Family move to Durban

Hi there.

I'm a 34 year old white Brit, in the decision making process of moving to Durban with my wife and two young children (six and three).

I have an opportunity with my current employer to work for a sister company which is situated just near to the Airport.

I am concerned about the security aspect of living in SA for my family, along with the school and health services.

If anyone could give me some advice or express their views I would be extremely grateful.

Cheers,
John

Dear John,

I'm basically a few months ahead of you, I'm living a little further up the N3 near Nottingham Road in KZN having moved out with my family.

The quick answer to your fears are it is a little bit dodgier than UK.

Schools are probably better than in UK but you will find good medical care expensive.

Another shocker is the price of vehicles over here.

Supermarkets and shopping just like UK.

House prices are reaching silly levels and the quick price increases will probably cool.

Anyhow thats a start lets hope others chip in with more advice.

Cheers

Gary

http://www.@#$%&

Hi John,

i was in durban for a couple of days last january. I was a bit shocked. But the landscape is so wonderful, you would miss something when you not go. There are some rules: the security situation there is not very unequal to other parts of south africa. u just must go with open eyes. do not go with your familiy on the street, when it getting dark/ night. Do not carry plenty of money with you - only what you need - so if you come in the worst situation, you can only give 50 - 100 Rand - and this is not much for Europeans/Americans.

I decided nevertheless, to go in october to march to durban. maybe, we see us there.

best wishes
Andreas

I am busy with preperations to move to durban from johannesburg. you will regret it if you do not go, the region is beautifull. there are excelent schools and health care.

there are some safty issues but it is the same just about anywhere n the world, you must just be consionces of what you do. millions of people live in the area happly ad safly.

if you enjoy the outdoors there are litterly hundreds of places to visit with in and hour of durban.

I can only tell you that I lived in South Africa ia all for 25 years! since the black goverment took over a decade ago, the place really has gone to the dogs! if you want to go please choose Cape town, I worked in both cities and frankley Durban can be very dangerous! if you do go!! do not walk on your own at night on the waterfront this is a no no for everyone, MAKE SURE YOU DO NOT CARRY TO MUCH CASH ON YOU, they are mainley indian in Durban and if stopped and asked for money! GIVE IT!! DO NOT RESIST AS THEY CARRY GUNS AND KNIVES.
It is a beutiful place but I am afraid I would never go back with my family.

Neilguest why are you so negative about this country??????

>Neilguest why are you so negative about
>this country??????

Because in 5 years I was mugged 3 times and stabbed once, my wife was sexually assaulted, and my home was broken into 4 times!!! thats why Sir!!

Hi there, sorry for your misfortune that you encounter while in Durban. I was born in Durban and lived there for 30 years of my life. I can honestly tell you that you will never find any better place and reasonable beautiful, affordable place in the whole country of SA then Durban. Crime is not as bad as Jo'burg, even then all my friends and my sisters and their families who live in Jo'burg are doing fine. They live in nice surburbs and practice quotion at all times. Stay away at places that are suspicious, and stay where there is light, and lots of people, that advise applies to every where in the world. Durban North, Umhlanga, Dolphin Coast, South Coast etc are all places you want to look at for your families, and schools are of top quality. Children can play anywhere but deserted parks and no walking around at night away from safe surburbs. Otherwise it is perfectly safe if you use your common sense. There are places that you can not go to at night like there lots of those in America, UK, Europe, so please folks, stop acting like your countries are perfect, because I have travel UK, Europe, and live in the US right now, crime is everywhere, you are required to practice caution and common sense. Durban is booming right now, development is going to turn Durban around to becoming the leading metropolitan city in the continent of Africa. The new international airport being build, the new port, real estate have seen big development companies from Jo'burg and the world moving down to Durban and the Dolphin coast to put their money in building large gated high class communities. I am working on moving back my self with my American family. But be encouraged who wants to move to "Durban" that you are indeed making the right decision, stay safe and enjooy the first class life you would not afford in UK; or Europe; or USA. Good luck to you all.

I lived in Durban for twenty years before moving to the UK - I am now going back after five years here.

It is definitely not as pretty in many ways as somewhere like Cape Town. It is one of those places that you love the longer that you are there. It has a fantastic climate, excellent lifestyle including plenty of outdoor activities, friendly people, good housing, well regarded schools and so on.

There are crime problems, as with the rest of the country, but as with everywhere if you are careful and take precautions you should be fine.

If you are thinking about moving there, do. If you need help with home or school search or any settling-in services I know someone who can certainly help. Do let me know.

Hi

We are planning to move to durban from Johannesburg at the end of the year as well, i just wanted to know how it is goign there and is it worth to move there from Johannesburg to Durbs?

