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Question of the Day: Which is the most hair-raising South African mountain pass you've driven?
Immigrating to the UK
- Thread starter AchmatK
- Start date
AchmatK
Honorary Master
One of my pet peeves is that South African drivers stop over the lines at traffic lights where pedestrians are meant to cross the road.
Happy Poltergeist
Well-Known Member
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- May 10, 2019
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No worries. To be fair, it's not commonly known it seems. I like to think of it as a spam filter.
Also, once you're set up you can sign up for free at noddle.co.uk - they were bought out by someone else recently, but the domain automatically redirects to the new one. It lists all your credit data, and gives you a score. Shows all your credit agreements, address history, electoral roll info, credit checks against your name, etc. Equifax, et al, give you one month free, only.
Experian seems to be free forever as well
https://www.experian.co.uk/
looks like Equifax can also be viewed for free forever as well now
https://www.clearscore.com/credit-s...ort-everything-you-need-to-know-about-equifax
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AchmatK
Honorary Master
Until you experience what is like living in a first world country, you have no idea about what we as South Africans are missing out on.
Call it what what you like but SA is a third world country with third world service, especially from government departments. Even the general public has taken to treating traffic laws as simply a guideline to be applied as they see fit.
In SA my wife will never walk to work or take public transport to get anywhere. The safety aspect alone is enough to impress us.
Botha22
Expert Member
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I agree with you. I did my degree in Manchester, so respectfully I have experienced living in a first world country. Of course things were not as bad in South Africa then, as they are now else I would not have come back.
I just stumbled on this thread and I was surprised at the ooh aahs at some mundane things.
I also noticed that some people have cut back on material things, resulting in increased disposable income and then use this as evidence that life in UK is better. It's conveniently left out that if you had made the same cost cutting measures/ been equally frugal in South Africa, you would have been left with as much disposable income.
Not meant to diss anyone, as I am also looking to make a similar move.
AchmatK
Honorary Master
No worries.
We tried various cost cuttings but some expenses just cannot be reduced or done away with.
In SA we have two cars as we both work in different areas and need to work late some time. This increased our petrol costs and insurance and tracker for two cars. This alone is a monthly expense of R6k without taking into account the car installments. Fortunately our one car will be paid off this month. In the UK my wife has not needed a car since she's been there. We will most likely buy one car that side when I move over. It will however not become or primary mode of transport and won't need the extra cost of a tracker and will only need one full tank of fuel a month if we don't buy an electric car.
Then there's the additional expense of armed response, inflated home insurance contents cover, private medical aid for 2 adults and 2 children, electricity and water that probably cost more in SA now than in the UK, high Internet cost and mobile data prices.
I mentioned earlier in this thread that we are finally able to save more than £1500 per month just with my only my wife working in the UK and basically maintaining 2 residences. There's is no way that we would have been able to even save half that amount with both of us working in SA.
Our decision was however not primarily driven by financial gain but was more motivated by security and not the constant fear of waiting for our turn to be a victim of a smash and grab, house break in, hijacking or being pelted on the N2 on a trip to work and home from Somerset West. The other reason was also to give our kids an opportunity for a better future than what they will have if we stay here.
The Voice
Honorary Master
A child with no toys is impressed with a broken doll.
gregmcc
Honorary Master
The efficiency is overwhelming at times because you're just not used to itI woke up this morning and someone was getting their Asda delivery with another neighbor getting a washing machine delivered ...... 8am on a Sunday morning.
I've been here 6 years now and still getting used to the postal system. Lots of Amazon deliveries the next day. Post office open on Sundays, Appliance deliveries on Sundays.
Saw a special the other day, Sainburys (supermarket) home delivery for £1 after 8pm! Almost not worth trekking to the shops anymore.
Only thing I can't get used to is cars parking on the opposite side of the road facing the wrong way, which is allowed here. Heard they they trying to change the law to stop parking on the pavement but I don't think that's going to happen.
I remember when I was not long in South Africa, swinging into a parking space on the other side of the road in Strand. The screams from the people in the car was instantaneous and I'm like "What?"
Happy Poltergeist
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The Voice
Honorary Master
Read it. Doesn't change the fact that if you go via Equifax, that you'll be charged after 30 days.perhaps if only you had read the link I supplied ?
maybe next time
But anyway...
AchmatK
Honorary Master
Managed to get myself a UK bank account with Monzo. Transferred £1k from my FNB global account using transfer Wise and funds reflected immediately.
Everything was done online, took a pic of my SA passport and did a short video for verification via the monzo app. My wife received the card in the mail today and I could activate it after she sent me the card number.
Will start the process to get my credit record started before I get there by openinga Loqbox account for £50 a month.
Thought it would be difficult to open a UK bank account as a non British citizen considering everything you have to go through with our banks and fica before you can get a bank account here and the extra paperwork required if you are not a South African citizen. I know a few foreigners in SA and have spoken to them about what they had to go through to get a normal bank account, never mind applying for credit or a cellphone contract as a non South African.
My wife also got me a prepaid O2 sim card that she'll bring back for me when she's here next month.
Everything was done online, took a pic of my SA passport and did a short video for verification via the monzo app. My wife received the card in the mail today and I could activate it after she sent me the card number.
Will start the process to get my credit record started before I get there by openinga Loqbox account for £50 a month.
Thought it would be difficult to open a UK bank account as a non British citizen considering everything you have to go through with our banks and fica before you can get a bank account here and the extra paperwork required if you are not a South African citizen. I know a few foreigners in SA and have spoken to them about what they had to go through to get a normal bank account, never mind applying for credit or a cellphone contract as a non South African.
My wife also got me a prepaid O2 sim card that she'll bring back for me when she's here next month.
You just need to have a residential address and be a tax resident to get a UK bank account. These new online accounts make it easier to, erm, embellish the truth a little, as you obviously have done
But I wanted to ask you about transferring into a Monza account from an international bank. According to Monzo themselves it's not always a sure thing and can take some time, sometimes the money might not appear at all. Is this the same information you have or does the use of TransferWise as an intermediary negate this risk?
Not sure what problems other foreigners have had opening accounts here but I haven't had them. In fact just the other day I signed up for a Global Card, because who doesn't enjoy free lounge visits
, with just a few clicks.If I'd known you needed a SIM card, I could have sent you one.
AchmatK
Honorary Master
I got in touch with Monzo and according to them you cannot make a normal swift payment into the account. I did 3 swift payments and the funds were in the account within a few minutes. They deducted £5 in fees for the forex payment.
I used transfer Wise for the first time yesterday.
Cool. I was looking at a borderless account with Transferwise for this purpose, is that what you have?
AchmatK
Honorary Master
Yes. I created a £ and € borderless account.
Excellent. Good to know, thanks. With my salary being paid in Euros. I'll get it sent to Transferwise first then split it between SA and UK accounts.