This article first appeared in SAWUBONA magazine 

September 2009

Let me tell you about a certain country.

Like the other countries with which it shares a vast continent, this land was for centuries a colony exploited by European powers. When it established independence from its “mother country” many years ago, this did not bring freedom to most of its people – the colonial legacy of ethnicity-based inequality remained. After a twentieth century dominated by militaristic and totalitarian rule, it has only comparatively recently emerged as a civil democracy and is now one of the leading “countries of the South”.

It has an extensive coastline and is renowned for its natural beauty. Its most popular tourist destination is a city that combines a laid-back lifestyle with a reputation as a party capital: a place where mountain peaks rise dramatically above the beaches and bays for which the city is renowned. Its major city (the commercial and industrial centre of the country, home to over 10 million people) is, however, located inland.

Both these cities, as with urban areas across the country, are marked not only by bold new architectural developments but also by shantytowns – demonstrating a sharp divide between the haves and the have-nots. They are also known as among the most violent cities in the world, where crime is a daily reality. Along with housing and provision of basic services to the poor, one of the major challenges facing the country is curbing the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Sound familiar? If you thought I was describing South Africa, you were wrong. Not English and Dutch settlers, but Portuguese; not Cape Town and Johannesburg, but Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo; not the loxion culture of South Africa’s townships, but the favelas. I’m talking, you have by now realised, about Brazil.

There are, of course, as many striking differences as there are similarities between the two nations. The human brain is programmed to identify symmetries and parallels, to recognise patterns – so it’s easier to affirm what we have in common than to trace the complexities of contrasting geography, language, demographics, socio-politics, history, economics ... the list goes on. And it is difference, not similarity, that we seek when we travel to another country.

Despite the trilateral IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) agreement to promote tourism between the countries as part of the broader shift towards “South-South” trade and economic development, South Africans account for a fraction of international tourism in Brazil and vice-versa. Currently, between 15,000-20,000 Brazilians travel to South Africa each year – a broad estimate, as statistics that reflect the downturn in tourist numbers resulting from the global recession are not yet available.

But that is about to change, because there is one more thing that South Africa and Brazil have in common: a deep and abiding love for soccer. Football, fussball, futbol (futebol in Brazil); call it what you will, the beautiful game is not only the most popular sport in the world but, in places like South Africa and Brazil, it’s a kind of secular religion. The number of tourists from Brazil to Germany increased by 75% in 2006, when Germany hosted the last FIFA World Cup; if that figure is anything to go by, we can expect upwards of 35,000 Brazilian visitors in June and July of next year.

Yes, things are looking rosy as far as inbound travel is concerned. But what about South Africans who want to find out more about Brazil? A return flight to Sao Paolo will set you back about R10,000; and even though Brazil is a relatively inexpensive travel destination in terms of accommodation, transport, food and entertainment, nowadays fewer people are finding that their budgets can stretch to afford the luxury of international travel.

The alternative is, then, to explore Brazilian culture without leaving your home town – and, for Jo’burgers at least, that opportunity is presented by the good people at Rodizio. With restaurants in Bedforview and Fourways, Rodizio has achieved a reputation as a dinner-and-dancing venue that offers both a distinctive culinary experience and entertainment to mimic the Latin festivity for which Brazil is famous.

“Rodizio” is actually a style of serving food: for a set price, restaurant patrons enjoy a constant stream of waiters past their tables offering various dishes until they indicate that they’ve had enough. The most common form is a vegetarian’s nightmare but a carnivore’s delight – in the typical churrascaria, or rodizio-style steak house, waiters arrive at a table with long skewers of beef, chicken, pork, lamb, chouriço sausage or other meat straight off the grill and carve slices onto your plate. For meat-loving South Africans, this is the trademark meal at Rodizio restaurants. But there are various other options on the menu, from seafood platters to some more traditional Brazilian and Portuguese fair (see sidebar).

The food is, however, only half the story. The other half consists of music and dancing: DJs and bands, couples swaying to salsa and samba rhythms. When the caiparinhas and the wine are flowing, Rodizio becomes more a nightclub than a restaurant, as guests take to the floor with gusto (if usually with a lot less aplomb than the professionals).

So, in anticipation of the arrival of Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Robinho, Anderson, Alex and other one-named Brazilian footballing wonders in 2010 – or perhaps just until you can scrape together enough cash for a trip to Brazil yourself – you could do a lot worse than spend an evening at Rodizio. Even if you don’t go for the “rodizio”!