How do software developers afford Cape Town rental

[noob_saibot]

Thank you Capetonians (and others) for not reacting harshly.

I was looking for logical arguments and have so far received great ones from all that responded.

I'm still trying to understand the whole situation, but maybe the more relaxed lifestyle of the coast is also 1 of the big draws.

There has also been mention of living in areas near CPT, like Paarl, where you still get the relaxed lifestyle at a cheaper cost and you can always trek into CPT via the train (from 6am till 6pm only?)

 

[Nerfherder]

My plan is to stay near CT but work in Jhb. Over the interwebs. Prettiness of the WC with Jhb pay. Best of both worlds!

Reality might not agree with me.

That's what I have, jhb company and I work in the ct office. I thought I was getting underpaid then I saw an advert for a job identical to mine for about 10k less than my current salary.

Only problem with my current job is its going nowhere. I can't move up.

 

[Nerfherder]

Why does everyone that lives in Cape Town say it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world?

AFAIK:

- It's cold there for 7-8 months of the year
- You can't be in the ocean water for more than an hour (or with dead nerve-endings, maybe 3)
- The "beautiful" side is not too far from the ganglands of the Cape flats
- Rent is high, food costs more, housing looks less 'safe'

I don't mean to troll-bait here(so anybody that wants to 'attack' - I apologize in advance if I offended you), but I just can't see how life would be 'great' in CPT when you're scrounging for food/heat due to high rent, higher food/electricity costs and pretty much higher everything.

There may be more to do/see, but with everything being so expensive, can you even do any of those things?

It does seem like a good real estate investment though (those prices on AirBnB seem to justify it).

It's personal preference hey. Would be a problem if we all wanted to live in CT.
I have met people who have come for a week and never left. Others who didn't even last the week. Is not for everyone, a bit like one of those really hot girlfriends who are really crazy and moody. If you have the money then it's the best place to live in the world. If you don't then it's a compromise.

 

[HavocXphere]

The "beautiful" side is so far away from the flats up the mountain you can't even hear the gunshots.

Interesting way to evaluate an area.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Thank you Capetonians (and others) for not reacting harshly.

I was looking for logical arguments and have so far received great ones from all that responded.

I'm still trying to understand the whole situation, but maybe the more relaxed lifestyle of the coast is also 1 of the big draws.

There has also been mention of living in areas near CPT, like Paarl, where you still get the relaxed lifestyle at a cheaper cost and you can always trek into CPT via the train (from 6am till 6pm only?)

I'm not sure about this slower pace everyone convinces themselves of but maybe it's just my present company that is so hectic and I'll get an eye opener to this slow pace when I my new job in Feb.

One thing about Jo'burg is that it just seems like a massive pissing contest of everyone showing how much money they have.

Not just people but business. Flashy cars, flashy clothes, massive and always newly renovated and completely over the top buildings.

I was recently up there for some training with a company that has by my guesstimate about the same turn over we do. Difference being they have their own building with fancy tiled floors, glass everywhere and super biometric security and massive server racks on display and three times the staff.

Down here we rent a floor of a building with regular office carpets and a bolt lock on the door which everyone has their own keys for and our servers are nicely hidden away because nobody needs to see them.

It's a very different approach to "what matters".

 

[kripstoe]

I'm not sure about this slower pace everyone convinces themselves of but maybe it's just my present company that is so hectic and I'll get an eye opener to this slow pace when I my new job in Feb.

Same here... I've also never felt the Cape Town slow pace thing at my places of work. If you're a hippy then yes, maybe. In software dev/IT then no.

 

[Drifter]

Ja right...there are lots of them out there. I work for a large corporate and their thinking is stuck in the 1950's. They don't trust their employees who sit 10 metres from them.

Glad to know the large corporate that I work for is not the only one. They allow you to "work from home" under certain conditions, but then they expect 8 hrs work, but you can only bill 4.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Same here... I've also never felt the Cape Town slow pace thing at my places of work. If you're a hippy then yes, maybe. In software dev/IT then no.

Maybe it's when Cape Town businesses deal only with Cape Town businesses? Or even just other South African businesses?

But as an international company we are hammering at it 365/24/7 with maybe a few hours in the early hours of the morning between the Americans going home and the Australians waking up.

 

[prod]

Why does everyone that lives in Cape Town say it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world?

