A Notes from South Africa

Wear batik shirt in South Africa, then you will get tremendous respect from the people of South Africa. That’s a suggestion to me from an Indonesian diplomat whom I met in the office of Indonesian Embassy  in South Africa, the end of September 2005 in Pretoria.

In every corner of major cities in South Africa we can find billboards with giant size picture of Nelson Mandela. At the billboards, the Founding Fathers in South Africa is posing with his trademark smile. There’s a billboard message in which the average contains a call to build the nation and state.

Just like in our country at the time of President Suharto had, in South Africa where Mandela had invited his people to work hard, ask the mothers do not forget to give immunizations to their babies, and called on young achievers in sport. Interestingly, Mandela’s image on the giant billboards always wearing a batik shirt. Incredible.

For the people of South Africa, batik has become a luxury indeed. How not, Mandela who they worship, anywhere and in any event, official or unofficial, national or international, always wear batik. As if, Mendela has no other  shirt than batik. It was as if Mandela’s batik shirt ready stock. And, most importantly, batiks worn by Mandela entirely genuine Made in Indonesia, not the product of other countries.

So, how did the South African people do not respect us, when wearing batik in roads there? In fact, Mandela of course, The Founding Fathers, the person they most adore, always wearing a batik shirt.

Mandela himself had twice visited Indonesia. First visit was made in 1998 in the era of President BJ Habibie. Second visit performed in the era of President Megawati, in 2002.

My sources in South Africa told me about Batika and Mandela. When visiting Indonesia for the first time, Mr Mandela immediately fell in love with batik. Therefore, President Habibie asked the Iwan Tirta, a top fashion designer of Indonesia, batik experts in the field, to meet President Habibie to the State Palace.

Then, Iwan Tirta was asked to serve the demand of Mandela batik. And, it turns out that  the design and choice of Iwan Tirta motifs tastes perfectly with Nelson Mandela. From then until now, Iwan Tirta continuous supply batik shirt for Mandela, at any time, with an unlimited number and must be ready stock.

Therefore, we take pride in the nation of Indonesia to Mandela because he was the top sales promotion for the batik of Indonesia to the image of the world. Let’s see, when Mandela attended the official ceremony at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, early in June 2006 to receive  the World Cup host estafet, Mandela was wearing a batik, not suit, official clothing of Western nations.

And what about our officials, Indonesian officials? Can be counted on of our officials want to wear batik for the official international events. Differences with Nelson Mandela, for most of Indonesian officials, they, perhaps, more pleasure and prestige when wearing a suit rather than batik.

Souvenir become business

An Indonesian youth leaders who several times visited South Africa had an interesting experience about batik. When I was in Cape Town conference, he told me that in a visit to South Africa, he brought five coli batik shirt. Meant as a souvenir. He bought it in Pasar Tanah Abang Jakarta for Rp 30,000 ($3.5) per piece.

After souvenirs batik distributed completely to youth in South Africa, a colleague, a young native of South Africa, whispered. "What if we do business batik," he said. Then, the conversation was continued with topics let’s do business batik.

In South Africa, batik, which we bought for Rp 30.000 ($3.5) at the Tanah Abang market in Jakarta or Yogyakarta or Beringharjo Market or Pasar Turi Surabaya, Batik Wholesale Centre Setono Pekalongan, in Nelson Mandelacountry could be sold at a price 300 to 400 rend or around Rp 700,000 to Rp 800 000 per piece ($74-84). Fantastic!

Of course, the profits will be even greater if we have the capital to do business in South Africa, with selling batik made from silk material, such as Iwan Tirta batik which is always identical to Nelson Mandela.

So do not be afraid. Come to South Africa in June-July to watch the world soccer World Cup South Africa 2010. We may be fans for the team of any country. What is important, you can be happy. Simply bring 100 pieces of batik shirt from our country, put in into suitcase, selling over there with the profits could reach Rp 70 million ($7368).

Of course, the advantage of the already perfectly adequate for us to live a month in South Africa, while having fun along with millions of fans who come from all over the world, and definitely fun. That’s even more fun if we do so by singing  a song written by K’naan, "Waving Flag" which officially opened the theme song of FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010: "Give me freedom, Give me fire … When I get older I Will Be Stronger. They’ll call me freedom. Just like a Wavin ‘flags. And then it goes back, oh, oh, oh, oh … "

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