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Original poster

Would you move to Cape Town?

381 replies

ZarZarGabor · 15/08/2023 17:56

Sorry posting here for traffic.

A good job opportunity has come up to move to Cape Town with work, likely for 3 years or so. We have one pre-school age child and are aware childcare options there are more affordable.

We have spent some time there before and so are alive to some of the issues the country faces including crime, load shedding and bureaucracy. However we still absolutely love the place and want an adventure.

Would be grateful to hear the views of people who have direct experience living there, especially with a young child.

I know lots of people will have a “friend of a friend” who has had bad experiences in South Africa, but I’d really like to hear from people who actually live or have lived there about day to day life for an expat and the sorts of considerations we might have forgotten to factor into (we have already considered visas, healthcare, security, costly mobile phone data etc).

thanks for any advice.

OP posts:
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7
Panicmode1 · 15/08/2023 18:03

I wouldn't, no.

My three cousins (white) were all born and raised in Cape Town - they have all moved back to the UK with their young children, the last one last year - because they don't think there is a future there for them or their children, the lifestyle they grew up with no longer exists - and the security situation is serious. (The final straw was their family home being burnt down in an arson attack - and that was in a very affluent, lovely suburb of the city.)

creamcheeseandcream · 15/08/2023 18:12

Also a no here too. My partner has 3 sets of family there ( white) lives there/ born there and except for the elderly parents, everyone has moved back to the uk.

IHateWasps · 15/08/2023 18:12

Not a chance in hell.

Summerrainagain1 · 15/08/2023 18:14

I LOVE Cape Town and probably would move there for a year or two, just for the experience. But South Africa is really dangerous and plagues with political and social problems, I would not choose to raise my kids there long term.

Hopealong · 15/08/2023 18:21

I live in Portugal and there are a lot of people from South Africa/ Cape Town moving here. It seems it is just beset with issues and seems to be getting worse.
Cape Town does look to have loads to offer but ultimately not feeling safe and the continual power outages would make it a no from me

Nugg · 15/08/2023 18:52

No. Was a consideration until I had lengthy conversations with my neighbour who's SA born and bred but lasted 3 weeks there without her DH when he moved here for work, with a view to her following. She was terrified and the lifestyle sounds horrendous. Their grown up children have been violently assaulted with weapons, her sister was gang raped. It was like listening to a horror movie plot.

I had no idea it was as bad.

Tartareistasty · 15/08/2023 19:00

How is the situation. Is it just farmers targetted or anyone white?
I wouldn't tbh. Even without the current issue, the crime rate would put me off

Berlinlover · 15/08/2023 19:05

Not in a million years.

Peddlefaster · 15/08/2023 19:06

I lived there over 15 years ago and I would only move there now to somewhere like camps bay or a gated community with security. Lots of people don’t experience violence but you do have to be very careful. I might go with small children but I’d be well gone by teen ages.

notlucreziaborgia · 15/08/2023 19:09

No. There’s a reason why those in Cape Town that can afford it live in gated communities with extensive CCTV, hire private security and are personally armed to the teeth.

hairyharrison · 15/08/2023 19:10

I am south African and grew up in cape town. Never in a million years would I take my child back there. I'm too nervous to even go back on holiday with her.

Ennyyy · 15/08/2023 19:10

I have a South African colleague who has said more than once that there isn't an ice cube's chance in hell she'd ever go back. We had a South African client in a couple of weeks ago and they talked at length about how they wouldn't live there now and that it's getting worse.
I don't know if it makes a difference, but as others have mentioned it, my colleague is black and the client was white.

tescocreditcard · 15/08/2023 19:14

No. I work in care and know dozens of white South African live in carers who are never going back. It's not safe anymore.

Original poster
ZarZarGabor · 15/08/2023 19:18

Thanks for all your responses and I am sorry to hear of the bad stories some of your friends have experienced.
We are looking for a move for around 3 years with a young child so educational / employment issues are a consideration but less directly relevant. We are also likely only looking at a gated community or camps bay time area as a poster suggested.
we do have friends and relatives living there (who are by no means armed to the teeth as a pp suggested) but hearing these viewpoints is helpful as I appreciate we may only have heard the good sides.
if anyone has actually lived there themselves and can think of day-to-day issues we might not have thought of that would be incredible helpful.
Appreciate your responses, good and bad, so far!

OP posts:
FoodieToo · 15/08/2023 19:19

My lovely friend left there and moved to Ireland . All her family doing similar . It does not seem to be safe at all .

Original poster
ZarZarGabor · 15/08/2023 19:22

Summerrainagain1 · 15/08/2023 18:14

I LOVE Cape Town and probably would move there for a year or two, just for the experience. But South Africa is really dangerous and plagues with political and social problems, I would not choose to raise my kids there long term.

Thanks for your response. I think we feel similarly. We love it there but wouldn’t put down long term roots. Just an adventure for 2-3 years. I agree that the social and political problems are a concern, and don’t seem to be improving

OP posts:
colouringindoors · 15/08/2023 19:24

No. South African colleague of mine left five years ago and says they'll never go back.

willWillSmithsmith · 15/08/2023 19:24

I’ve known a few South Africans and all of them have personal, first hand experience of serious crime. They have no intention of moving back. Although I hear it can be beautiful it’s a place I’ll never visit let alone live.

MrsToothyBitch · 15/08/2023 19:25

No. Never. I've spoken to too many people who've left due to the danger. Especially with children.

I've had a very lovely customer be very excited to go home to visit SA but admit he could never live there again and get quite emotional whilst telling me he wished his brother would leave with his young family.

HikingforScenery · 15/08/2023 19:25

My engineer friend and his doctor wife live there, doing very well and love it. They’re raising children there too.

Tiddlywinks63 · 15/08/2023 19:28

My husband’s 87 year old aunt was raped by an intruder (she lives in a gated community, has barred windows and a secure room set up but was attacked walking from her car to the door. This was only last year.
No way would I even consider it.

TheGirlFromTomorrow · 15/08/2023 19:30

I dated a guy who grew up there. Some of the things he told me about would literally make you feel ill. I don't even want to repeat it.

The relationship didn't work out because he was very screwed up mentally.

amlie8 · 15/08/2023 19:32

Husband is SA. I read the OP to him – he laughed and said no no no.

I would love to visit to see wildlife, but I think I am too scared.

Ispini · 15/08/2023 19:34

Not a hope in hell. I used to visit regularly from another African country where I lived with DH who is from SA. His whole extended family have moved to the UK and US and none of them would ever go back. It only takes one break in to totally change your life forever. You also have to think about the ability to speak Afrikaans as it is a priority language in a lot of areas in the Cape.

Maddy70 · 15/08/2023 19:34

I lived there for a short time for work. I loved it however there really is an undercurrent. I never once went out alone at night