The crime rate in South Africa is something else. There, you’ll see and hear all kinds of things. The recent killing of AKA reminded me of my own near-death experience while I was on a work assignment in the country. However, in my case, I wasn’t out having fun with friends. I was lured to my fate by a tinder date.
As mentioned, I was in South Africa for work and work only. The company had made it clear that all the employees were supposed to report to work and back to their respective accommodations unless we were all going out as a group. Looking back, they were probably trying to warn us about the level of insecurity in the country without alarming us.
“Stay in your apartments and don’t go out late at night.” Our manager said.
“Lazima tupige sherehe (We must party)” I whispered to one of my colleagues who I was travelling with.
He didn’t seem to agree with me but I didn’t care. How was I going to visit South Africa and not explore the country? A month in, I felt like I had known the place well enough and wanted to find out what the women were like in South Africa. We can all agree that the country has been blessed by some of the most beautiful women on the continent and I wanted a first-hand account of what they’re really like. I did what any man in a foreign land would do in the age of technology. I went on Tinder.
There were so many options but I couldn’t seem to find a match. After swiping right indiscriminately, I finally got a match that was more than willing to meet me. In fact, she was ready to meet me that same day. I was super excited and gave her the location where we would meet.
I didn’t want to bring her to the Airbnb that the company had booked for me since I was worried they might get info about the hookup. So, I decided to meet my tinder date at a nearby hotel. She gave me her number and I called her immediately to confirm she wasn’t a catfish.
“It’s so nice to connect with you,” I said as soon as she answered.
“Of course, I’ll be at the hotel in an hour.” She said in the sexiest accent I’ve ever heard.
Her voice got me excited so I got dressed hurriedly and headed to the hotel where they had agreed to meet.
When I got there, my date hadn’t yet arrived so I made myself comfortable and even ordered a drink. A few minutes later, the lady called and informed me that she was outside the hotel but couldn’t enter since she hadn’t paid for the cab. I may have been in a foreign country but I knew exactly what that meant. She wanted me to pay for the cab. However, I didn’t have a way to send her the money so I had to go outside and pay with cash.
“Please, watch my drink. I’m going to pay for something outside.” I explained to the waiter who was surprisingly understanding.
However, I decided to leave my phone so that he knows I wasn’t dining and dashing. I removed my almost brand-new iPhone 13 Pro and handed it to the waiter then dashed to the lady’s aid.
When I got outside the hotel, there was no beautiful South African woman waiting for me. Instead, I was met by three rough-looking men. One of them put a knife to my side and the other one pushed me into a car parked across the street. When I entered inside, there was no lady either.
“What’s going on? You’ve got the wrong guy.” I tried to explain.
“Shut up and remove everything in your pockets before I blow your brains out.” One of the men commanded.
They told me to give them my phone and cash. However, I had left my phone and the only money I had carried was the one I was going to spend on the date. It was roughly Ksh. 30,000. I had planned to impress the girl.
“I don’t have my phone,” I said.
“What were you using to call?”
That’s when I knew that they were working with the girl to lure men and rob them. I wasn’t even sure that the girl on the Tinder profile was really the one who I talked to since I never saw her.
“My friend’s phone.”
After a few slaps and roughing up, they took my cash and then pushed me out of the car before driving off. I dusted myself off and then walked back to the hotel trying to process what just happened.
What was so peculiar to me was that this all happened in front of the hotel where there was a security guard. The guy even saw me being pushed out of the car but didn’t bat an eye. I tried to ask him if he knew those people or if I could look through the security camera to see if I could see the license number but he refused.
“The security cameras aren’t working.” He said.
Who was I to argue with him? I didn’t even have the energy to do so. I was simply grateful that I still had my phone. When I got to the hotel, I was able to trace the waiter who I had left my phone with.
“I even thought you left.” He said.
“It’s a long story, bro. I need my phone.” I said in a defeated way.
Before making the dreadful phone call to my friend, I had to come up with a story that I would tell him. There was no way I was going to tell him that someone robbed after going to meet a tinder date. I decided to tell him that I went sightseeing and got robbed. He was sceptical but still came to pick me up and pay my bill.
After that, I learnt to stay in my lane and do what took me to South Africa to do. For the next two months, I never went out or even talked to a woman who wasn’t part of our team.
Check out
Beautiful Girls Turned Thieves
My Tinder Date Threatened To Kill Me When We Met
I Got Robbed While I Was On A Blind Date At A Club
The Resourceful Boyfriend Hid A Dark Secret
I Realized He Drugged My Drink While On A Date
