Is it really that bad in SA?

saturnz said:
I have a different experience, I haven't worked for two years and I have to a certain degree maintained my lifestyle.
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How do you even afford a device to post to this forum then? :p It should have been sold by now!!
 
Seriously said:
Gee wizz. Never thought that over the years you and many others posting would have ever lost so much faith in this country.

How sad indeed.
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What is more sad, and I hang my own head in shame, is I do nothing to change my own situation :mad: I'm stuck here and I haven't tried applying for jobs, VISA's etc... overseas. *hits myself.

Apparently it's a nightmare process though and without much capital, especially in rand value, is very risky. One has to wonder at what point that risk is outweighed by the risk in staying.
 
KillerX said:
.......

This is no longer the case. We are slowly but surely on our way to becoming just another African state. Sure, right now, things aren't as bad as some people say, and you can still have a very high quality of life here. But what is the trajectory? Think long term. If we extend the current trends, where do we end up in 30 years?


.........
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This. Only difference I would consider strongly is that there are now other African countries bypassing our African country fast on all fronts with the additional difference that there are much less racism and hate. Locally racism and hate are the primary political driving force of our government and some opposition no matter what they claim.
 
Seriously said:
Gee wizz. Never thought that over the years you and many others posting would have ever lost so much faith in this country.

How sad indeed.
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I mean we no 3 in crime right now, there are 2 places MUCH worse than us,

nowhere is perfect, I admit, but SA is still one of the cheapest places to live in the world, and we not a nanny state like many others in the world,

places that will stop you if you carry a office chair in your car with the tailgate closed,
you need to apply for a permit to move something yourself....
 
eg2505 said:
I mean we no 3 in crime right now, there are 2 places MUCH worse than us,

nowhere is perfect, I admit, but SA is still one of the cheapest places to live in the world, and we not a nanny state like many others in the world,

places that will stop you if you carry a office chair in your car with the tailgate closed,
you need to apply for a permit to move something yourself....
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Nope, it's not.

Fully 40% of my gross salary disappears before it hits my bank account. Tax (for which I get very little value), medical aid (in a first world country I could do without this), pension fund (ditto, or much smaller percentage).
And then from what's left, I still have to pay for private security, inflated telecoms rates, private transport, etc...
 
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STS said:
it is a shytehole, but it's considerably less of a shyte hole than Dubai is, and the way people are going on about this country you'd swear we were dodging bullets every day and being kidnapped every month.

maybe both sides have unrealistic views of the country, and it's up to them to come back and see for themselves. it's not like they CAN stay in Dubai so they have to go somewhere, so they might as well be prepared

nobody is ignoring the problems the country has, yet after bitching and whining about what a **** country we live in, people can go about their happy lives until the get the opportunity to bitch again
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A human only die once. Problem is you never know when it is your turn and the metal stress that your kids and close family and friends may meet that fate anytime anyday in South Africa is sad. I just depends on your luck. Its that bad. I hate that me and my family/friends have to play russian roulette with their lives every day. I hate to live in a self made prison that is not even safe enough anymore.


You love it thats fine.
 
boxerulez said:
I Would like to share this.

Apparently BCM has been rated the 2nd best metro in ZA. 2 days after the announcement and the entire metro is without water. 48hours now.

1st world my arse.
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Third world my ass. There are third world countries with better management than in South Africa thanks to the ANC pigs in charge.
 
Sinbad said:
Nope, it's not.

Fully 40% of my gross salary disappears before it hits my bank account. Tax (for which I get very little value), medical aid (in a first world country I could do without this), pension fund (ditto, or much smaller percentage).
And then from what's left, I still have to pay for private security, inflated telecoms rates, private transport, etc...
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but in USD terms its still pretty cheap,
yes we have a lot of tax that we see little from,
but could be worse I suppose....

at least we dont live in japan or one of the asian tigers...
 
SauRoNZA said:
You think no place in the first world has ever run out of water?

It's a natural crisis akin to tornadoes and tsunamis ffs.
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When the infrastructure like pumps break because of lack of maintenance due to budget corruption, fraud and mismanagement it's a natural crisis/disaster? How quaint, maybe you are right as the fact that the ANC are [-]running[/-]ruining this country is a natural disaster of the worst kind.
 
eg2505 said:
but in USD terms its still pretty cheap,
yes we have a lot of tax that we see little from,
but could be worse I suppose....

at least we dont live in japan or one of the asian tigers...
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We don't earn USD salaries, so you can't say it's cheap in USD terms.

