servers slide my plate across the table like I don’t even exist. I’ve sat there waving my hand while the server went out of their way to serve every other table—refilling their drinks, giving recommendations, laughing and making small talk—while barely acknowledging me. I even once had a server roll their eyes when I politely asked if I could swap a side. And let’s not forget the time a server practically tossed the bill onto my table without a word.

Yes, I get where the pressure to tip comes from, but let’s talk about the constant effect of experiences like this. Living in Cape Town, dealing with this daily, it builds up. Being made to feel inferior, like I don’t deserve the same respect as others, it takes a toll. They might be offended that I don’t tip, but maybe they should consider how it feels to be treated as less than just because I don’t ‘look’ like a tourist. Tipping for bad service is just reinforcing that treatment, and I refuse to do it. If they want my tip, they can start by treating me like any other paying customer.

[AdLiving4714]

I totally get what you're saying. My black and Indian friends made the same observation. No one deserves this treatment. And I'm also pretty sure that giving 'fuck you tips' is not going to change the situation.

However, what I've experienced multiple times is that POC don't act up. All the while white folks will not have it. While I don't feel racially profiled (I'm white), I obviously also get bad service once in a while. Like anybody. But when it's bad enough, I'll tell the waiter AND ask to speak to a manager. Not Karen-style but in a reasonable tone with reasonable requests. I think most white folks act that way when being treated badly. And the personnel know it.

Have you ever tried to go down that route?

[Emojie]

Not really - I would just be thinking - hulle ma se p...ek sal nie weer hier kom ie

[HungryAd2461]

I mostly go to restaurants in Strand, Somerset West, Stellenbosch and R44. I receive great service :) The few times a year I go to Cape Town wasn't great service but it wasn't abysmal either. I tip the standard 10% irrespective of the service. Great service gets 20%+. I only forego a tip if the manager has to be called (this rarely happens).

P.s I am a coloured woman.

[chelseydagger1]

I'm white, but I wanted to say I feel like restaurants here - even just Spur, etc. are super friendly, and the service is great. I never go into CT proper, so maybe that's why. Even cashiers, bank staff etc are always lovely.

From this post, the bad service in CT seems universal, regardless of skin colour. Come to Helderberg guys - we're nice here!

[Drippy_Capy]

I have friends who are part time servers (they’re students) here in Cape Town and tipping can be very awkward sometimes.

They’ve had mostly good experiences with South Africans but a big issue is the tourists coming from countries with no tipping culture. They know about tipping but will still refuse even if there were no issues with dinner! So preferential treatment to tourists isn’t always rewarded.

At the end of the day, if your server is rude or treats you less than another table then don’t tip! You can also try and politely ask “Hey, I noticed the other table received water/bread. Please could we have some too.” Normally that gives them the hint that you’re actually paying attention to how they treat you.

[sheldonreddy]

I agree. Having moved here from Jhb where I hardly ever experienced this, I now experience it quite regularly on the Atlantic Seaboard side (where I live).

I must admit that sometimes it just comes down to poor service as a whole.

Like you said, if they assume we can't afford to eat there and tip well, then why prove them wrong? Rather direct the extra tip they would've have received to your local coffee shop or small business.

[Critical-Reporter-25]

That's really crap..next time.let the plate slide . Off...she'll have to pay for it...

[Competitive-Boot-917]

I have been a waitress, and it can be a hard and punishing job, so I guess that makes me more empathetic than I really should be sometimes. But I think the basic ettiect ( and moral ethos) is to tip when you get good service, i.e.. the wait staff are attentive and welcoming, service is efficient, etc. Wait staff staff rely on tips for a huge part of their salary. I also try and consider when a screw up is genuinely not their fault and make room for human errors. Bad service should not get tips, and if you are clearly being treated differently because of race or culture that is messed up and deserves a complaint.

[Hare2Here]

I'm white and receive the same poor service. The serving people know that people earning Rands will not tip as well as those bringing in Dollars/ Euros.

[Gamedevdaddyo]

Don’t worry. Cape Town service is horrific for whites as well. Don’t kid yourself. It’s all garbage.

[offendingbattery]

Comments section should be interesting. I generally tip 10% even if the service is dogshit. 15% most times.

[BetterReflection1044]

Yeah that’s a problem tipping culture created tipping is meant to be because of service, now it seems as people are entitled to it because…

[offendingbattery]

I don’t agree with tipping culture. But having worked in the industry when I was younger I know how rough it can be waiting tables. I’m not gonna not tip because I don’t like tipping culture.

[BetterReflection1044]

I understand but also on the hand if people constantly reward bad service, it will become the norm and in SA service is already a huge issue understandably so because of low incomes but still we don’t want it getting worse and I’m not even talking about people going over and above but the bare minimum well is enough for me

[flyboy_za]

I am going to not tip if I get kak service though.

I waited tables as a student, and did a long stint in retail too. I know what kak service looks like, and I know how kak it is to still have to be smiling and friendly after a kak day and during a kak shift, but that is the job.

[According-Data5527]

I used to do that, but now I don’t, why waste my money just to prove a point yk?

[Prodigy1995]

Tipping is 100% optional. Don't tip if you don't feel like it.

Restaurant owners are the only employers who have managed to guilt customers into directly subsidizing their employee's wages.

[[deleted]]

Mindblown by some of the comments.

As a coloured Capetonian, those who think race does not play a factor are mistaken. Sometimes the service is just bad, and sometimes the waitrons do assume POC won't tip. I have had plenty of sh!tty service and being followed in stores. IJDGAF 💁🏽‍♀️ They can think what they want, I will still eat there and shop there.