Why negative about Durban….don’t be fooled by the nice landscape, what is important is yours and your family’s life.
It is not important that the roads are big, the houses spacious and the petrol cheaper (well not any more),the fact is :your children cannot play anywhere ,your family is not safe and you need to live in constant fear ,with 24 hour security at work or at home ,possess guns and avoiding going out to much.
Over 10 carjacking a day ,over 50 armed robberies a week ,over 20 stolen cars a day , one of the highest countries in rapes in the world, and murder is another story…it is a war out there and there is no freedom, the police is corrupted, the government is corrupted and the education system as well as the medical system is crashing.
Unless you are a millionaire and you can afford the luxury of constant security, private full medical aid as well as private school for your kids, (and a few guns and bullet proof vests)I advise all naïve and innocent Europeans to stay away from s.africa.it will be a slaughter in 2010 for the innocent tourists ,mark my word.
There is a simple exercise…purchase a daily news paper and read the news ,it’s all about murder ,corruption crimes ,rape,deaths etc. Your children will grow hard and subject to violence and if they make it to their teens will probably don’t get a job and immigrate….
Durban north has one of the highest burglary rates ,south coast ,well last year they murder a white teenager 16 years old (cut her through)because of her cellular phone…..
The deference between the rest of the world and S.Africa is that in S.Africa your life worth nothing, they will kill you for your running shoes, your cell, your car and your sunglasses…
Overseas crime is there however they still respect life.
And all those investments in see point …..Well let’s see, they had to divert the road from point and center of Durban way, to cover up the infestation of prostitutes, drug dealers, foreign mafia etc.
And please don’t try to challenge my facts or call me anti patriot since am a police reservist for SAP Durban since 1999 and I risk my life every day without pay to fight crime and help my country.
I am an electronic engineer, have a successful company, trained over 100 people over 18 years of trade and still go to work with a gun and a bullet proof vest every day.
I have been robed, shot at, stabbed, hold in my store(armed robbery with shots fired )and more.
My fiancé and her family was highjact twice with a gun to her head …
And I came from Europe myself, however will immigrate soon in order to stay alive and have a family.
So good luck S.AFRICA, another Zimbabwe in a matter of years..

Be carefull, people that left SA will bombard you with negativity as they try and convince themselves they made the right decision (which is why they are looking at SA related sites in the first place) - Durban is a fantastic place, I was born in Margate, lived in Durban for 18 years and spent 5 years living in the UK before returning to Durbs. The crime is a difficult one, nobody close to me has ever had a hair on their heads harmed but as we all know there is a crime problem in SA. The only possible way to judge whether it is right for you is to go and spend a couple of weeks there and do the things you would do if you lived there. The only time I have ever been threatened with a weapon was a knife, in LiverPool Street LONDON!! Durban grows on you like no other place in the world!

PS; Ari - you wear a bullet proof vest to work and you work in a shop? Dont talk kak bru.

and knife weilding, gun toting indians did all this to you. I find that very hard to believe.

WOW WOW WOW... What can I say... Here we go... I am from Europe and used to live in the US California to be exact...

A bunch of years ago before Mandela was released me and a buddy of mine did a few jobs in Durban and fell in love with the place so we decided to move there. So we did... We started a business, bought homes etc... We get to know hundreds of great people only within the 1st year and we had a fantastic set up.

We loved the place it was so awesome and it was everything we always wanted. My buddy got married and I did not.

However over the years this beautiful place has turned around 180 degrees... What once was a beautiful, safe place where one could move around everywhere even after dark, has now turned into a place of terrible crime. One always have to take precautions and be afraid of being robbed and having break ins etc etc etc... the list goes on. It came to the point that it was very uncomfortable just living a quality life without fears...

It got so bad there that I decided to move away... I have now moved and even though it saddens my heart to say, it was the best thing I could have ever done. I am now in a place where I can move around any time a day anywhere without having any fears and the majority of the people I encounter are decent human beings.

My friend was much braver than I and he stayed. Now we are in May 2011 and he now is going to throw in the towel and move... I know it is with much sadness he will depart as he loves Durban, but it's more what Durban once was. His head rules over his heart, and him and his wife will start a new life elsewhere where it's safe and where people are educated and care about life.

History repeats itself... I am afraid that South Africa will follow the rest of African nations like Zimbabwe etc... that is now totally corrupt and in shambles ...

However much Mandela had a very good thought and agenda... he is no longer here, and new people are coming up that have no clue how to run things, nor the education... It takes decades if not centuries to educate people and get a right mindset... It's hard going from a hut with no education into leading a nation...

Eventually there will be too much sand in the mashinery and it will stop... and then foreign aid will be the only thing left.

It's a shame to see a beautiful nation go to hell in a handbasket.

If you are thinking of moving there and you are not of african decent, think a hundred times again...
There are many many many places in the world where you can move to where you can be safe and your wife and your kids...

If it would be a great place to move I would be the 1st one to say so...

However I have an idea...

Tell you what... if you can get 100 of your friends to move there and they all can get 100 of their friends to move there... let me know... Then we would be 100.000 of us... then we can start a community together and I maybe and I say maybe would think about moving...

Hope this helped... and good luck

Hamba Kahle

I have been reading a few of these threads, and hope that my input will help you.

I was boarn in South Africa and still live here with my Husband and two young children. I LOVE this country and will always love it dearly, but my husband and I have decided to move out of South Africa for the following reasons:

My children are white and most good paying jobs are given to black people regardless of qualifications.
Crime is not as bad in our area as it is in Johannesburg, or most of the cities. We live in Mpumalanga (near the Kruger park) and what a beautiful area we live in. Crime that does happen here is not alot, but when it happens it is brutal, almost always involving a murder and/or rape.
Most bad crimes involve the police, and the Government manages to cover it up somehow or just "lose" the evidence. As I have not directly been affected by a bad crime, I dont want to take any chances with my family, as I know should something happen, nothing will be done about it.

So when I saw that you would like to bring your young children here, I got nervous for you, knowing that as a parent you would do anything to provide a good future for them.

Hope this helps!