LKE1979

I'm considering a move to Cape Town with my 4 year old son. A friend suggested Noordhoek was a nice area to live.

I'm a health care professional and single mum. There are a lot of old threads on here going back to 2005 etc, and everyone seems very negative about SA in general, but I have friends that live in Cape Town and they seem to have a great life and their work is booming.

I was in Cape Town last year and felt safe enough. I live in Birmingham (UK) and used to live in London so I'm quite street wise.

I'd appreciate any comments or advice from people who have considered or made a similar move.

Thanks

Alfresco

Hi and Welcome to BE.

You'll most likely get a mixed response on here as I am sure you've seen in other threads. My parents still live in Cape Town and they seem to be fine.

Good luck with your move.

ededed

Hi, and welcome

Lots of negativity is based on real life experience, so should be taken with that in mind. Many who have left have very good reasons for doing so.

I love SA. I love living here, and have loved my time here (11 years in total). We are considering our future - not for the crime, but just because we are getting tired of the corruption, the fact that lots of things just don't work and the novelty of fighting to get a rates bill, internet connection or work permits sorted out have just worn off.

Cape Town "works" much better than Joburg so you would face less of these frustrations, but the weather isn't as good (Capies will deny this, but it's true). It's also considerably safer than Joburg. It's a wonderful life - I would recommend it if it's what you want to do with your life.

Good luck with your decision. My advice would be to come out for 2 weeks and try as much as you can to live like a local (go self-catering, shop where they shop, go to schools etc) and make a call from there. Coming here and climbing the mountain and swimming in the sea and drinking wine won't give you a true picture of life in CT.

Cheers

Ed

Alfresco

Excellent post!

LKE1979

Thanks for the comments.

My friends who live in Cape Town just live in normal streets and do normal things but some of the other posts go on about gated communities and armed response teams. I'm not suggesting that crime isn't an issue, but do people really live in fear of going to the supermarket?

ededed

No. No they don't.

kiwibok

Agreed. Cape Town is probably one of the best run cities in South Africa. Thanks to the DA government.

That said. Compared to the western world it will be frustrating. Im from Cape Town, loved out time there. Unfortunately things have changed and I would never want to go live there again.

As for the weather. If you from the UK. Cape Town weather will be paradise. You will need to get use to the wind though. Especially that south Easter. Nice though for kite surfing.

Everybody will have different experiences. If you friends have never been affected by crime then they won't live in fear. We never lived in fear until a single incident which left us shaken. Unfortunately for us, we never really got over it.

At the end of the day, life is what you make of it. If you feel you will be happier in Cape Town then you should go.