Would you move to Cape Town?

[ZarZarGabor]

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.

@TizerorFizz It isn't the Afrikaner capital at all, there's no such thing now. Majority Sotho speaking region in fact.

Quite right, and they would need the money to be able to do so. The exchange rate is poor therefore it’s not a like for like move and people start from the bottom again after emigrating which lots of SA-er’s don’t want to do.

@JudgeAnderson It’s research on white population attitudes. Not neat political boxes. There are still very many white Afrikaners there. SA is great for holidays but you need a certain ambivalence to live there. A resigned attitude that you cannot do much to help others who live in corrugated tin shacks. The ultra rich don’t seem to see this as a priority. Nor the government.

When in SA we always listen to the radio. Phone in programmes give you a real insight into SA. Child deaths under 5 - atrocious. Maternity provision - poor. Loo blocks built without doors - awful. The legacy of Aids. Lots of issues the uk never has to think about in the same way. My recommendation is to listen and learn, even if you are on holiday. If you go snd live there - look the other way.

@TizerorFizz I'm from the Free State, Bloemfontein was my nearest big city. My family are still there and I visit yearly.

So what if there are regions where white Afrikaners live? They're entitled to exist and live in their own country.

Next time I go to my shopping centre I'll attach a photo for you. There's defo white car guards. More black ones than white, but then there is more black people than white.
Wth is an Afrikaans capital.

The references to the "white capital" and "Afrikaans capital" are just weird and possibly borderline offensive but I can't quite put my finger on it.

White car guards are a thing but obviously much less so than black and as someone else said, fairly rare in the more affluent parts of Cape Town/southern suburbs. I've seen white car guards in the Northern Suburbs though.

@ZarZarGabor out of interest, what area roughly are you living in? if my dad sends me one more pictures of his morning walk at the foot of table mountain, looking all glorious, I might have to move back myself!