Johannesburg - AKA, whose real name is Kiernan Forbes, is one of South African hip hop’s biggest newsmakers. Here he chats to Helen Herimbi about his worst and best travel memories.
First holiday memory?
Going to Zimbabwe in the late 1990s or early 2000s. Oh, wait, actually, my first holiday memory is probably when I went with my family to Mauritius. I was maybe 10 years old. It was awesome.
Favourite place in South Africa?
Durban! It’s like the new Cape Town. The people are great people. The weather is great. There are so many entertainment options I suppose the biggest portion of my fan base is in Durban.
Best holiday?
It’s a tie. I went to Bazaruto Island, in Mozambique, in January. It’s between that and when my parents took me to Disneyland as a youngster. It was in a period when my father’s business was doing well so my mom always used to plan a lot of holidays for us. As we got older that changed .
What have you learnt from your travels?
There’s a difference between travelling and going on holiday and on when business takes you around the world. I have been fortunate that my work has taken me all across the continent and around the globe – from the UK to America to Jamaica. Travel has given me a better perspective on my country.
Who or what is your ideal travelling companion?
My girlfriend. We both enjoy travelling and have travelled to a lot of places. I love planes, sitting in business class, drinking champagne and being on the wi-fi. I am a hotel person. I hate B&Bs. In small towns, there are no big hotels but I do my best.
Are you a beach bum, culture vulture or adrenalin junkie?
I’m a beach bum! I was born in Cape Town and grew up going to beaches my whole life. There’s something about being in the ocean that’s really spiritual for me. I enjoy a little beach party, but Cape Town is a terrible beach place because the water is so cold. I love KwaZulu-Natal… the sand is so soft and the water is so warm. Jamaica too was awesome. I spent a lot of time beach bumming there. But the beach in Australia was awful.
What is your greatest travel luxury?
Flying business class. I used to fly economy but a few years ago, I flew from Joburg to Heathrow on a British Airways in business class. Now I know what the forbidden fruit tastes like, so can never fly economy again. It’s not so much about real cutlery but the personal touch. Like, “Good morning, Mr Forbes. Would you like a fresh towel?”
Holiday reading?
I like to read autobiographies but don’t do much reading on holiday. I’m a newspaper guy. In fact, I’m holding a newspaper right now, The Star. The reason I’m a newspaper guy is because wherever I am in the world, I always try to pick up the newspaper of the place I’m in so I can find out what’s going on. If I’m in Canada, I like to open their newspaper to find out what’s going on there so I can hold a conversation with Canadians.
Which place has seduced you?
London definitely seduced me. There are so many Africans there and South Africans. You can also just figure the place out. I love the shopping in London. The dining… It’s very fancy, I love that type of stuff. I like the cold, grey weather because I find it hard to be creative in places where the sun is shining and everything is happy. I like cold, grim weather.
So London is also good for work. Can I also add Lagos? It seduced me because it’s like Joburg, 10 000 percent. The traffic is 10 000 percent more crazy, the food is 5 000 times more spicy and the people are fast and aggressive but I kind of like that. It makes me feel alive.
Your worst travel experience?
Brazzaville in Congo: Let me not say it was the worst experience, but interesting. Everything – even the restaurant menus -– were in French. I like picking up languages and learning people’s languages but I also had soldiers, military escorts everywhere I went. That was really hard. And the food was not so great. I got a little sick for a day or two. Yeah, Brazzaville, very, very different.
Best hotel?
I’m going to go for 15 On Orange in Cape Town. They take care of me and I’ve got everything I need there. It’s world-class.
Favourite walk, swim, ride or drive?
One time, when I was young, we went to visit my aunt and uncle who lived in Seattle. So we did a mountain trail up Mount Rainier. It was the first time I’d seen snow in my life.
Best meal abroad?
Jollof rice! It’s just rice with chicken but it’s spicy and got a special type of taste that you can only get in Nigeria. I’ve had the dish in South Africa but it wasn’t the same.
Where to next?
My dream is to go to Japan. I want to go because the country is so dignified. It’s a bit more refined. Samurai vibes, you feel me? The design, architecture, streetwear is a big thing in Japan.
l AKA, whose real name is Kiernan Forbes, is one of South African hip hop’s biggest newsmakers. The Congratulate rapper recently made an internet-breaking appearance on Live Amp – which had a special presented by rumoured girlfriend and media powerhouse, Bonang Matheba – where he debuted his latest single, One Time. Having performed everywhere from Nigeria to Canada and featured on the legendary British DJ Tim Westwood’s show, we caught up with the busy Mzansi artist as he was about to fly out to Botswana. Look out for AKA’s #3RDWRLDBOSS Tour this year.
Saturday Star