Do you know any one who has emigrated??

[Maverick Jester]

Why leave?
I'm scared of getting old in SA. I turn 40 next year. I have only 20 or so years to make sure my retirement is comfortable and secure - which can be done if I have to start over somewhere else now, but can't be done in 5 or 10 years' time. I'm scared that as I get older, pensioners etc may not be well catered for in SA. The health insurance thing that's bring brought in, etc... Will I be able to get decent medical care should I need it? Will there be a safe way for me to get around if for whatever reason I can't drive?
Will the economy still be OK in 20 years' time? I don't know - but these are risks I'm considering.
My parents have retired here and are well off and comfortable - but if the **** hits the fan, they are STUCK. Their assets here are worth little elsewhere in the world - they'd have to start working again to afford to live. I am scared of ending up in that same situation- a hostage to a depreciating currency.

These are aspects that worry me now, and I'm yet to reach 30.

 

[HavocXphere]

Why leave?
I'm scared of getting old in SA.

Its the thought of raising a family here that doesn't work for me.

@ghoti : It makes a huge difference if you have the ability to leave because of foreign passports, etc.

One tricky part is that the (SA) spouse doesn't always have the same mobility. So its not a true get out of jail free card unless your OK with ditching the SO - in which case you've got bigger problems anyway. :erm:

 

[Sinbad]

Its the thought of raising a family here that doesn't work for me.


One tricky part is that the (SA) spouse doesn't always have the same mobility. So its not a true get out of jail free card unless your OK with ditching the SO - in which case you've got bigger problems anyway. :erm:

Most foreign passport holders can import their family without too much effort.

 

[HavocXphere]

Most foreign passport holders can import their family without too much effort.

Fair enough. Easier than others, but still not quite the same hop on a plane with SA burning in the background type thing.

At the very least you'll need a work permit application - presumably most people emigrating don't have the financial capacity to jump with only one earner that side.

 

[Sinbad]

Fair enough. Easier than others, but still not quite the same hop on a plane with SA burning in the background type thing.

At the very least you'll need a work permit application - presumably most people emigrating don't have the financial capacity to jump with only one earner that side.

For the UK, a visa to join settled family long term allows you to work. So yeah, there's just the application process for that visa.

 

[bwana]

Its the thought of raising a family here that doesn't work for me.

I'm also more than a little concerned about the opportunities they'll have when they're adults.

We usually take a trip to the UK annually to visit my family there and it's nice not have to hover over the kids while they're out and about just being kids. There they can walk to the village shop, or walk down to the local play ground to play with the other kids without their parental units switching into paranoid mode.

 

[diabolus]

I got much of my extended family in Canada, they are settled and won't come back
I got friends who went to the UK / Europe , some came back, some still there.
Got ex colleages in Australia, still there.
Got 1 or 2 aquantences inn Saudi Arabia, they are coming back for sure, they just cashing in.

It must however be noted, some of above can't afford to come back, even if they want to. Some went at age of 40 and had to "reset" everything they built up just to get there and get up and running, so they might be living a nice middle-class life now, they still can't afford restarting it again. Some friends went across with nothing, others paid 100k+ to move entire containers of stuff across...these "costs" is a big risk depending on your age and job prospects.

As for me, I had and still have opportunities to leave, but it is ironic. I don't have kids or a wife, so education and crime is much lesser factor for me than on a family . At the same time I literally see opportunities on a daily basis where I can make waves at work, because of all the gaps left by people leaving. I can often cherry pick what I want to do (me being in IT with engineering degree).

My options overseas in terms of work was so far , much less exciting and very mundane and "safe" (day to day work routine) , if you know what I mean. It also isn't like Europe is all roses either, salaries combined with their living costs is going to set you back more than you think (in my case anyway).

So I am still very concerned with where sa is going, and what my retirement will be like here. I don't have dual passports, so can't run whenever either. As it is I am living a very exciting and comfortable life right now compared to some of my friends who are overseas who had to compromise on a few luxuries we have in sa.

Difficult decision for me, if I was still 25, I would be gone. I am almost 40 and will definitely have to compromise on career goals if I try to emigrate now, but things can change fast.

 

[w1z4rd]

I'm also more than a little concerned about the opportunities they'll have when they're adults.

We usually take a trip to the UK annually to visit my family there and it's nice not have to hover over the kids while they're out and about just being kids. There they can walk to the village shop, or walk down to the local play ground to play with the other kids without their parental units switching into paranoid mode.

