Mrs Petrie

Here I was looking for a board where I could have light hearted chats with BRITISH ex-pats living in SA about the the things we miss from home and the things that drive us mad ie lack of cradit card payment facilities !

What do I find ? The forum is full of South African ex-pats slagging off their country.

I'm from the UK, Surrey, and came here first 3 years ago on my way around the world. I didnt want to come necessarily but thats the way the ticket worked. I was very wary. In my limited previous experience the only South Africans I'd met had all been ignorant, arrogant racists who hated the new South Africa and all it stood for. I was also concerned about the levels of crime reported to us in the UK.

However, what I found when I got here was a whole other story. The people were friendly and willing to go out of their way to help and invite you into their families. I made good friends here and stayed for 4 months. In fact I loved it so much that I moved here to Plettenberg Bay, 2 years ago, after my travels.

This country isnt perfect, far from it, but where I live its as close as you'll find. Crime ? I havent locked my car for 2 years, my front door is open all day and most of the evening. Would I live in Joburg ? Never. I dont want to live behind razor wire and Dobermans which is a fact of life there. I know people who have gone through horrific experiences and I can understand totally if some of them have left the country feeling very bitter indeed.

South Africa is a very big country with major issues to resolve but its moving in the right direction. If any British ex-pats would like to chat, I'm all ears.

Jacaranda

Hi Mrs Petrie

Your post interested me greatly - I left SA 34 years ago, and never stopped missing it, as you'll probably gather if you read other posts of mine. I did go back 13 years ago, and would willingly have remained, but my son was under age, and I would have had to trail through the courts to take him there with me! So we didn't stay, we came back to UK.

Even all these years down the line, with retirement looming, I'm still homesick - but now, because of all the bad press I'm nervous of even contemplating a return, so your post really gave me heart. Saying you are from "Plett" - I presume that's Plettenberg Bay?

Would love to hear from you - a PM or email would be fine, if you'd like?

TouristTrap

When you, a close friend or relative of yours gets gunned down in their driveway for nothing, or a close friend raped and left HIV positive, you'll change your tune.

Mrs Petrie

So stay in Florida. I'm not encouraging you to come back, far from it. SA is far better off without you ! Are you British by the way? This is a Brits ex-pat borad as far as I know.

Mrs Petrie

I've PM'd you. If your ears are open I'd love to chat.

TouristTrap

Yes, I guess it is. Especially when the dozens of folk we employed are today without work through no fault of their or my own.

I see you've got the typical South African rudeness and aggressiveness down to a T.

Who died and made you board monitor?

Jacaranda

Now, now - one of the things that got me when I first joined this board was the sniping from some people - Izibear, I know things have happened that have hurt, but please . . .

Mrs Petrie

I dont presume to know the circumstances of your move away. From your attitude it wasnt necessarily what you wanted to do but maybe forced into it. I'm truley sorry for that. However, this country now has a lot of positive things happening and its not all murder and rape. I have found an area as close to paradise as you can get. I'm very lucky. Maybe if my first impressions of SA had been of Joburg razorwire things might be different. Having said that I know several families that are moving back to JB because its too quiet here !? Go figure ??

The aim of my original post was merely to provide a counterpoint to the floods of negativity I found on these boards. We should be encouraging foreign investment if SA is to continue to grow, not scaring it off. Somebody here could be the one that provides employment to your ex-workforce.


Great ! I believe that when you move to a new country you should take on their ways and culture ! I have also been taking Afrikaans lessons, drive a bakkie and have developed a taste for Biltong and Wors - seriously!

No one yet, but I'm always open to offers !

G'Day

I'm very glad to hear that you've come to realise that your innitial perceptions of South Africans was incorrect, possibly you will eventually realise you've made the same mistake with regards to your current opinion of the country? But then to err is human.... let's just hope, one woman to another, that it doesn't end up costing you what it's cost many other women.....

Peaksgal

[QUOTE=Mrs Petrie]Here I was looking for a board where I could have light hearted chats with BRITISH ex-pats living in SA about the the things we miss from home and the things that drive us mad ie lack of cradit card payment facilities !

I am not yet an ex-pat, but hope to be in the very near future. I am presently living in Surrey in the UK, but have travelled to SA over the past five years, and loved the country so much that I bought a house there two years ago.
I researched very carefully before deciding on an area where I would like to live, and therefore purchase a property. (I eventually chose Hermanus) Of course, crime and safety, especially for women, was an issue, and after reading about the huge crime problem in SA, I almost changed my mind. However, crime in the UK is not unheard of, and murders have taken place almost on my doorstep here. (And, incidentally, my sister was brutally murdered 20+ years ago and it was not in J'burg, or anywhere else in SA, but in Ritchings Park, a very select area of Buckinghamshire). Another thing I found we were doing was leaving the doors open all day - something I would never do here in the UK. Maybe a foolish thing to do, but many of the locals were doing the same thing, so obviously they were feeling quite safe about doing so.

I have just returned from SA and can hardly wait to return again. I was in Plettenburg Bay for a short visit last month when we were travelling the Garden Route.

I am hoping to retire very soon, and will be spending as much time as possible in SA. I know the Immigration Bill is being amended, so I am not sure how it will affect me in determining the amount of time I can spend there. I would love to hear from anyone who could give me any tips and relate their experiences of moving to SA.

M

Jacaranda

[QUOTE=Peaksgal]
Peaksgal,

You give me heart - I think I need to visit SA again - maybe next year when I've some shekels saved - my late parents loved Hermanus, BTW!

Peaksgal

I hope you can save those shekels - it will be worth it! Unfortunately, the flight is expensive, and I have noticed that each year appears more expensive to stay there - of course the stronger Rand has a lot to do with it. However, the scenery, the clean air, and the friendly people are all free - and it doesn't cost much to eat - I found the main expense was car hire, flight, and rental cottage (my house has tenants in at the moment). I can't wait to return. Like your parents, I also love Hermanus.

Jacaranda

Yes, I do watch costs from time to time - rents seem sometimes on a par with Edinburgh, and the most costly flights seem to be SAA!! I don't have a driving licence, I'm ashamed to say - my son drives, but, although I'm able, I've never sat my test - divorce intervened, 17 years ago!!!!
Immediately after my post on the Forum yesterday I went on line to find out more about Hermanus, and it sounds lovely! Ah well . . . we'll just have to see!!

GRANiTe

I feel it's good to be positive about South Africa but it is just as important to be realistic and there is no way that South Africa can be compared to the UK when talking about levels of crime.

A quick google search found that there are approximately 1000 murders a year in the UK and 20 000 murders in South Africa a year.

Grant

Pablo

Not so long ago, people were saying that the Jo'burg crime woudn't move to Cape Town. Now it is there. Don't kid yourself that there's some sort of invisible line somewhere across South Africa that will prevent crime reaching you.

There are many places in Africa where you can live like a king so long as you're basically an ex-pat (either a foreign worker for a multinational, or a retiree with your investments safely offshore). You know, spending your Home Counties pounds to buy up lovely cheap South African mansions, and then living off your offshore investment income. But that isn't living in Africa. That's living in a bubble. Not that there's anything wrong with living in a cosy little bubble like that. But don't mouth off about being African when you're just a lush rich ex-pat living the high life on your Western currency, and ready to jump on the next plane with your EU passport at the first hint of trouble.

P