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Re: Moving to South Africa

Moving to South Africa
July 04, 2010 12:16PM
By george7
Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 1
A few previous posts about moving to South Africa have grown so long it is a mission to scroll through and read all the posts. I thought I would post a new topic to ask how expats who have moved here have found life in South Africa. Would you recommend moving to South Africa?
Let me give you my impressions: I have lived in South Africa for more than 30 years now (in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town as well as the Garden Route). I was not born here but I grew up here and I'm raising my own kids here. I have been to the US, UK, France, Holland, Australia, Singapore and many other countries considered to be top places to live. Yet for me South Africa tops them all. I can easily move somewhere else but I don't want to. I'm very happy in South Africa, my kids are in a good school and the people are amazing. Crime is a concern in some areas, but there are many safe places to live. The weather is great, the options for outdoor leisure and sport are endless, and the country's natural beauty is spectacular. I live in a big house with a big garden in a quiet suburb. To have this quality of life in the UK or Europe, I would have to earn a top salary (much more than I earn now).
So my advice is, pack your bags and move to South Africa. There will be many pessimists who criticise and tell you how bad South Africa is. Don't believe them. We have friends who recently moved to SA from Holland. They cannot stop talking about how bad things are in Holland, overcrowded, busy and hectic, too much government control and intervention, politics are a circus, the inner cities are no longer safe, too many immigrants, to many drugs, too much noise, too much pollution, too much crime, etc. They have to justify their emigration. You hear the same from South Africans who left SA. They will forever try to justify their decision and tell others how bad South Africa is. In my view South Africa is one of the best countries in the world to live.
George
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Re: Moving to South Africa
August 03, 2010 08:18PM
By mharab
Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 9
Hi,
I am a british CITIZEN AND WANT TO move to SA. My concern is to get Viza. My wife is qualified Marketing Officer. She can work from home. Whats the best way to migrate to SA.

Regards

Mo
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Re: Moving to South Africa
August 11, 2010 02:09PM
By hisa
Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 8
Many Indian people are now trying to move to South Africa.

Holiday in South Africa
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Re: Moving to South Africa
September 16, 2010 11:06AM
Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 1
I will retire in June 2012 and intend moving to the Port Elizabeth area in 2012/2013. I will have sold my house in the UK an will be able to purchase a house outright. Can you tell me please must I have a certain level of pension incoming in order to emigrate to RSA. I will have no mortgage to pay and expect to be able to bank around 40k after purchasing the house and kitting it out. My outgoings will not be too high and the 40k invested in a high interest account should give me some monthly interest. I would also like to know what documentation I will need i.e visa etc. Any help and advise would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks Chris Styles
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Re: Moving to South Africa
September 19, 2010 03:47AM
By lobin
Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 13
among the cities in south africa, what language does most south african people speak?
is it hard to learn south africa native language there
is there any training institution ?
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Re: Moving to South Africa
December 15, 2010 08:19AM
Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 1
I am from Southern California and moved to Gauteng, South Africa 4 years ago. I thought since I have lived it I could give some honest responses about the move.

For the most part, I have loved living here. The weather is amazing, especially in summertime when the thunder and lightening storms roll in. The people are so friendly and welcoming, and there is an energy and a spirit here that you cannot find anywhere else in the world.

I found two main disadvantages of living in SA.

Crime: it's not so much the crime itself, but the effects of the crime; i.e. the never-ending locks and bars and fences that we are forced to live behind. Protecting oneself must always be a conscious effort, and this does wear one down after a while. This of course depends on where in South Africa you are moving to. I understand that Gauteng is the worst; elsewhere it is not so bad, although a friend of mine living in George just had his house broken into. Additionally, if you are a woman who is used to an active lifestyle, it becomes hard since you can no longer grab your bike and go for a ride on your own as you could before.

Lack of Open-mindedness: The following is not meant to insult anyone. I feel it must be said in order to lend experience to those it applies to. If you are deeply Christian, than Gauteng is the place for you. However, if you have open-minded and individualistic ideas about religion and existence,or are not religious at all, then you may feel socially unbalanced living in Gauteng. Christian Religion is a very important part of life to most South Africans and most people here ignore anything that is not in line with their beliefs; evolutionary theory as an example. Church is a very big deal to most people here - you must just understand that and be prepared for it. Of course, there are exceptions (people , mostly in Johannesburg, not Pretoria), and fortunately I have found a few people with which I can better relate to.

All the above said, I have enjoyed living in South Africa and would recommend the move. I believe wholeheartedly that in time this country will become a country to set the standard by.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/2010 08:37AM by tribefox.
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Re: Moving to South Africa
December 22, 2010 02:26PM
By crock
Registered: 13 years ago
Posts: 1
I am a white South African male and think that South Africa is great, regardless of the internal criticisms that continue. I agree with tribefox that (in general) South African's are quite close minded and very religious. This is probably because of all the conflict and harsh conditions that previous generations had to endeur.

I wish people would think a bit more creatively about ways in which we can uplift this country and start doing things to get this country moving forward - it feels like we have been stuck in the same position for the past 20 years.

Knowledge is power - we need to understand what is going on, read the news (great site is [www.newsnook.co.za] for broad overview of what is happening in SA) and try and find ways to stop banging our heads against the same wall over and over again.
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