Throughout Term 4, we have been lucky to have Cayleigh Charton from St Cyprian’s School in Cape Town and Tlotliso Bogatsu from St Stithians Boys’ College in Johannesburg join our Year 10s as exchange students. Their presence on campus has been a delight, and last Friday they shared this lively dialogue with us all:

Cayleigh: G’day mates. I’m Cayleigh, from Cape Town.
Tlotliso: Yeah, she’s been here for a few weeks and thinks she’s native. I’m Zethu, from Johannesburg.
Cayleigh: We’re both exchange students from South Africa, and today we’re going to chat about what it’s been like — not just living here in Tasmania — but also hosting exchange students back home, plus some of the similarities and differences we’ve noticed.
Tlotliso: Basically, we’ve now been on both sides of the exchange — and it’s made us see both home and here in a completely new way.

Cayleigh: Hosting someone was actually one of my favourite parts. You suddenly see your city through their eyes — things that felt ordinary to you are brand new to them.
Tlotliso: Exactly. Showing Lachie life in the Burg and seeing him experience things I find normal was cool — from our accents to the skyscrapers of Sandton.
Cayleigh: Same with Lila — she couldn’t believe how close Table Mountain was to the school.
Tlotliso: And you start doing things you’d never normally do — visiting tourist spots like Vilakazi Street or Mandela’s House.
Cayleigh: It’s like being a tourist in your own home. You stop rushing and actually notice things.
Tlotliso: Hosting was fun — a little chaotic sometimes — explaining slang, translating languages I barely understand, and why we say “shame” for basically everything.
Cayleigh: Yeah, that one confused everyone. “That’s such a cute dog, ah shame.” “You failed a test? Ah shame.” It just works for everything.

Tlotliso: There are challenges too — like when your parents want to go on safari for the weekend but you’ve got three parties to attend!
Cayleigh: But when we came here, everything flipped — suddenly we were the ones asking all the questions.
Tlotliso: Arriving in Launceston at night was a shock. Walking out the airport doors and feeling that cold breeze hit my face literally made me shiver.
Cayleigh: Seeing the landscape was my first impression — fresh air, warm sun, green hilly fields, and the occasional wallaby on the side of the road.
Tlotliso: I didn’t see much that night, but driving home without the city lights of Joburg was different — a good different.
Cayleigh: Experiencing something new gives you a completely fresh perspective.

Tlotliso: True. Starting in a new town where you don’t know anyone and barely understand the accent is tricky, but once you get the lingo, you go from nodding politely to actually joining in.
Cayleigh: Honestly, after not even knowing where Tasmania was, then hearing from friends in Sydney that it’s where their parents go wine tasting, I’ve been surprised by how beautiful it is.
Tlotliso: Yeah, coming from Joburg with over 5 million people, it’s been nice to experience smaller-town life.

Cayleigh: School here is really different too. Back home it’s more formal, with detentions flying at you left, right, and centre.
Tlotliso: Here it’s more laid-back — you don’t have to call every adult sir or ma’am.
Cayleigh: Sport back home is more competitive — everyone plays, with multiple practices each week and Fridays and Saturdays set aside for matches.
Tlotliso: And the school spirit is massive — chanting war cries with saxophones, guitars, trumpets, you name it, all to inspire the team.
Cayleigh: And when the Springboks play, the whole country comes together — even people who’ve never watched rugby suddenly have opinions about the referee!

Tlotliso: Another difference is that we both go to single-gender schools. Mine has a girls’ side on the same campus.
Cayleigh: And although that might sound boring, it’s actually great. You just roll out of bed, throw your hair up, and everyone else has done the same.
Tlotliso: Both systems work, each with their own focus. I’ve loved that change.

Tlotliso: At St Stithians — or Saints — we host an annual sports festival where schools from across South Africa and beyond compete in football, rugby, hockey, and netball. The school spirit is incredible — war cries, painted faces, even “spells”! When we win, everyone storms the field.
Cayleigh: We’ve noticed plenty of similarities and differences between here and home.
Tlotliso: The slang, school start times, and poverty levels back home — still linked to the Apartheid era — really stand out.
Cayleigh: I still can’t get over how school here starts an hour and a half later. The 6am wake-ups back home aren’t for the weak.
Tlotliso: That extra hour makes a difference!
Cayleigh: And the traffic — unlike here, driving 10km in Cape Town can take half an hour, and if you leave 5 minutes late, you’re stuck for an hour.
Tlotliso: Here there’s barely any traffic — and you can actually walk around safely. Back home, a walk after dark quickly turns into a sprint!
Cayleigh: Despite the differences, there are things that remind us of home — like the friendliness and love for wildlife, even if it’s wallabies instead of lions and elephants (though thankfully we don’t find elephant poo on our school fields!).
Tlotliso: Another similarity is the love for sport — here it’s footy, back home it’s rugby. Either way, someone’s getting tackled by the end of it.

Cayleigh: So yeah, being an exchange student — whether you’re hosting or being hosted — really opens your eyes.
Tlotliso: You start noticing the little things, appreciating the big things, and learning that every place has its own rhythm and charm.
Cayleigh: Exactly. So if you ever get the chance to go on exchange — do it. You’ll probably learn more than you expect.