Are things really that bad in SA?

I updated my list now, based on the last comment:

Here is the characteristics I have gathered so far, for those SA success people:

Characteristic​
Need loads of money?​
Need lily pond upbringing?​
1. friendly, positive, charismaticnono. some people are born a p*** but it can be learned to be nice to other people
2. resourceful, outgoing, helpful, innovativenono. you can become resourceful by listening.
3. physically attractivenoyes. Some people are born beautiful, others ugly as hell.
4. youngnon/a. But you can't change your age.
5. knows many friends, have a huge support network, both career-wise and private/socialnono. but being nice to people would help build a network from scratch.
6. very witty and street wisenono
7. able to make "correct" life decisions based on their personal contextsnono, but you probably need proper parenting.
8. does some form of active sportmaybe, depends which sportno, unless you are born paraplegic.
9. strong mental energy. "Get up and go" attitudenono
10. travel a lot, even if on a tight budgetsomewhat. But if you have lots of friends (see above) you can stay over with them or share transport costs if travelling with them.no
11. socialise with other people to maintain/expand their network, instead of staying home and playing games / watching Netflix.nono

Let's grow the list or narrow down. We are getting closer to the magic formula successful people in SA use that allow them to stay on in godforsaken Africa!
My 2¢. You seem lonely, and just a little troubled.

EDIT: you also need to work on your grammar and formatting.
 
only 20 cents of every tax paying rand goes towards things like education, health, infrastructure, etc. the rest is sunken into salaries and debt and its getting worse.
Which of those sectors are directly applicable to YOU, regardless of whether money is put into it or not?

everyone needs to eat
Are you starving?
Last time I checked, Kloof Street was full of barefoot knucklehead bearded frokkie-wearing students stuffing their faces with gourmet burgers and craft beers.

requires transport
Do you use public transport?

needs electricity
What, you don't have friends/contacts who can get you a gennie or solar panels for cheaper?

needs a roof over their head, etc.
If you have a middleclass income it's not hard to get a normal home. It does not have to be something luxury.

the ineptitude of the anc increases the difficulty to acquire these things exponentially, causing people to hustle just to survive instead of strive towards success.
If you hustle the right way you can strive forward much faster than the others. Hence my list of characteristics.
 
Yeah so what's stopping many of us who leave SA, from making the same (good) decisions?

Apart from “comfortable, but nonsensical world views”? ;)

To be a bit more concrete, people should be critically assessing what they believe makes them successful, and the process they need to follow to achieve that. Still not concrete, but even this basic step is frequently not done - people tend to just wait for their nebulously defined idea of success or happiness to come to them, or perhaps even make small incremental steps toward it.

To be a lot more concrete, for financial success, figure out your strengths, see how this can be monetized - which countries or cities have the best demand/pay for your abilities, study what is required to do the work, find a path to getting the required experience, even if it requires working in peripheral jobs in the meanwhile, find an edge in your field that sets you apart from the competition. When you’re in your desired field, take a critical look at the career path, figure out what sets those with the most success apart and incorporate that into your own routine, etc.
 
Which of those sectors are directly applicable to YOU, regardless of whether money is put into it or not?


Are you starving?
Last time I checked, Kloof Street was full of barefoot knucklehead bearded frokkie-wearing students stuffing their faces with gourmet burgers and craft beers.


Do you use public transport?


What, you don't have friends/contacts who can get you a gennie or solar panels for cheaper?


If you have a middleclass income it's not hard to get a normal home. It does not have to be something luxury.


If you hustle the right way you can strive forward much faster than the others. Hence my list of characteristics.

just because i might be doing okay, or some guy on facebook or their group, does not make everything hunky dory for everyone else.

it appears you are trolling
 
just because i might be doing okay, or some guy on facebook or their group, does not make everything hunky dory for everyone else.

it appears you are trolling
Of course not, but in finding out what works for some people, I maintain it helps to see what they are doing to make it work for them, and then see if I can apply the same to my life, in this case a decision on whether to stay (or come back) to SA.

For sure there are people starving, but on the other hand I can state that not everyone is starving. That is why I pointed out to you and directed to you whether you were starving or not, because if you are not, and some others are not either, then at least on that point there is a chance to figure out how the (successful) others are able to sustain their livelyhood.
 
Of course not, but in finding out what works for some people, I maintain it helps to see what they are doing to make it work for them, and then see if I can apply the same to my life, in this case a decision on whether to stay (or come back) to SA.