Sounds like the suburbs in East London

 

[bwana]

Sounds like the suburbs in East London

My job requires that I spend a fair amount of time up there and tbh it's nothing like the suburbs of East London. East London might work for you but for what I do it's a dead end.

 

[w1z4rd]

My job requires that I spend a fair amount of time up there and tbh it's nothing like the suburbs of East London. East London might work for you but for what I do it's a dead end.

Yeah, everyone and the kitchen sink wants to be a photographer when they leave school here so its very competitive. Luckily with the stuff I do it doesnt matter where I am in the world.

In my suburb you have kids walking to school and shops and playfields. You have moms exercising/walking with prams even into the late evening. Our suburb is full of cyclists, joggers, kids, old people, pets etc out and about. You must have stayed in the wrong suburbs.

Generally the nuisance in our neighbourhood are the young, bored teens who sometimes spray hardcore graffiti like "Jesus loves you" on electric boxes.

 

[bwana]

Yeah, everyone and the kitchen sink wants to be a photographer when they leave school here so its very competitive. Luckily with the stuff I do it doesnt matter where I am in the world.

I'm a sports photographer and apart from the Warriors matches - which I drive up to cover - and a few school rugby matches there's little of national interest. PE is looking better mind you - we've at least got Currie Cup rugby, HSBC Sevens, an annual Bok match or two, as well as national and international cricket - but I'm more concerned for my kids' future.

In my suburb you have kids walking to school and shops and playfields. You have moms exercising/walking with prams even into the late evening. Our suburb is full of cyclists, joggers, kids, old people, pets etc out and about. You must have stayed in the wrong suburbs.

Thing is you're talking about a suburb where as I'm talking about a county surrounded by equally good counties.

 

[BrrIan]

It would be fairly easy for us to go, in regard to getting in somewhere else. We looked closely at Australia, but decided there was no way in hell we'd want to live there. Canada also really didn't do anything for us. I'd go for the UK, France or Germany, but the wife was adamant that while she loves Germany she'd never consider living there, and she's not particularly keen on France. We both love the UK, but there seem to be a lot of problems there as well with the way the government is managing the country. Many of my friends over there are only just getting by too.

Here in South Africa I have a surprising number of friends and colleagues who are immigrants, mostly from Germany, Switzerland and the UK. None of them have any interest in leaving South Africa. Contrary to what some people might believe it isn't because they can go anytime, having a foreign passport. They're rooted here in other ways. Besides their property, businesses and money being here, they have a social network here and consider this their home.

I'm also more than a little concerned about the opportunities they'll have when they're adults.

We usually take a trip to the UK annually to visit my family there and it's nice not have to hover over the kids while they're out and about just being kids. There they can walk to the village shop, or walk down to the local play ground to play with the other kids without their parental units switching into paranoid mode.

They can do that in pretty much any of the formerly whites only suburbs of Cape Town.

In my suburb you have kids walking to school and shops and playfields. You have moms exercising/walking with prams even into the late evening. Our suburb is full of cyclists, joggers, kids, old people, pets etc out and about.

I see the same in those areas of Cape Town.

 

[chicken247]

Heard good things of Poland and Ukraine, can anyone confirm?

 

[waynegohl]

Been in USA about 10 months now and noooo coming back to RSA.

 

[SlowInternet]

Know about 8 people that left. 1 to USA; 3 to UK and 4 to Australia. None of them have any plans to come back.

 

[Penquin]

Been in USA about 10 months now and noooo coming back to RSA.

I'm also aiming to move to the states. What state are you in and how do you like it so far?

 

[DarthCat]

I want to move to Ireland but is too expensive

 

[waynegohl]

I'm also aiming to move to the states. What state are you in and how do you like it so far?

We in Florida and it's damn nice here and different. Weather is another story though. Hot everyday even when the tropical storms and hurricanes hit.

 

[BandwidthAddict]

We in Florida and it's damn nice here and different. Weather is another story though. Hot everyday even when the tropical storms and hurricanes hit.

That is true but the winter in South Florida is just awesome. The only problem was the snow birds

 

[maumau]

My son is in Toronto. His Canadian wife would never consider living here and when they visit they're nervous as hell.

Their first night in Cape Town their car was broken into. When they stayed with me we heard gunshots in the night and they were terrified. It doesn't happen often but sods law and all.