Do you take exception to foreign artists coming to South Africa and referring to the country as "Africa"?
Pop star Justin Bieber tweeted "Africa" when he arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday ahead of his tour, and the tweet was met by harsh responses from some "tweeps".
l Anelisa Mangcu said: "Uneducated Canadian. Africa is the continent. You are in South Africa."
l Roxy Burger responded: "No, no, no young man. It's South Africa. Not only are you on a continent, you're in a country too."
It's not the first time an international star has felt the wrath of disapproving locals on cyberspace. At his concert in Johannesburg in December last year Chris Brown asked; "How are you doing, Africa?"
But, pop stars are not alone in what comes across as geographical ignorance.
l During the 2009 election campaign in the United States, the then vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was criticised over allegations that she didn't understand that Africa is a continent rather than a country.
l A website titled "Africa is a Continent" lists several other American politicians who appear to be ignorant in this regard. They include former US President George Bush and former US Presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
l Comedian Drew Carey is another famous culprit. A clip from his show Whose Line Is It Anyway sees him saying; "Africa is a big country."
To Bieber's credit, subsequent tweets from his account refer to Cape Town rather than Africa. The megastar is due to perform at Soccer City, Johannesburg on Sunday. - ngubanes@sowetan.co.za
Celebrities and a country called 'Africa'
Do you take exception to foreign artists coming to South Africa and referring to the country as "Africa"?
Pop star Justin Bieber tweeted "Africa" when he arrived in Cape Town on Tuesday ahead of his tour, and the tweet was met by harsh responses from some "tweeps".
l Anelisa Mangcu said: "Uneducated Canadian. Africa is the continent. You are in South Africa."
l Roxy Burger responded: "No, no, no young man. It's South Africa. Not only are you on a continent, you're in a country too."
It's not the first time an international star has felt the wrath of disapproving locals on cyberspace. At his concert in Johannesburg in December last year Chris Brown asked; "How are you doing, Africa?"
But, pop stars are not alone in what comes across as geographical ignorance.
l During the 2009 election campaign in the United States, the then vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was criticised over allegations that she didn't understand that Africa is a continent rather than a country.
l A website titled "Africa is a Continent" lists several other American politicians who appear to be ignorant in this regard. They include former US President George Bush and former US Presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
l Comedian Drew Carey is another famous culprit. A clip from his show Whose Line Is It Anyway sees him saying; "Africa is a big country."
To Bieber's credit, subsequent tweets from his account refer to Cape Town rather than Africa. The megastar is due to perform at Soccer City, Johannesburg on Sunday. - ngubanes@sowetan.co.za
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