Mumsnetters past and present in Cape Town - urgently sought!

[stillenduringsurrey]

We are due to be posted to CT with my dh's company in January and I think there are some mumsnetters who live or have lived there.

I am in dire and urgent need of info on areas to live in, schools, and so on and so on.

I think that dejags lives there? Anyway, whoever you are, if you are a CT-er please come and give me info and views!

Dejags emmigrated to OZ earlier this year but she did live there for a while. I haven't seen her on here since .

I have spent many holidays in CT but prob won't be able to give you the info you need as a resident rather than visitor, but will help keepp this bumped for you.

Actually having thought about it I may have DJ's email (unless it is outofdate as a SA one) so could try to alert her.

Thanks COV. I think it's a thread that may need some bumping!

Can I just ask you how you found security and if you had any issues? We have just got back from a scouting trip and it's a beautiful place all right and the wine and food and prices etc are incredible but I can't help feeling worried about safety, mostly for ds but also for me tbh

Never been too concerned re security, but yes it is a big issue (although in this day and age tbh it is the same precautions we take there as I do here in Surrey ). Mainly night time safety, although house security is a big thing (alarms, window bars, sign up to an armed response unit). We spend our time over by Camps Bay (dh has family over there) so security on houses is tight because it is an affluent area.

I felt less secure when we were in J'burg for a few months, it somehow had a slight threatening atmosphere to it.

Yes I've heard that J'burg is pretty bad.

I left my car keys in the boot of my car overnight last week (in Surrey) and I think if I did that in CT the car would be gone... As it was, being Surrey, nothing happened at all of course it was still there in the morning, in fact I'm surprised it didn't have a bag of apples from the neighbours hanging from the key. I have a feeling I will long for that in CT!

bump

I (or the children - personally I blame them ) left the french doors from the playroom onto the garden open all night and all we got was a cold lower ground floor and a couple of leaves!

Seriously though.

How long are you anticipating being there?
How old are your children?
Do you plan on working?
WHat are your/your family's hobbies/lifestyle?

I will try and contact DJ for you as I'm sure she can answer all your questions.

I have been reading DJ's comments on SA on another thread - which gives food for thought to say the least.

We don't have to go by any means - we have another offer which we can consider. It would be for three years. We've got one ds aged 11, I won't be able to work (hurrah!) and CT suits ds and dh - surfing outdoor etc. Can't get rid of thinking about issues DJ brought up though.

I was in Brixton a couple of weeks ago and a guy got onto the bus and wouldn't pay. The driver stoppped the bus and wouldn't confront the guy or move - everyone said 'He'll get stabbed if he does' and (living in Surrey as I do) I was pretty shocked by that. But the violence in ct is of a different nature altogether I think.

I have Dejags on my faceboook page, I'll point her to this thread.

x

I have Dejags on my faceboook page, I'll point her to this thread.

x

Honestly, I'd think long and hard before moving to SA

My dh's great uncle was murdered in CT recently. They are SA's themselves and unfortunately there are numerous stories not many of them good.

I know that that is a truly awful thing to say to you but there are so many genuine problems in Southern Africa that mean that living there would be unconscionable for us especially with children

Good luck if you go

lth, could you give her a facebook kick in my direction, as I would love to hear how she is getting on!

RD so sorry about your dh's great uncle. We only skimmed the very surface on our recent visit but I could tell that our relocation agent who was a lovely person was genuinely distressed about CT in general. She tried to hide it but we got on so well that it was clear that there were very real issues - and why wouldn't there be, given the history.

Are you one the MN group CoV?

If you are add me as a friend and you'll be able to contact her from there....

My FB picture is the same one as on my MN profile.

I agree that the situation in SA is terrible but the problems are so extensive that life is still fairly worthless for some of the black communities.

The differences in life styles are so extreme that you can't blame the robbery etc and the circumstances so miserable that you can understand (but not condone) the violence.

Speak to SA's living in the UK, they will give you an honest opinion of the safety levels there.
It's also weird stuff like having bars on the windows, panic buttons and armed patrols.

Dejags can't reply on the thread as she hasn't got an active membership anymore.
She said ifyou have FB to contact her through that as she is a "mine of useless information"

Thanks LTH I don't have FB but would love to email DJ.

Hello stillenduring. I have a friend who I think lives in Cape Town, she used to post on mn under the name of Fairi. I will see if I can contact her for you.

IIRC, you're our favourite 2 lettered nicknamed MNer aren't you Ses?

I haven't got CAT subs but have a few email address so if we can tally one up we could get you 2 in contact that way.....

Do you have Cods email?

Hi LTH yes well spotted! I did have Cod's email but lost loads when we switched computers a year or two ago. I have WWW's email and Lou33's... umm, neither of much use in this case I think!

Hi Anorak (we have met at the Christmas do in 2003 I think it was)

Oh, I have www on my facebook.

I'll tally it up that way.

Thanks LTH

Oh I try to keep away from this bloody site but it keeps pulling me back in - such a mine of information but such a timewaster and I have 1 million things to do!!

I've send dejags a message on FB asking for her direct address and I'll pass it on to WWW for you.

Ok, just 'spoken' to dejags again and she said I can post her email address on here.

I'll wait for a reply from you SeS and then post it. I'll ask for it to be deleted after, I don't wantto be responsible for any hariy handed truckers harrassing her

Oh, CoV wanted to get to get in touch too. I'll make sure she sees it too.

I grew up in Cape Town and my family still live there. Ask away...

Where will DH be working? Broadly speaking, for living you have a couple of choices (depending on where DH is based):

Southern Suburbs
Northern Suburbs
Atlantic Seaboard
False Bay Seaboard.

Southern suburbs is the traditionally "upmarket" areas - tends to have very good, and well established schools, is mostly relatively easy to get into the city from (although traffic can be bad), probably one of the safest areas to live with lots of well established homes and areas with neighbourhood watches, walls, fences etc. It will be more expensive than most other places.

Northern suburb: used to be the less affluent part of cape town (for white people during Apartheid). However, it's increasingly up and coming, with some fabulous new places/complexes etc. Beautiful beaches in Milnerton etc. Traffic into the city can be murder as the roads weren't built big enough. And it's windy - that's why the original Dutch settlers settled in the Southern Suburbs rather : it was too windy to grow crops.

Atlantic seaboard - very very posh and expensive. Lots of holiday homes. Very modern. Much fewer good schools (ironically) so your kids would have to commute. Also, there's been more crime around there lately I believe - possibly as a direct result of the sheer affluence you see there.

False Bay seaboard is south of the southern suburbs. Truly beautiful, child friendly beaches etc. But if DH is working in any of the major areas, it will be a heck of a commute for him, with lots and lots of traffic. My perception is that it's a bit more racially integrated which I like, although my PIL are probably less keen!