The new hot thing in South Africa is Phuza Thursday. Phuza (pronounced Pooh-za) is the Zulu term for drink and Thursday is the day on which wild South Africans are getting phuza’d.
It all started when radio DJ Gareth Cliff[1] commented on a new thing in Johannesburg where people[2] were spilling the weekend over into Thursday nites – going out and getting hammered.
Jhb is much more of a going-out-every-nite-of-the-week kind of city than Cape Town and probably ranks second only to Stellenbosch[3] in terms of hardcore drinking. Many suspect it is because in Jhb there really isn’t anything to do but braai, go to malls and go out kuiering, and of course you can phuza while doing all three.

Cliff probably coined the phrase as an extension of Woza Weekend[4] itself an extension of Woza Friday – a song by Juluka.
Can’t wait for Woza Weekend, then you may as well have a Phuza Thursday.

The whole Phuza Thursday thing has taken off like a rocket and it has become perfectly acceptable to on a Friday morning complain about a bit of a Phuza Face.
Of course the marketing fraternity are not far behind in picking up on a new vibe and Phuza Thursday on 5FM is now sponsored by Essentiale. Oh, and yes – www.phuzathursday.co.za is already taken.

Well, seeing as how I am a hot, hip and happening kind of dude I did the obvious last nite and went home, opened a soft red blend and a glass and a half later I was under a blanket on the couch enjoying my wild Thursday.
Of course this morning I had a bit of a Phuza Face[5], but somehow it didn’t come up around the watercooler.

Phuza?

[1] There are lots of things I don’t like about Cliff, but he does know radio.
[2] White, urban, mobile – his listeners
[3] Even more white and mobile, but less urban
[4] A popular Friday nite variety TV show from the 90′s which became lingo for friday evening party time
[5] By my standards, at least