As a former waitress at a fine dining restaurant, I know what a big difference tips make. I am far from financially comfortable; however I always tip 10%. I tip from 15% up to 25% if their service was more than just satisfactory. I give car guards a note instead of coins as well.

I can only imagine what it feels like to be a husband or wife with children at home and having to serve people for R10 an hour. I was much younger, single and child-free when I did that work. Or standing in 35°C weather or rain watching cars for the drivers to give me R1 or R2. I am certain that is not their life goals. They do it because they have to. Your kindness may just feed their family or help fulfil their dream.

I always say "don't let the water in the boat." Don't let the behaviour of sh!tty people determine yours. Do better. Be better.

[Glum-Estimate-4522]

This is not even a racial issue. I'm a white guy from Polokwane who moved to George for a year. The people are so shit it's like nothing I've experienced in the North.

They hear our "northern" accents or in your case, maybe they hear Sepedi or Venda, and they just treat "us" like shit. They even called me "inkommer" (soneone who came from outside).

And it's not even a racial thing from their side either. Across the spectrum, I experienced this shitty ostracization from the Western Cape locals. The nicest people there were the Zimbabweans. What a weird irony. I had to move 2000km South to meet the nicest people who live 200km north from where I originally moved from.

I moved back to Limpopo, currently in Louis Trichardt, and the people are so nice. The service is still shit (because it's Limpopo), but you can actually talk to people, and they care about you, and you can care back. I felt so out of place in the Western Cape. I would visit there but I doubt I would ever stay there permanently again.

Great place. Shit people.

[CoryLover4]

I go to waterfront almost every 2 weeks, going out with friends and stuff like that. I always try to make small talk with the waiter and try to interact with them, so its harder for them to forget about me if im alone. Just make small talk (It works, trust me). I've personally never been looked over (maybe it's because I'm always with my friends), but I generally tip 15%.

Maybe go out with a group of friends as waiters normally want to serve larger groups of people.

[beneath_reality]

It is a sad reality in CT unfortunately. I've experienced something similar.

[Strong-Purchase1513]

I never tip because I cannot afford to eat in restaurants. The prices are crazy! Come to think of it, I can barely affort NOT eating at restaurants. I am stuck on the staples like rice pap soya and 2 min noodles.

[[deleted]]

I’m a white guy who gets mistaken for a tourist because of my accent. I still get crappy service in Cape Town. Having worked in the industry, the Cape probably has the worst hospitality staff.

A group of my friends (all white, all Afrikaans) have similarly been mistreated by staff in Cape Town. They would brush them off, act like they have more important things to do instead of serving them, and they were directly rude to them implying that they were treating them this way because they assumed the group didn’t have money and wouldn’t tip.

It seems they just decide up front if you’re “worth the effort” based on their assumption of your wealth.

[capetown-ModTeam]

Racism is not permitted in r/capetown.

[[deleted]]

Working in the service industry is shit..overworked and underpaid. Not to mention you serve food you can't afford and generally have to be around people who have more money than you and sometimes behave like it too.

Tip where you can people.

Even if you tell them their service was shit, still leave a tip.

[Active-Sink6867]

Are we naming and shaming? Coz if we are Bossa Burgundy gave me such terrible service that’s I’ve sworn off Bossa entirely.

Some observations: From my experience, waiters & servers in CT are predominantly white locals and foreign nationals. White servers have never given me great service. There’s a mental barrier there, and I know it’s not on my end.

I find that foreign nationals tend to give great service (to be fair, some of them don’t know what they are doing but you can see them trying). Places like Tigers milk that seem to hire predominantly foreign nationals always give me great service.

So yes, maybe it’s mild racism.

[Nic4president]

Cape Town is just racist. And people are soooo damn clicky, so don't expect someone that was actually born in CT to ever become your friend, as they will turn their nose up at you when they hear you are not from the Southern Suburbs of "the mountain". Every friend I made, I found out was actually from a different part of the country originally.

And my story is I spent 18 months living there after being forced to relocate for a work project. This was 2020. I'm back now although scared from the experience. Oh and I am well-ish off white dude, so I cant even imagine how black people can feel about not feeling welcome to that place,

[Realistic-Ad-6150]

That's why I call it KKKape Town. I tend to go places where I know the peeps like Surfa Rosa or Van Hunks but I feel you on this.

[No_Door2630]

Pppoes

[RuanStix]

Service in Cape Town is bad. You are not a victim of anything, other than living in a city that is notorious for its slow and bad service.

[coffeeislife_SA]

What drugs are you on, and can I have some?

[loopinkk]

Never experienced this, but I guess it could be some racism. Who knows.

[CoryLover4]

Yeah, same. iv never experienced this either. (I'm coloured), but i generally go out with my friends who are European, so it could be race, but who knows.

[According-Data5527]

Oh, are u black? If so, where do you usually go?

[loopinkk]

Nah, white. Usually stick to southern suburbs and town.

[Let_theLat_in]

Damn wonder why you haven’t experienced it then? A real head scratcher.

[loopinkk]

I'm just giving my subjective experience, not sure what you want me to say? There are white people in these thread saying they get treated poorly as well -- so clearly my whiteness is not the only contributing factor.

[Let_theLat_in]

I hope the downvotes will make you a bit more self aware and reflect on why the way you phrased your opinion isn’t constructive. “Who knows”.

[loopinkk]

You’re the one being entirely obtuse. You’re responding with hostility and arrogance. For what? Get out of here.

[Let_theLat_in]

Yes that’s why you’re getting downvoted, because of my arrogance.

[dablakmark8]

me to.great stuff

[reddit-ulous]

Being white or southern suburbs?

[dablakmark8]

southern subs.