And what about Good Morning South Africa. A staid, comfortable wake-up call, complemented by Linda Kriel jumping around in spandex and LA Gear pumps, quickly followed by a song that still reverberates between my ears every so often: hit that body beat boy, beat boy! The humble pizza wasn’t even available in Johannesburg until the 80’s, when Pizza Hut came to town and plied us with their vein-clogging dough-based festivals of cheese. Like there wasn’t enough cheese on the radio.
80’s fashion in South Africa was like Betamax: it fought for what it thought was a well-deserved place in the homes of people everywhere. Thankfully it got trounced by VHS, or 90’s fashion for the purpose of this article and the days of Lycra, LA Gear, poly shorts and Doc Martins were soon to be erased. The nineties had arrived, and the days of Benson and Hedges sponsored cricket games, corporal punishment and playing rock records backwards were soon to be over. Oh, and anyone who remembers the classroom smelling of fish, please read on.
Keeping in with SA Promo traditions, we went out onto the streets of SW as well as the information superhighway to ask South Africans what they remember about growing up in South Africa.
JAMES DAY
BORN: 1982
What do you remember most from growing up?
Those hideous tights my mom used to wear to go to gym (and everywhere else for that matter), offset by a big, black perm. An image not easily forgotten! Vague recollections of “Get that body beat boy, beat boy, beat boy” blurring from the TV too!
What food from 80s/90s that you can’t get any more?
The PROPER fireballs, Smurf viennas, original Ghost Pops.
What was your favourite TV show of the 80s/90s?
McGuyver, Richie Rich, Ducktales, Murder She Wrote, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The one thing you would’ve brought with you from the 80s/90s?
Mandatory naps after lunch, cheesy detective shows.
Your favourite word from the 80s/90s?
Cool Dude. (that hasn’t really worn off has it?)
CHANTELLE HARVEY
BORN: 1981
What do you remember most from growing up?
Yellow slippy slides, Leg warmers, Neon clothing, BMX, Pac-Man, having 10 cents in my pocket and being able to buy 10 chappies or more.
What food from 80s/90s that you can’t get any more?
Stinky Creols, Fizz Bombs and Fire balls.
Your worst piece of 80s/90s fashion?
Those socks you used to roll down and have 3 different colours rolled down on top of each other, scrunchies and legwarmers.
What was your favourite TV show of the 80s/90s?
Gummie Bears, Who’s the Boss, The A-Team, Thundercats, Smurfs, The Wonder Years, Mina Moe, Pumpkin Patch and Wielie Walie. The one thing you would’ve brought with you from the 80s/90s? My Rubik’s Cube.
Your favourite word from the 80s/90s?
Chill, lame, rad and like.
LESIBANE MOHALE
BORN: 1984
What do you remember most from growing up?
Kotas (Bunny Chow), Pac Man, Street Fighter, Bloodsport.
What food from 80s/90s that you can’t get any more?
Candy ciggies, Fire balls.
What was your favourite TV show of the 80s/90s?
McGyver, Kideo, Masters of the Universe, Fat Albert, The Smurfs.
The one thing you would’ve brought with
you from the 80s/90s?
My bmx, my space case.
Your favourite word from the 80s/90s?
Know what I’m saying?
NIKI DE BRUYN
BORN: 1982
What do you remember most from growing up?
Guns ‘n Roses (Axl’s tighty whiteys), Mina Moe, individual sweets at supermarkets and multi-coloured roll down socks.
What food from 80s/90s that you can’t get any more?
Flannigan’s chips (damn they were good) and those little pink hard sweets that came on necklaces. They used to pinch!
Your worst piece of 80s/90s fashion?
Big hair, brightly coloured roll down socks, and those Wimpy shoes. Everything really.
What was your favourite TV show of the 80s/90s?
McGyver, Kideo, Masters of the Universe, Fat Albert, The Smurfs.
The one thing you would’ve brought with you from the 80s/90s?
McGuyver! Gummi Bears…da da da ta da ….and Beauty and the beast on SABC 1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… heroes in a half shell…Turtle power!
Your favourite word from the 80s/90s?
Cowabunga dude!
KELLY SCHAPER
BORN: 1986
What do you remember most from growing up?
The tight pants and those shoulder pads our moms used to wear! Ha ha!
What food from 80s/90s that you can’t get any more?
The only thing I can remember from back in the day was my daddy’s yummy sloppy joes!
Your worst piece of 80s/90s fashion?
Those socks you used to roll down and have 3 different colours rolled down on top of each other, scrunchies and legwarmers.
What was your favourite TV show of the 80s/90s?
90210 or Baywatch.
The one thing you would’ve brought with you from the 80s/90s?
Tamagotchi, those little things we had to keep alive and feed etc, I thought they were quite entertaining.
Your favourite word from the 80s/90s?
As if!
IAN JONES
BORN: 1981
What do you remember most from growing up?
Poly shorts, hearing news broadcasts on the radio at lunch time. Ohlsson’s lager. Orange halves at half time during the barefoot rugby, and Baker’s mini-cricket. Cheese Cloth Shirts, Powers, Doc Martins and middle path hairstyles. MC Hammer!
What food from 80s/90s that you can’t get any more?
Cherry Coke, Shooters chips (chilli flavour), Gobstoppers and Fireballs.
Your worst piece of 80s/90s fashion?
Neon wrist moon bags. and zinc neon face war paints like Alan Donald used.
What was your favourite TV show of the 80s/90s?
Miena-moe, Transformers…and “if only cheep could fly”. The Highway Man, A-Team, Who’s the Boss, Telly Fun Quiz, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pumpkin Patch, Win ‘n Spin with Mike Mills.
The one thing you would’ve brought with you from the 80s/90s?
GI Joes and North Stars.
Your favourite word from the 80s/90s?
Dudette, epic. ‘Zeph’…still trying to find out what it means.
CRAIG MCCARTNEY
BORN: 1982
What do you remember most from growing up?
Doc Martins, yo-yo competitions, Boys of London, scollies during marble season at school, Roxette, Leisure Sweet Larry, the end of apartheid. Oh, and everyone’s dad had a moustache. What food from 80s/90s that you can’t get any more?
Not too sure about this one, but I distinctly remember the Nik Naks recipe changing frequently which I was not happy about.
Your worst piece of 80s/90s fashion?
Dungarees…Yuk. I had a pair for a week and then binned them after seeing myself in a photo.
What was your favourite TV show of the 80s/90s?
Thundercats, In Living Colour, The Simpsons.
The one thing you would’ve brought with you from the 80s/90s?
Vanilla Ice. Your favourite word from the 80s/90s? Graunch – “Last night I totally graunched this chick!” Baff – “Come on dudes, who baffed?” Holy mackerel – “Holy mackerel that guy is good with a yo-yo!”