For sure there are people starving, but on the other hand I can state that not everyone is starving. That is why I pointed out to you and directed to you whether you were starving or not, because if you are not, and some others are not either, then at least on that point there is a chance to figure out how the (successful) others are able to sustain their livelyhood.

you are looking for real starving people on an internet forum? :unsure:

there is not enough to go around at the moment and its getting less, unemployment is increasing, exchange rate is getting worse. this affects everything, nevermind the failing state owned enterprises and everything the anc touches.

i understand what your are trying to get at, but you are ignoring a real problem we have which is affecting everyone in this country, just pretending its not so is not going to change the reality of things for a very large portion of our population.

and to be honest, the government(anc) should be driving such things you are leaning towards, but instead they ride on hatred and deception keeping themselves in power at any cost, at the expense of the people that put them there and have faith in them and everyone else for that matter, because they are where they are.
 
I think if you are squarely focused on SA.. yes.

But if you can unhinge yourself from SA (ie your income is not entirely derived from here) then the answer is a bit fuzzy.

I reckon in the It space this is slowly becoming a thing people are getting right.
 
you are looking for real starving people on an internet forum? :unsure:
No, was just illustrating a point in a creative fashion, that not EVERYONE in the country is starving.

there is not enough to go around at the moment and its getting less, unemployment is increasing, exchange rate is getting worse. this affects everything, nevermind the failing state owned enterprises and everything the anc touches.
I agree there is a negative trend, but as I said, some people seem immune to that.

i understand what your are trying to get at, but you are ignoring a real problem we have which is affecting everyone in this country, just pretending its not so is not going to change the reality of things for a very large portion of our population.
See, these generalised "everyone" blanket statements are what confuse me. Just because large portions of our population are going to have their realities changed, does this automatically mean that you/me are going to suffer or be affected? Are you just going to bend over and take it because others have to?

I am against being swept under one carpet by statements like these at the cost of observing what really successful people are doing to maintain their livelihood (regardless of how many there are or which percentage, mostly) and subsequently trying to apply those learnings to yourself and your own situation before making the blunt decision to emigrate.

You are in control of your destiny. You should not be put down by others' calamities against getting your own house in order. For sure, you can help others, or contribute to charities or feed the homeless. That is a separate matter that would not be distracted from sorting out your own needs.

and to be honest, the government(anc) should be driving such things you are leaning towards, but instead they ride on hatred and deception keeping themselves in power at any cost, at the expense of the people that put them there and have faith in them and everyone else for that matter, because they are where they are.
This is undisputed.
 
I think if you are squarely focused on SA.. yes.

But if you can unhinge yourself from SA (ie your income is not entirely derived from here) then the answer is a bit fuzzy.

I reckon in the It space this is slowly becoming a thing people are getting right.
Perfect point yes. Example: my brother is opening a foreign trading account and putting a bit of money in there. Even if he doesn't do any share trading with it, his money will be safe in dollars or euros where it will not be squashed by inflation by the Rand.

Others have created websites that collect foreign currency as payment. E.g. affiliate/lead links, ad revenue, sponsors.
www.howtofixrouterissues.com and tons of ideas like that. Things like these don't cost tons of money. And can't design or create websites? Get a friend who can help you or pay him/her for a small fee (small because him/her is your friend). This is a key characteristic of those success people I have observered (see my table in my other post).

Some started working for companies that have head offices in Europe or USA. They managed that by making the right contacts at the right time. E.g. AWS. So, if the **** hits the fan, they already have some clout at the head office, so that would help them emigrate and join there in future, if really necessary. A job offer is a core requirement in moving overseas, after all.

And until then, you can really live in SA like a king and go to Kloof Street on weeksdays and stuff your face with gourmet burgers and craft beer.
 
In regards to kloof lifestyle for younger people: if your parents have a house there, you're living rent free, and you never save your money, you can probably afford the lifestyle of going jolling every night with a normal salary in your 20/30s.

I can name quite a few friends I have that probably fall in the category you picked of excessive lifestyle, near all of those are inherited wealth since parents were successful and moved to CT afterwards.

I don't think most of those will have their wealth last past the kids generation. Out of the around 10 families I can think of off the top of my head, I'd say only the one family will the two kids be successful at the same lifestyle, while two will have no issue continuing in the family business, the other 7 will probably run out when the kid gets old.
 
I updated my list now, based on the last comment:

Here is the characteristics I have gathered so far, for those SA success people:

Characteristic​
Need loads of money?​
Need lily pond upbringing?​
1. friendly, positive, charismaticnono. some people are born a p*** but it can be learned to be nice to other people
2. resourceful, outgoing, helpful, innovativenono. you can become resourceful by listening.
3. physically attractivenoyes. Some people are born beautiful, others ugly as hell.
4. youngnon/a. But you can't change your age.
5. knows many friends, have a huge support network, both career-wise and private/socialnono. but being nice to people would help build a network from scratch.
6. very witty and street wisenono
7. able to make "correct" life decisions based on their personal contextsnono, but you probably need proper parenting.
8. does some form of active sportmaybe, depends which sportno, unless you are born paraplegic.
9. strong mental energy. "Get up and go" attitudenono
10. travel a lot, even if on a tight budgetsomewhat. But if you have lots of friends (see above) you can stay over with them or share transport costs if travelling with them.no
11. socialise with other people to maintain/expand their network, instead of staying home and playing games / watching Netflix.nono

Let's grow the list or narrow down. We are getting closer to the magic formula successful people in SA use that allow them to stay on in godforsaken Africa!

