Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

All men are equal in Gods eyes.

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Amen. Then maybe God should do the judging.

Pablo

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

The way the ANC comrades sometimes act, you'd swear they were god

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Yep. Better to rule in hell than serve in heaven. Glad things are working out for you Kevin on the moving front.

Best wishes, P.

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

thanks

Re: Rick B / 6000 etc – GONE ?
 

Amazing, just looking at the posters in this SA forum and the short bursts of all talk SA rah rah rah stuff has all gone. No staying power.

Recently we have the next wave of posters, of course, come on here with their once only posts claiming that the consistent content on here is all nonsense.

I chose Rick B to highlight as he came on this forum so strong that I was a (forum) bully boy and he was going to show me and the readers that I was just another racialist and anti-Africanism. Yeah right ! That same old card that just keeps getting played.

Can anyone show me a member here from South Africa that consistently offers contribution to this forum on an ongoing basis that whistles the tune that there are no problems with SA ? Even Miss Eck that went to SA for a holiday has still not posted back any feedback.

It’s the same *attitude* that is sinking South Africa. People DO NOT want to hear the negatives and prefer to bury their head in the sand.

Pass another beer, chop & wors.

Re: Rick B / 6000 etc – GONE ?
 

That's twice in one day I get a mention .. you must be missing me :p

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Hi!

Well, it's great to know there's someone else out there also swimming against the tide. My husband and I moved out here from England five years ago, and haven’t looked back. It depends on exactly where in SA you go, and where you live, but there are plenty of great places here, believe me! It just depends on what you want as to whether you’ll like it here – you can choose money in the UK or lifestyle here.

We live in the Eastern Cape – one of the poorest provinces, but one of the prettiest. As the partner of a S African citizen you’ll be entitled to apply for a temporary work permit and after five years of marriage a permanent residence permit. That will be easier for you that it was for me or my husband, as we’re both English. To get a permit without any family connection is much harder. We’re still waiting for our permanent residence permit application to be processed (we applied in July 2007) but you can have unlimited temporary permit renewals while you wait (just as well!).

Yes, there’s crime here, but there’s crime everywhere, which is one fact that escapes people who were born and raised here. Here there is a tremendous amount of personal freedom compared to the UK (– no, I don’t need any S Africans to scoff at me for this, because I’ve lived in both places, and I do know what I’m talking about.) Even before we moved in 2002 we were feeling stifled by the nanny state, and when we made a trip back last June we found Tony Blair’s Britain unbearable. You just can’t explain that kind of smothering to someone who hasn’t experienced it.

The general standard of living in money terms is lower here. When we first arrived we had a household income of R55,000 p/a and it nearly sent us back again, but the nice thing about SA is that if you have the grey matter between your ears and the willingness to look after yourself, you are actually rewarded for it. Even though, there is much for to do here for free – some wonderful hiking trails, scenery, much nicer weather. If you’ll be dithering fro a while, subscribe to Getaway magazine for some ideas on the fun you can have here.

By far the best way is to have one job lined up before you come, if you can. You can get tons of great info and help from www.immigration.org.za and www.solidaritysa.co.za. I’ve probably wittered on enough, but If you have any specific questions, just ask!

Jo

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Of course we have no clue what we are talking about, we just lived there, have loved ones there, and would rather bash the country and watch our loved ones suffer for no justifiable reason whatsoever.:zzz:

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Your positive attitude is great but a few comments.
Crime is everywhere but in most countries the criminals get caught, and then have a fair punishment for the crime. In RSA there are thousands of unsolved murders, and the criminals whwo get caught have been set free in amnesties to make space for new criminals. A few years back 2 murdering rapists were set free and within weeks were caught repeating the crimes they went away for. No apology from the ANC or minister of justice.
My dad still lives there and last week there was a power failure for almost a week! This in a suburb where one of the biggest shopping centres in the Southern hemisphere is located. Aparently the cables were long overdue for repacement, but it is more important for the council members to have new cars and another salary increase. Hospitals are overloaded, so to fix that they closed the Kempton Park hospital.
if you have children I hope you have planned for their education becuase you are going to have difficulty paying for a real education in a private school or buying medical aid. This becuase there are 1500 new AIDS cases a week (or is it a day), and the government says the medical aid schemes cannot refuse them if it was pre existing condition.
I love South Africa, it was one of the most beautiful countries I have seen, but had to leave, to give myself and family a better chance of survival. The several thousand South Africans here in Mackay believe the same. I dont think we are wrong.

Good luck

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Can someone quote the actual figure of how many whites there actually are living in South Africa ? Does anyone have a link or the latest figure on that please.

Cheers .............

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Campbells,

http://www.statssa.gov.za/census01/html/RSAPrimary.pdf

will give you the Census Stats for 2001 with a compasrison to Census 96.
Info you want is on page 11.
The latest estimates are embargoed until Aug for some strange reason???/

Institute of race relations and the Medical research council have population growth and Mortality stats.
Am rushing to a meeting so happy hunting

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Thanks Daxk,

Hope you had a good meeting.

Not sure if I am reading the figures correctly but I read ……

4 293 640 in 2001

4 434 697 in 1996

141 057 difference in 5 years

Just over 3 % increase in 5 years.

Interesting as we have a friend just returned from a 4 week holiday in SA and said that it was thought that the white population was down to 2 million.

Be interested to hear further comments on this.

Cheers mate……….

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

R55 k = £3985 = £332 a month = £ 83 a week based on a 40 hour week = £2 an hour.

UK minimum wage is £ 5.35 per hour = £ 214 per week = £ 856 a month £ 10 272 p/a = R 141 777. Hmm, not bad for flipping burgers with zero grey matter required and zero stress.

So why not go to the UK , flip burgers, save up & go to SA and buy a house cash ?

Expensive sunshine. Lots of other countries offer sunshine plus a decent wage in international terms.

SA Rand is monopoly money in the international outlook. :cool:

Re: So, we are thinking of moving......
 

Whatever faults the UK has, at least the police actually come when you call them, and, if you have a heart attack, the ambulance comes. Neither of these things can be taken for granted in SA. I remember, when I was living in Jo'burg, most people including me just didn't bother with the police because they were so utterly useless. The only time you involved them was if you needed to make an insurance claim and needed a police docket number.

I am struck, too, by the number of people who seem unaware of the collapse in the skills levels in the South African medical sector -- private as well as state sectors. Many Brits seem unaware that you actually have to pay for your medical treatment in SA, and prices have soared. And even when you pay you often don't get proper treatment. The skills are ebbing away.

A friend of mine still living in SA, who is a qualified doctor *and* a qualified surgeon, needed a heart bypass a couple of years ago. He made absolutely sure he was operated on by a surgeon he knew and trusted, but he was so appalled at the after-care treatment that he booked himself out of the private hospital where he had had his operation and arranged a whole ICU setup at home, complete with full-time nurse.

Most people just don't think about questions like healthcare. But it seems to me that if you're getting on a bit, you really ought to consider what you'll do if you find you need heart treatment or cancer treatment. One area of medical treatment where there is expertise in SA is gunshot wounds. Go figure.

Pablo