Radio sports anchor Sibongile Mafu has been giving us all the feels with her European trip.
Mafu decided to take a much-needed overseas break and is sharing her adventures with her social media followers.
Her first stop took her to Berlin, where she immersed herself in the local culture and even shared budgeting hacks for those who plan on visiting the city.
My hotel was so cute. Right in the heart of Berlin. Made it easy to get around as it was so central. Especially enjoyed the breakfast area.
Itās called about:berlin Hotel. pic.twitter.com/V5UrRqLkdi
But being a solo Black traveller did come with its drawbacks.
Taking to Twitter, Mafu vented about her latest airport experience.
āMoving through international airports while African - especially solo as a Black woman,ā she wrote.
āHere are my visas. Why are you asking me for my return ticket when I had to jump through hoops and supply kilograms of paperwork to get these visas in the first place omg.ā
Moving through international airports while African - especially solo as a Black woman š¤¬
ā Sibongile Mafu (@sboshmafu) August 15, 2022
Here are my visas. Why are you asking me for my return ticket when I had to jump through hoops and supply kilograms of paperwork to get these visas in the first place omg
Although she didnāt name the airport, many could relate, saying being stopped at customs was the norm every time they travelled overseas.
Mostly women shared their own experiences of being hounded by customs officials because of the colour of their skin.
āI hate this š¤ Asked us why my partner and I have different addresses if we are allegedly in a relationship. Had to produce all the paperwork we submitted for visa,ā commented a user.
Travelled with my wife when she came to join me in the UK. She was walking ahead of me and they stopped her wanting to search her bags. When I caught up with them and asked what the issue was, after explaining she was my wife they let her go without searching.
ā Temptation Mhonda (@temptmho) August 16, 2022
āItās so annoying and insulting. How do you think I got this visa?!,ā said another.
First international trip. Travelling with a Rwandan friend to Austria, but getting off in Frankfurt. Only two people body searched. Zero privacy either. Lapho we were going for training. It wasn't even a holiday
ā Mlazi (@lunga_ngwenya) August 15, 2022
One of Mafuās followers mentioned the fact that this sort of discrimination is not spoken about often enough.
When she was asked if the airport in question was in the UK, she responded with: āThis was when I entered Germany, but Iām bracing myself for the UK.ā
Lucky for Mafu, her entry into the UK was hassle-free as she shared with online users she encountered no difficulties.
Passport Control at Heathrow was a breeze.
ā Sibongile Mafu (@sboshmafu) August 15, 2022
āWhat are you here for?ā
āTo watch cricket.ā
āWelcome to the UK, maāam.ā
Helang
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