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.

I have thought about living there for a year as it’s my favourite place in the world.

@LondonNQT my family had no issues getting their covid vaccines and boosters. Some mobile clinic came around to their small town on schedule.

I lived there about ten years ago, but left when it was time to start thinking about having a family. It’s a stunning, amazing place and it will always be in my heart. The beaches, nature, wildlife, the outdoor lifestyle, so much to do!

The crime rate is high and you need to be savvy. You can’t just live the way you can in a lot of the UK.

I don’t think you should really factor other peoples opinions but just do what feels right for you and your family. I’m of a relatively anxious disposition and found living there just made me anxious because I was always looking over my shoulder. And yes, bad things did happen to friends of friends. But some people are just wired differently and it doesn’t seem to bother them so much.

When I lived there all the window bars made me quite nervous about fires.

Glad to hear it @JudgeAnderson!

My aunt and uncle lived there for 40 years but moved back here after their house was broken into and they were both shot. They were lucky to survive.

So no.

@EnidSpyton

I think what you're saying makes alot of sense on this thread.

I'm sorry one or two posters have been deliberately belligerent to you.

Was there before DC. Amazing, wonderful place, many great people and an awesome lifestyle. But several times a year there would be a bad incident that was too close for comfort.

Personally I would not go with children. A lot of the crime is gang related and not centered on the expat areas, though traveling can be risky. One issue that would scare me with young DC is a major increase in out of control guard dogs, with a lot now pitbull mixes. You see them becoming street dogs, presumably abandoned: https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/649589/government-investigating-rise-in-pitbull-attacks-in-south-africa/

No! Don't do it

We don't even want to go back for holidays any more.

I know a couple who moved here from south Africa. Their house was broken in to and they were both raped (they're a male/female couple).
I do know another woman who's moved there from the UK. She loves it. She's extremely wealthy and lives a luxurious life there.
I personally wouldn't live there.

Similar. Many wonderful aspects, but definitely not a place to be with teenagers.

I have friends from Capetown, they have lived here for 20 years plus and would like to move back now their dc are grown but they are still reluctant because of the crime etc.

absolutely not. I know a lot of S.Africans ( mainly white) and they are living wealthy privilege, while other non- whiten people essentially are their staff. They are racist.
They don’t feel
safe.

It’s a mess.

Agree on German Shepherds. Should be seriously well trained and assessed so they won’t be a danger to your family.

Was there when the pitbull mixes started to appear a lot, with dangerous consequences for families and anyone they encountered if abandoned: https://businesstech.co.za/news/lifestyle/649589/government-investigating-rise-in-pitbull-attacks-in-south-africa/

I would have normally said yes, definitely for an adventure etc and with your child being young. But definitely no now after seeing Julius Malema’s rally shouting for the white man to be killed. South Africa and so many other African countries are powder kegs at the moment and I’d say you’ll be begging to come home within a year or less.

Afrikaans definitely isn’t a necessity if you’re living in Cape Town itself. If you’re living further down, Worcester area then there are more Afrikaans speakers, but Cape Town itself has vastly English South Africans iyswim.

I say this as a fluent Afrikaans speaker.

Plenty of friends there who still love it. Most of those do not have DC. When you speak to people who left, particularly if they are South African, there has often been a violent incident that triggered the move and so the description is likely to be very focused on that.

I grew up there.

I speak fluent Afrikaans, as in on the same level as English, and when we left I absolutely wanted with all my heart to go back.

But now the crime, the corruption, the load shedding, there is absolutely no way I would ever move back there.

I have a friend whose husband was shot and killed in front of her. I have other friends who have been victims of crime. I have other frends who haven’t been victims, but who live in gated communities and don’t go out after certain times of the day.

And I have several friends who have emigrated, to the UK/Australia/Canada/Sweden.

I’m hoping to go back next year for a holiday. I’m not against it as a place to go, but I definitely wouldn’t live there.

I think people just don’t realise the level of corruption which exists tbh in the majority of Africa.

Cape Town itself has vastly English South Africans iyswim.

If you're in the Southern Suburbs yes but overall Afrikaans is the majority language (northern suburbs/Cape flats).

I worked with a colleague in new Zealand ( many years ago ) who had emigrated there from SA. Her 12 year old daughter had been shot in a taxi on the way to school. Horrific.

I've lived in Cape Town and love so much about it! I would consider moving back for a short period of time if the salary was amazing but I'd keep property here and have a solid escape plan.
Things you should consider:

• Money - some things in SA are incredibly cheap (petrol, food, restaurants) but some are very expensive. I would only go back if the salary was mega!
• Cars - you and DH will each need a car (it can be cheaper to ship your own car there than buy in SA or get your company to include 2 cars as part of relocation package.
• Education - will your DC need to start school in SA? Children start school a year later in SA so children who return to UK are often 2 years behind their peers academically
• Loadshedding - you will have hours a day when there is no electricity. Really think through how you will cope with this and check carefully if your housing will have generators/solar power/inverters. You can't just wash and dry your hair when you want to for example!
• Labour is cheap so many people can afford a live in nanny - this is amazing if you have young children. Some of my CT friends can't believe I've raised children 'with no help!'

I was there on honeymoon a year ago. Felt totally safe, we obviously went with a tour operator so didn't venture anywhere on our own. We did so much. Cape Town for a week, wine lands, kruger. It was amazing. I've no doubt living there is different but those saying that going on a holiday there is crazy are wrong.

I tried not to go out after dark are very rarely did. Find some safe places to withdraw cash. Dealing with the corruption is foul and quite frightening when you try to stand up to it. Car safety - lots of comments on crime, but accidents also an issue. Load shedding already mentioned, try to get a generator as city power erratic.

have a few weeks supply of water and food in case of unrest. Was not an issue for me in SA, but was in another country in the region.