Bottoms Up! Fun-Filled Drinking Games You Can Play In South Africa

If you're also partial to the odd beverage stronger than tea or coffee, then you might be interested in familiarising yourself, in particular, with some of South Africa's most popular drinking games.

Intrigued? Let's raise our glasses, and prepare to enter the amusing - and sometimes wacky - world of South African drinking games.

The Springbok Shot

Anyone who has visited South Africa and been lucky enough to explore its many awe-inspiring and unspoiled national parks will be well-acquainted with the sight of herds of springbok - the country's national beast and the namesake of its famed rugby team. However, this agile antelope also lends its name to a notorious drink and the even more notorious drinking ritual associated with it; one which you may be best advised merely to watch and not participate in.

If you do decide to take part in the potentially dangerous Springbok shot ritual, first you will need to prepare your drink. A Springbok shot consists of a blend of creme de menthe - which forms a vivid green layer of liquid on the bottom - and rich golden Amarula on the top. As you may know, Amarula is an alcoholic drink prepared using marula, a plum-sized fruit found growing on its namesake trees, which are native to Southern Africa. Perhaps most famous for being responsible for drunken animals which gorge themselves on the fruit - sadly, just an amusing myth - the marula fruits have been used to create a delicious creamy liqueur (Amarula) as well as a more traditional beer.

Anyway, back to the Springbok shot ritual. Once you have prepared your green and gold shot, it's time for the fun to begin, as you emulate the sounds and actions of an excited springbok (yes, really). To do this, stand in front of your shot glass with your hands behind your back, begin stamping your feet one at a time, then toss your head back and snort and squeal as a springbok would. Then you lower your head to the shot glass - keeping your hands firmly behind your back - and attempt to drink it. This feat is just as tricky as it sounds, particularly if you're already three sheets to the wind, which is why it's probably best if you remain an interested observer rather than taking part!

The Gambling Drinking Game

Known as 'Kings', this game is not technically South African in origin, as you can find variations of it played across the globe. However, South Africa has added its own unique rules, which you will need to learn before starting to make sure you don't accidentally rile any of your drinking companions.

To play, you must place a sizeable glass in the middle of a table, and surround it with a pack of cards, spread face down on the table. You then each take a card, and, depending on the local rules, you may have to take a drink depending on the type of card you have chosen. However, if you pull a King card out of the deck, you need to add your drink to the glass standing in the middle of the table.

When someone pulls the final King card from the scattered deck, they then have to down the contents of the King glass - no matter how strong those contents may be. Of course, if you are a little nervous about the hangover-inducing properties of this game, you and your South African buddies can opt for a more enjoyable and less headachy version that still brings its own thrills. You can try gambling with real money on online slot games provided by South African virtual casinos, while sipping your drinks and enjoying the managed risk of placing wagers. Your head will thank you for the following day, and you may even win some cash in the bargain.

The Rugby Drinking Game

As you will already know, rugby is a widespread passion in South Africa, jostling shoulders with soccer and cricket for the position of the country's most popular sport. Consequently, it may come as no surprise to hear that there is a drinking game you can play while watching the country's national rugby team (the Springboks, of course) charge across the pitch.

To play, you and your rugby-watching friends will need to make sure you have plenty of drinks prepared before the match starts. You will then need to come up with your own rules for when you all take a drink so that, once the action commences, you're all on the same page alcohol-wise.

For instance, you may decide to each take a drink whenever there is a scrum, or every time a point is scored, or even every time a commentator repeats an often-used phrase. The fun part about this drinking game is that you are free to customise it, while simultaneously enjoying a thrilling game of rugby. If you're into sports - and drinking games - it's the perfect combination.

The SONA Drinking Game

Last but certainly not least, we come to the SONA drinking game, which began as a means of coping with the tedium - or the disorder - that comes with watching the President's State Of The Nation Address. It doesn't really matter what year it is or which President is taking the helm; this game can be played regardless and, like the rugby option, it can be customised to suit your preference.

In general, however, the rules of this game are simple. Prepare your beverages in time for the speech, and, once the event kicks off, every time someone utters the words "honourable member", "comrades", "corruption", "Covid" (or any phrase of your choosing) you can take a sip.

You may also want to sip any time someone gets interrupted, swears, or even starts a fight. If the SONA drags on too long, or if it becomes a chaotic affair and needs to be cancelled, then you can take some extra sips - or just give up altogether and drain your glass!

Overview

Drinking, playing games, and letting your hair down is a popular part of human society, wherever you live around the world - including South Africa.

One thing is for sure: whether your South African tipple of choice is Klippies and Coke, the Springbok shot, Amarula, or Mampoer, you can expect to get reasonably tipsy playing any of the games mentioned above. Cheers everyone! Just remember to have plenty of paracetamol and water to hand to manage the after-effects of your alcoholic South African fun.