AFAIK:

- It's cold there for 7-8 months of the year
- You can't be in the ocean water for more than an hour (or with dead nerve-endings, maybe 3)
- The "beautiful" side is not too far from the ganglands of the Cape flats
- Rent is high, food costs more, housing looks less 'safe'

I don't mean to troll-bait here(so anybody that wants to 'attack' - I apologize in advance if I offended you), but I just can't see how life would be 'great' in CPT when you're scrounging for food/heat due to high rent, higher food/electricity costs and pretty much higher everything.

There may be more to do/see, but with everything being so expensive, can you even do any of those things?

It does seem like a good real estate investment though (those prices on AirBnB seem to justify it).

Not ONE of those things have anything to do with beautiful environments, which they probably mean when they say that.

On topic: We got a 2 bedroom in Walmer Estate for 6.8k including water & lights. Food is definitely NOT more expensive here, it's absolute drivel. Maybe if you go buy your food exclusively at the Wellness Center then yes, but seriously, who does that? Me and the SO always buy groceries at Food Lovers / Checkers and they always have fantastic specials.

 

[Pho3nix]

Glad to know the large corporate that I work for is not the only one. They allow you to "work from home" under certain conditions, but then they expect 8 hrs work, but you can only bill 4.

Wait what? What kind of rubbish policy is that?

 

[Drifter]

Wait what? What kind of rubbish policy is that?

Yep, because you are working from home, its a "favour" they are doing you.

 

[Pho3nix]

Yep, because you are working from home, its a "favour" they are doing you.

So I get paid half? Lol that's a crock of schit.
Know the 1st company I worked for used to ask for 1 hour over-time as you didn't spend it in traffic. Worked well until people starting "cheating" the system and that privilege was taken away.

 

[Pakka]

I've also toyed with the idea of moving to CT but I found the living costs scary. A found a few open positions in Stellenbosch though, but I'm not sure if that's what I want

 

[Brawler]

I've also toyed with the idea of moving to CT but I found the living costs scary. A found a few open positions in Stellenbosch though, but I'm not sure if that's what I want

Stellenbosch is beautiful! and a short drive away from Cape Town.

I'd move there in a heartbeat if I found a job there.

 

[zaozzie]

Still have't heard from any software developer or IT person who lives here.

Looking for something like:

Work Suburb: Century City
Job: IT network engineer.
Salary: R10 000.
Rental Amount in R:
Rental Suburb : ?
Food:
Medical:
Telcoms/Internet:
Other:

The ANC complain that cape town excludes blacks. IMO Cape Town excludes middle class.

 

[gkm]

Well, rent is probably steeper in CT if you want a really nice location. On the other hand, things are closer together than in GP, so you will probably pay less for petrol and there are no e-tolls. Food I suspect is about the same. Medical is probably cheaper, or otherwise why does Discovery have a coastal plan that costs less. ADSL costs the same in CT as the rest of the country. So, in the end it probably boils down to rent vs salary.

 

[StrontiumDog]

Still have't heard from any software developer or IT person who lives here.

Looking for something like:

Work Suburb: Century City
Job: IT network engineer.
Salary: R10 000.
Rental Amount in R:
Rental Suburb : ?
Food:
Medical:
Telcoms/Internet:
Other:

The ANC complain that cape town excludes blacks. IMO Cape Town excludes middle class.

What are you actually asking? Someone earning 10k per month won't be able to afford living in century city.

 

[cguy]

Still have't heard from any software developer or IT person who lives here.

Looking for something like:

Work Suburb: Century City
Job: IT network engineer.
Salary: R10 000.
Rental Amount in R:
Rental Suburb : ?
Food:
Medical:
Telcoms/Internet:
Other:

The ANC complain that cape town excludes blacks. IMO Cape Town excludes middle class.

A bit out of date, but may be interesting for the historical reference: I was earning R20k/m (gross) around 1999 or so in Cape Town. I was renting in Vredehoek (R1400/m for a tiny bachelor apartment), and bought a stand alone house in the southern suburbs in 2000.

 

[Mike Hoxbig]

A bit out of date, but may be interesting for the historical reference: I was earning R20k/m (gross) around 1999 or so in Cape Town. I was renting in Vredehoek (R1400/m for a tiny bachelor apartment), and bought a stand alone house in the southern suburbs in 2000.

To be fair, that was before the property boom...

 

[cguy]

To be fair, that was before the property boom...

Yes, it was. I did really well there too - I had absolutely no idea that interest rates were coming off a not-so-far-away peak of something like 25%!, so that no sane (or rather sane person who wasn't completely clueless about the recent property history) person wanted to touch property. Fortunately, that was just before the turn around, although the bounce from ~13% to 17% was quite hard, but that was temporary, and it went back down shortly after.