Move to Johannesburg?

[PolaDeVeboise]

If your OH was offered the job they'd always wanted, would you relocate, taking your 2 primary school aged children with you? Would it be an exercise in madness?

There are a lot of South Africans here in the Algarve. All left because of the terrifying crime, all say it is a beautiful country. Many have experienced robbery at gunpoint and most seem to have known friends or neighbours who were murdered during burglaries.
Nothing would convince me to move to Jo’burg. My aunt lived there for 14 years until the late 70s and it has got so much worse.

I went there many moons ago and it is indeed a beautiful country.
How tragic that it has become such a dangerous place.
Does the government make any attempt to stop the endemic violence?

No absolutely not. I've worked in Pretoria and in Cape Town in the past (as a single person with no children). I wouldn't work there again and certainly not with a family. I've lived a lot of places in the world that most people would consider 'developing', but I've never looked over my shoulder as much anywhere else. It's just not somewhere I'd choose to live if I had other options.

I've worked there in the last few years. Would I relocate? Yes, but only to Cape Town and only if I was child free. As others have said your nerves get 'fried' just being on your own, having children there would multiply this. South Africans are very friendly and I absolutely loved the country but I wouldn't consider a move to joburg with kids

I lived in SA for 23 years - mainly in Cape Town, but also in the far north-east.

It is violent, and you are constantly shot through with cortisol and adrenaline - particularly if you're in your car. The only time I've had a gun pointed at me, I was in a "safe" residential area in an affluent part of Johannesburg. That was shocking enough as someone who was used to living in SA. I think the "shock of the new" for you would be overwhelming.

I had friends who were raped, one who was murdered, many who were mugged. My flat was broken into when I was in it, and the local PG Autoglass (I was forever having my quarter-glass replaced because it was smashed to steal my radio) knew me by name. And all of this was in the 90s. I can't imagine what it's like now.

I have a lot of SA friends here in Sydney who love their homeland but would never go back due to the violence. Jo’berg is usually cited as the most violent place. I genuinely had no idea about the prevalence of home invasion/rape/murder before I met them. I am sorry to say I think it really would be madness to move there as a family.

No. Qnd especially not Jo,burg.
You will be in a gilded cage, bit still not safe.

My friend (who is SA) when back for a trip with his family and they got pot shots taken at them walking across a carpark. Just no.

Sorry about typos. Trying to type and walk at the same time.

Nope. DH worked in Cape Town for a while and enjoyed it, but even he said he'd not live there. The crime was terrible.

Cape Town yes in a heartbeat ,
JoBurg No!

No, never. Hell on earth.

Yes.

My brother lives there. I’ve been many times. Fabulous country.

On here you will get the perspectives mostly of people in the U.K., which will include those who’ve left SA. That’s not necessarily representative, so you could post on an SA expats FB group for a better sample.

For me it’d be a trade off between career advancement & pay, & the obvious safety risks to your kids. I haven’t lived in JNB for several years, but when I was there, there were several parts of town which were safe (gated communities) and where I’d feel comfortable with kids.

Other advantages- life is very cheap, it’s beautiful, so many fun local places to explore, kids understand a new culture.

No South African I've ever known (known a few as DH works in financial services) has EVER said they'd want to bring their kids up there - quite the opposite! I think you'd be pretty much confined to your gated community and need protection when leaving it. I wouldn't want to.

Nope, no way.

I watched that Louie Theroux documentary and it was a real eye opener

My friend came to the uk from Johannesburg and she would say things like ... she couldnt believe that police come when you call 999, in Johannesburg you wait up for 7 days. That her child had free dentistry, that you could just walk your child to school, that we didnt have gates and razor wire fences

I'm South African. Moved to the UK 17yrs ago & go back once a year.
The crime is concentrated in the "townships"/informal settlements. However you will have to be on high alert whenever you leave the house.
The private schools are affordable & education is top notch. The weather and outside space is amazing. Restaurants and shopping malls so classy. The infrastructure is very first world, but then you have the majority of the population living in poverty.
Quality of life was definitely better, felt very spoilt with large homes, fancy cars, daily cleaners etc, but always second guessing if the house alarm was on etc before going to bed. Tough one.

Spent 20 years there. No, I wouldn’t. Can be wonderful but if the endemic violence hits you it hits hard.

Yes, madness.