You forgot the "Shitload of luck" column.
 
One can sugar coat a turd. It's still a turd, that is SA.
 
I get bombarded by messages from friends on Whatsapp and FB, just showing how nice lifestyles they are living. Photos galore.
....

They live the best lifestyle in SA, in Europe they would not have been able to afford such a lifestyle.

Discuss. What is their secret formula?


Since these people bombarding you with messages are your “friends”, why don’t you ask them how they do it instead of trying to find their “secret formula” from us?
 
In regards to kloof lifestyle for younger people: if your parents have a house there, you're living rent free, and you never save your money, you can probably afford the lifestyle of going jolling every night with a normal salary in your 20/30s.

I can name quite a few friends I have that probably fall in the category you picked of excessive lifestyle, near all of those are inherited wealth since parents were successful and moved to CT afterwards.

I don't think most of those will have their wealth last past the kids generation. Out of the around 10 families I can think of off the top of my head, I'd say only the one family will the two kids be successful at the same lifestyle, while two will have no issue continuing in the family business, the other 7 will probably run out when the kid gets old.
Au contraire. The people I know who go jolling in Kloof street live in shared apartments with other friends, like bums, in the CBD or closeby. But they have some jobs like call centre agents so they have a stable income (albeit low) that cover the basics like the miniscule rent, food, and party. Or they are studying at City Varsity or something from money they got while working overseas for 6 months or so. Some of them have some website business running in the background (or they share some website with some other friends, each contribute their part of the work to get it up and running, so there is some cash flowing in there too). These are some facts I know of the people I mentioned that stuff their faces with burgers in Kloof street. Afterwards they party in Long street, but I don't think they go excessive with expensive liqour or so.

The point is, they are having a good time, and all this "ANC is messing everyone's lives up" is seemingly not affecting them. Sure, they may be without a job next year or so, but they are using the time now to have fun and learn the ropes of adapting in the "new" South Africa. They are making contacts left, right and centre, and learning job-related skills that are so dynamic and up-to-date that they will be employable nearly anywhere I'd guess, because their career and life skills are up-to-date, they are young, got little money but little responsibilities either.

There are some of us who b**** and moan about SA and spend evenings playing computer games or watching Netflix, and trying to flee SA, while these guys stay behind and actively work on their networking in their own way (by largely socialising, or working in a social way).

It is different for the examples of people I mentioned that are older and have kids, maybe I elaborate on that in the same context as above later, but you pointed out to the Kloof street knuckleheads, so above I sketched what I know of them and how it relates to the point I make in this thread.
 
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One can sugar coat a turd. It's still a turd, that is SA.
I could almost say this is a popular saying, a quote, without truth.

I agree that SA is a turd. But even dung beetles have found value from turds. And in India they use turd matter to produce methane gas for cooking.

Be as it may, I think I probably have a relative full impression of these people, and it definately doesn't seem as if they are in the s*** all the time.
 
Since these people bombarding you with messages are your “friends”, why don’t you ask them how they do it instead of trying to find their “secret formula” from us?
Because successful people often don't even know what they are doing to be successful. They just are. And few will admit that they have rich parents, lots of luck, take out tons of loans, and other questionable means that lead to their success. They have, however, admitted to some aspects, that I have indeed incorporated in my table of characteristics (see earlier post).

One of my friends sent me this link last night, he swears he lives by it - and is confident he can live out these guidelines in SA: https://everydaypower.com/why-some-people-succeed-and-others-do-not/

So if someone, who is not rich, is able to live by those guidelines, and be successful in SA, then surely SA must still offer some good opportunities for those who stay? I.e. it is not that bad?
 
So if someone, who is not rich, is able to live by those guidelines, and be successful in SA, then surely SA must still offer some good opportunities for those who stay? I.e. it is not that bad?

I think there are people made their fortunes in Germany during ww2. Would you say that things there were not so bad as well?
 
Because successful people often don't even know what they are doing to be successful. They just are. And few will admit that they have rich parents, lots of luck, take out tons of loans, and other questionable means that lead to their success. They have, however, admitted to some aspects, that I have indeed incorporated in my table of characteristics (see earlier post).

One of my friends sent me this link last night, he swears he lives by it - and is confident he can live out these guidelines in SA: https://everydaypower.com/why-some-people-succeed-and-others-do-not/

So if someone, who is not rich, is able to live by those guidelines, and be successful in SA, then surely SA must still offer some good opportunities for those who stay? I.e. it is not that bad?

It's very easy to live "successfully".

All you need to do is lower your expectations. And standards.
 
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