Chipyks
A TIME CAPSULE OF TOBACCO & TANNIES
By Chipyks the Chronicler of Chaotic Culture
You ever walk into your ouma’s kitchen and smell fried eggs, Brylcreem, and betrayal? That smell… that vibe… that essence of the 80s and 90s wasn’t complete without a puff of secondhand smoke from a local legend’s lungs. And what fuelled these local gods of groove and gossip? These iconic cigarette boxes, bru.
Welcome to the hood’s real museum — no entry fee, just a bit of emphysema.
Let me take you on a journey — a cigarette-by-cigarette breakdown of Flats folklore. Each pack tells a story. Each puff? A paragraph in our history.
Winfield Menthol – The Cool Uncle’s Weapon of Choice
Smoked by every oke who had three side chicks, a mint in his sock, and the nerve to wink at the tannie from church choir. This menthol hit smoother than your uncle’s lies.
Benson & Hedges Special Filter – The Royalty of Rooftop Parties
If you had B&H, you were either:
- Flashy
- Just got paid
- Or a church brother going through a silent divorce.
This was the type of cigarette that made you lean on a fence post and philosophize about life, while your car’s back window had a Rasta sticker.
Rembrandt Van Rijn – The Art School Dropout’s Delight
Smoked by that guy who always wore a scarf, even in summer. He called it “deep” — his mom called it “wasteful.”
But if you had one of these in your top pocket? You probably read poetry and rolled your own smokes when you weren’t rolling lies.
Paul Revere – Patriotism for Porras
“1775” printed on the box, because this cigarette thinks it’s in a museum.
This was for ouens who watched Westerns, wore plaid, and still called petrol “gasoline” for no reason. One puff and you felt like you could win the Cold War.
John Player Special – The Bond Villain of the Block
This box looked like it came with a bottle of cologne and a court case. Jet-black, gold-lettered — if you smoked JPS, you were either:
- In debt
- In love
- Or incredibly dangerous to both.
Gunston Toasted – Braai-Scented Memories in a Box
This tasted like history — burnt, spicy, and bitter. The mascot looked like a cannon for a reason, bru. Every puff was a gut punch, every box came with unpaid child support energy.
Springbok – Rugby, Regret & Roughness
This pack was built like a taxi engine. Smoked by ouens who fixed your gate, your car, and their own teeth. If your dad smoked these, he probably still uses newspaper for insulation.
El Cano Cigarillos – The Domino Master’s Favourite
With a ship logo that says “colonial confusion,” this was for uncles who played dominoes like Olympic athletes. The type of oke who drank brandy with condensed milk and told you to “man up” when you sneezed.
Texan Toasted – The Dusty Cowboy from Eersterust
No filter. No fear. No finesse. This thing smoked like revenge and heartbreak. One puff and you were quoting Clint Eastwood and fighting your cousin for the front seat.
Chesterfield – Oupa’s Jazz & Wisdom
Smoked while staring out of a window at 6AM, thinking about the war. Or at least about that fight in 1974 outside the NG Kerk hall.
Gauloises Caporal – French by Name, Flats by Nature
This blue box screamed drama. Smoked by people who wore turtlenecks, spoke like philosophers, and still asked their moms for taxi fare.
WHY THIS MATTERS
These cigarette brands weren’t just tobacco. They were conversation starters. Timekeepers. Ice-breakers. Identity markers.
You knew what kind of day someone was having by what they lit up. And somewhere, somehow, these packs survived. Hidden in old drawers. Tucked in jacket pockets. Sitting in a shoebox next to love letters and traffic fines.
This, mense… was our vibe. Our soundtrack. Our smoke-signal of style.
So light one (or don’t), sip your Ricoffy, and salute the golden days of the Flats — where the cigarettes were strong, and the personalities even stronger.
DISCLAIMER
This article by Chypyks Humouristically Chronicles the History of Smoking in Coloured Communities and is Not Intended to Promote Smoking or Promote the Mentioned Tobacco Brands
🔥 Chipyks out. Leave the matches, take the memories.
SMOKING IS A HEALTH RISK
The Effects of Smoking On The Body
