Fafi or fa-fi (pronounced ''fah-fee''), also known as mo-china, is a form of betting played mainly by black
South Africans
The population of South Africa is about 58.8 million people of diverse origins, cultures, languages, and religions. The South African National Census of 2022 was the most recent census held; the next will be in 2032.
In 2011, Statistics Sout ...
, particularly those living in
townships
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
, and is believed to have originated with South Africa's Chinese community.
The game is similar to a
numbers racket
The numbers game, also known as the numbers racket, the Italian lottery, Mafia lottery or the daily number, is a form of illegal gambling or illegal lottery played mostly in poor and working class neighborhoods in the United States, wherein a be ...
.
Playing fafi
Fafi participants choose the number they want to gamble on by interpreting their dreams. This dream interpretation or conversion is based upon a variety of systems. When they have decided upon their lucky number, participants will then place a bet on their number. A dream about robbers (izigebengu/amasela) may indicate the number 7.
A dream about a white person (umLungu) is the number 1, whereas a dream about the sea could either indicate the number 3 for a ship (inqanawe) or 26, the number for water (amanzi).
The game requires a woman runner (isikhwama — bag) to take a bag of bets, along with the names of the betters and their money, to someone, usually Chinese, who visits the station (house) of the runner holding the betting session. The Chinese person will take the bag from the runner and then whisper the winning number to her.
The runner will then indicate with her hands to the betters which number has won, and that person will be paid out.
References
Gambling games
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