Giggle warning: wrapping up the sentiment of how resilient and humourous locals are when it comes to adversity is ’12 Days of Christmas, The South African Version’, as sang by a Joburg newsreader!
Johannesburg, South Africa (10 December 2023) — One thing about South Africans, what might be considered stressful to one nation is an opportunity for song (and laughter) in ours. Summing this sentiment up aptly and in festive tune, is ’12 Days of Christmas, The South African Version.’
Beautifully sang by newsreader Maneo Motsoeneng on radio station 919, the tune is a giggle-worthy version of the popular Christmas carol that wraps up the many things locals dealt with this year—from success stories to scandals and all the potholes in between.
“Where the traditional lyrics mention lords a-leaping, swans a-swimming and geese a-laying, our version includes potholes lurking and hailstorms hailing. Instead of a true love, we have an X (formerly Twitter) crush, and obviously we had to replace four calling birds with hadedas. As for the three French hens and two turtle doves, we have three mayors and two fake doctors,” share the Joburg-based station who are well aware of what their listeners have endured this year.
While much of the content surrounds Joburg-based events, the sentiment of finding the humour in adversity is wholly South African.
“Having a sense of humour is essential for maintaining good mental health in the face of so many daily frustrations and fears. The news by its very nature, is often a source of distress, anxiety and anger…but we can manage how we tackle each and every day,” says the station’s Dr Sarah Britten.
“Life in Joburg has lots of frustrations, but if we can laugh about them, it helps,” she adds.
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