I would probably double my gross salary if I moved to the USA - and my deductions would be a lot less.
 
Sinbad said:
Nope, it's not.

Fully 40% of my gross salary disappears before it hits my bank account. Tax (for which I get very little value), medical aid (in a first world country I could do without this), pension fund (ditto, or much smaller percentage).
And then from what's left, I still have to pay for private security, inflated telecoms rates, private transport, etc...
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Its a lifestyle choice though.

We choose to have medical aid - most of the country don't.
Pension as well - but thats the last thing I would stop.
Car vs public transport is also a choice and again its our mindset that holds us back.

When people leave the country there is some magic thing that happens where they all of a sudden start using public transport and live off the state like everyone else is.

So many people I speak to nowdays have the bare minimum medical aid and are choosing NOT to have two cars. Some might say that its a sign of things getting bad but what if its a sign of things becoming more aligned with how things are done internationally ?
 
Seriously said:
When the infrastructure like pumps break because of lack of maintenance due to budget corruption, fraud and mismanagement it's a natural crisis/disaster? How quaint, maybe you are right as the fact that the ANC are [-]running[/-]ruining this country is a natural disaster of the worst kind.
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and not because of the worst drought in 10 years ?


EDIT:actually 20 years I think
 
Nerfherder said:
Its a lifestyle choice though.

We choose to have medical aid - most of the country don't.
Pension as well - but thats the last thing I would stop.
Car vs public transport is also a choice and again its our mindset that holds us back.

When people leave the country there is some magic thing that happens where they all of a sudden start using public transport and live off the state like everyone else is.

So many people I speak to nowdays have the bare minimum medical aid and are choosing NOT to have two cars. Some might say that its a sign of things getting bad but what if its a sign of things becoming more aligned with how things are done internationally ?
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I hear you but I respectfully disagree that it's a rational choice. You would have to be mentally defective to voluntarily subject yourself to 1) state healthcare 2) state pension 3) minibus taxis
There is no bus/train option for me to get to work, and there's DEFINITELY no bus/train option for my teenage daughter to get to school safely
Once she's done with school, I may very well start cycling to work or whatever, but as things stand, it's not an option.
 
Nerfherder said:
and not because of the worst drought in 10 years ?
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There is a difference in running out of water and doing repairs to infrastructure, read the details in the news on a case to case basis.

Also the drought has a mayor influence. What have the ANC done to expand the infrastructure regards to water and electricity to safeguard us against the future? South Africa's population are busting due to many reasons yet the ANC fall from crisis to crisis waiting for the shelves to run empty before baking new bread. The problem they have no capacity or will to plan ahead as the are too busy defrauding and thus enriching themselves. There is no funds to spend and future infrastructure, no reserves and just no political intellect.
 
Sinbad said:
I hear you but I respectfully disagree that it's a rational choice. You would have to be mentally defective to voluntarily subject yourself to 1) state healthcare 2) state pension 3) minibus taxis
There is no bus/train option for me to get to work, and there's DEFINITELY no bus/train option for my teenage daughter to get to school safely
Once she's done with school, I may very well start cycling to work or whatever, but as things stand, it's not an option.
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you could always move closer to work

I changed my life such that I no longer have to drive a car.
 
saturnz said:
you could always move closer to work

I changed my life such that I no longer have to drive a car.
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I am 7km from work.
Daughter's school is the issue. Can't change that.
 
Sinbad said:
I hear you but I respectfully disagree that it's a rational choice. You would have to be mentally defective to voluntarily subject yourself to 1) state healthcare 2) state pension 3) minibus taxis
There is no bus/train option for me to get to work, and there's DEFINITELY no bus/train option for my teenage daughter to get to school safely
Once she's done with school, I may very well start cycling to work or whatever, but as things stand, it's not an option.
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This. I would chuck my car if I had access to a bus route, I can get a taxi a coupe of blocks away, but who knows how that will end. I want to cycle to the shops and work, but we do not have cycle lanes here and trying to ride a bike in rush hour will be the last thing you ever do.
 
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