Once in Ashton, we start writing up the game plan/planning doc for the Screening Team and itching, just a tad, with jealousy: 'In Zolani, it will work really well to setup sound and blast some music an hour before the screening starts.  The houses are right on top of the community hall so the sounds will just round up a crowd.  At the same time, drive the van around and blow the buffalo so they know what's happening'.

We suspect that here in Zolani, a laid-back township 2 minutes out of Ashton, Soccer Cinema is going to be a mad party. Latsi, the local under-17 coach doesn't want to miss it and insists his players will come wearing their team shirts. Bathwell, the caretaker of Rolihlahla Hall (opened by Madiba in the 1990s) enjoyed a sneak preview of "Drogba Fever".


Local enthusiasm in Zolani, Ashton.

In each town we finalise the screening time and place, our local patron signs the Soccer Cinema Mascot Ball and we try dig up something locally interesting. We had some good laughs with Charles Beukes in Worcester and got the low down on Robertson from Daneil Baadjies - anyone up for the Wacky Wine Fest in early June where you can take a dip in pool of red vino and maybe find a diamond ring!?

After viewing halls in Zolani, Robertson and Nkqubela, we added some Soccer Cinema colours to Daniel's office and filled out the posters. That is where we learnt that "kungenwa" is the proper xhosa word for "mahala" - we added free & gratis too.

Everywhere we go, people walk. In the middle of nowhere. And cycle. Any time of day and night. Young families pushing a pram. Mothers holding kids in their arms. People wave money to catch a lift.

Each small town and village has it's own township, in the so-called new South Africa. A little seems to have changed but what would really make a huge difference would be means of transport. Bicycles for short trips and decent public transport for other trips. Many people were quite open to the idea of going to the other areas but if it's far and they have only there feet to do so... 

Noteworthy: This is one of South Africa's prime wine growing areas. The cheese and the olives aren't bad either...

A smile and a bitjie afrikaans (or xhosa) goes a loooooong way.