You have a watch, we have the time
🇿🇦
South Africa
Added August 02, 2025
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A proverb highlighting different attitudes to time. It implies that while Westerners (with watches) stress about punctuality, Africans take a more relaxed approach ("have the time"). Often quoted when things aren't running on strict schedule – a nod to "African time."
"Our guide was an hour late, but smiled and said, "In Africa, you have the watch, we have the time," to explain the laid-back timing of things."
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