Hiya all.......
Another newbie to the forum, so be kind.........
I've been lurking here for a some time now and really just want to say hello to you all, and tell you a bit about myself.


After 10 yrs away from S.A., the heart has ruled and i have bought 1/3rd shares in a wee farm in Hoedspruit. Partners are friends and colleagues who live in that area.
The transaction has taken almost 1 year due to strikes and other unforseen problems, but come 31st Aug, we will be the new owners, and i will own my first piece of Africa.


I first moved out to S.A. after completing an apprenticeship at the tender age of 20 years and was offered permanent residence and a job with Gencor.
Well .......that was the beginning of a fantastic 12 years.
I can't even begin to describe the good times (and occasional bad) that i had during my time there, but after living in
Virginia OFS, Hillbrow/Westdene/Randburg/ then Ballito and Simonstown, i made lots of great friends and life was fun.

Oops.....before i continue, i should say that issues of black and white mean little to me, but i do have problems with selfish/greedy/deceitful people regardless of race.


Moving forward to present day again......
My feelings are a mixture of excitement, disappointment, optimism and pessimism.
Everything in life is a lottery, but S.Africa at this time must surely personify this.
I am hopeful that things will come right, but realistically, statistics dictate that things are going to get worse before they get better.
At present, i am working in Nigeria (Delta State), so am seeing first hand how far down a place can go)

Does anyone else have similarly mixed feelings about S.Africa?

Oh, i should also say that my main place of residence is Newcastle Upon Tyne in the North of England.

Thanks for taking the time to read and everyone have a nice day.

All the Best.

Dave.

Hi Dave.

Congrats! on your purchase and good luck with your move. Studied in Newcastle for 3 years and loved it. Also enjoying living in Cape Town now. I doubt that you'll find the move at all traumatic if you've lived in the Niger Delta!

It will be interesting to hear your views once you've settled in here. When do you plan to move - 1st Sept?

Hi 6000
Thanks for the kind words.
My work rotation is 5 weeks on 5 weeks off, so am plannning to spend 2-3 weeks in S.A. and the remainder in U.K. (have to keep the tax man happy).

Will be heading down end of Sept for some R+R and also to get the place tidied up. The previous owner left some 6 months ago, and according to the co-owners, it is a bit overgrown at the moment.

Yes.....live in Nigeria for a while and you will more than likely handle most places. Life can be "challenging", but there are some positives even in the Niger Delta.

Which part of Newcastle did you live during your studies?.

Dave.

I can't claim Niger Delta experience, but Fenham in the early 90's was enough! And Benwell was a no-go area - day or night!
I lived in Spittal Tongues and Heaton during my time in Newcastle. I also worked at The Strawberry pub right outside St James' Park - and lived there briefly.

Wonderful place. (The city - not just the pub!!!)

My general feeling about SA is definitely not mirrored by the average view on this forum. Yes, there are a lot of problems, but there are a lot of positives too. Like I said - I enjoy being here.

Are you going to be running the farm as a business? Or is it just a "place in the sun" to enjoy life?

6000.

It will be a place to visit and enjoy. It is way too small to operate as a business.
One of the 3 partners will be living there and looking after things, so shouldn't have too many worries.

I also lived in Heaton for a while, but am originally a country lad from Hexham.
I'm probably biased, but i think Newcastle is one of the best Uk cities for a night out.

I know what you mean about the positives in S.A.
I also feel that........but, i absolutely understand the general view portrayed on this forum. (It is hard to ignore the way things are moving).
Everyone knew that what is happening was always going to happen. Like i said in first post, things could get a lot worse before they get better!!!!.

Maybe we are in the minority, but i do still have hope.

Sounds wonderful.

I can't remember. But that's probably because I was constantly drunk for about 3 years. So yes - absolutely. Hexham is very pretty too - went out there for their market days (and to visit some country pubs!)

Sure - I understand the sentiment, but not the hysteria. People tell me that when I experience crime (which I have, so this doesn't really work) then I will understand how others live. But while Daxk is quoting all but 3 of his/her (sorry Daxk - don't know!) friends have been victims of violent crime, only 1 person I know has been. I'm told that I should live my life differently by the people on this forum, but I refuse to give in to fear. I'm not scared. Why should I be? The chances of crime directly affecting me is actually tiny.

Hope is good. It's important to keep perspective. Not to over look the negatives, which certainly need attention, but also not to let them obscure the positives.

Good luck with your move - hope to hear more from you as you experience SA!

Far as I can see, the only one manifesting hysteria is 6000. The whole point is to be aware of your environment and do what is necessary to protect yourself. Anyone that has lived in Africa understands that. I too lived and played in Hillbrow and now it is a ghetto. Some things have .......changed slightly over the years.

Enlighten me, oh wise one?

Yes indeed.

http://deathofjohannesburg.blogspot.com/

I'll use this article as a sort of example 6000. http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx..._news__africa/ The world around you sees a serious problem that needs to be addressed, and even with evidence in neon signs still insists that is a minor inconvenience and all is in fact going swimmingly. Mbeki will be proud of you. So much easier to point fingers at the people raising the issues that should be of concern to anyone entering the country. The exodus of South Africans should tip you off that they see something you don't.

Hey DJhep .I have a auncle and aunt living in Newcastle Upon Tyne .visited them a few times during the last 3 yrs. The nightlife is legendary......or so they say .During my last visit in December I arrived there 23 hrs later from JHB via train from London wearing only a t-shirt with wife and 6 month old baby in tow. My first winter visit to the UK .I proptly discovered what the word cold really means.
Enjoy Hoedspruit ! great having the Kruger Park a stone throw away !

Ah - with a link to those good old "SA Farm Murders" pics - which weren't actually taken on farms or in SA at all. Made famous by Neil Watson's website, except he wasn't Neil Watson at all, he was Juan Uys and was arrested last week. He now faces charges of fraud and forgery. My smoke and mirrors ain't got nuttin' on that...!

No, a link to what has become of Hillbrow and the locality, since Tegwyn referred to it. You may wish to draw attention to the appalling farm murders, but I was not even aware there was a link on that site to farm murders.

Have I ever stated that crime in SA isn't a big problem? No, I haven't.

Sort out your facts, dearie.

You never do, not quite. That is the trick you play. Instead you claim the crime problem is 'smoke and mirrors' or you claim that reporting of crime is exaggerated, even though the evidence suggests the opposite. And today, like those liars at HomeComing Revolution, you even deflect discussion of South Africa's parlous security situation by posting irrelevant links to UK crime. But no. When pressed you say what you have just said to Tegwyn: that you have never actually said crime is not a problem.