Well, tastes are personal and what one person will find awe-inspiring might leave another one cold. However, most people probably would be very impressed a lot of the natural beauty across South Africa. Cape Town is very strikingly set against Table Mountain, and it’s scenery towards the tip of the peninsula is really beautiful. Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens are arguably one of the most beautiful in the world. The nearby winelands are incredibly picturesque with their almost Alpine hills and the old Cape Dutch architecture.
There are just so many amazing places, many of the national parks are as much about conserving the outstanding geology as they are about the Big Five, such as Augrabies with it’s waterfall in the desert, Golden Gate with it’s incredible sandstone formations, the breathtaking Valley of Desolation.
Then there’s the Wild Coast with it’s incredible coastline, rock formations and forests. The Little Karoo with it’s stunning semi-arid scenery. The Blyde River Canyon area which is just jaw-dropping. I could go on but you get the idea.
As to the lack of local food, to be honest traditional Southern African cuisine is fairly basic – pap (maize porridge), moroho (greens) and some sort of meat, often offal stews. It’s available in any little township restaurant and there is now a national franchise (Cheesa nama). Probably the nicest traditional cuisine is the Cape Malay cuisine which is available very readily all over Cape Town at various price points, and nationally. The Durban area also does some of the worlds best curries.
There is still a rich cultural life in many areas, especially the tribal areas (former homelands) one can observe all sorts of festivals and celebrations which people are not putting on for tourists but genuinely living – girls in nothing but white paint and grass skirts dancing by the side of the road as part of their initiation ceremony for instance.
As to crime and safety. Yes it’s an issue, it’s a much more dangerous place than the UK. Having said that, crime really concentrates itself in poorer areas. There’s less of an edge in some ways though than here – more economically motivated crime and less random aggro.
Yes it would be different to the UK in terms of family lifestyles, but that is as much driven by for instance the city layouts being far more geared towards a car culture.
When I’m there I worry a lot more about poor driving than I do crime, it really is atrocious although Cape Town probably not as bad as other regions and there are country regions where the roads are extremely quiet. But the national roads at the start of school holidays are a nightmare.
And obviously the weather is much better than here if one likes warmer sunnier weather.
Would I encourage anyone to move there? I wouldn’t say no, but I’d probably also point out that it’s politically in a tricky phase at present, there has been widespread corruption over the last few years so a real lack of service delivery to the poor, as well as very high inflation, so there are a lot of pissed off people, a lot of protests, and a lot of more extreme political parties making capital from this (although I don’t see the ANC losing power anytime soon).
Certainly for a lucrative work contract of just a few years I’d say go for it to anyone asking.