You know the saying Better to have loved and lost than never loved at all? Well, I think it might be the opposite in the case of domestic help. Losing your maid after returning to a land where live-in domestic help was last affordable in the 1950s is so painful, so utterly despair-inducing, that you might be better off never having enjoyed a helper in your home in the first place.
Employing Domestic Help: A Cautionary Tale
"Insist on references, and don’t rely on the recommendation of a relative. Make sure you talk to the previous employer to find out as much as you can about the style and work habits of the domestic worker." This is just one of the many tips guest blogger and fellow expat Barbara Bruhwiler has about hiring domestic help in South Africa.
My Glamorous Life as an Expat Wife
This one is going to take some work to fit into the Expat Joys series. I mean, how can this scene
and this one
and, briefly, this one
invoke any feelings of joy?
And yes, you’re absolutely right, those toes are in serious need of a pedicure. Which of course is what I go and get every week in my ...
Hiring Domestic Help
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Hiring the Right Domestic Help
I was recently asked to write guest columns for a newly launched expat site, Expatica South Africa, and my first post is about domestic help in South Africa. ...
Education – An Example of the Class Struggle in South Africa
As an expat living in South Africa, you cannot escape daily images of the stark contrast between rich and poor. You will cruise comfortably in your big car past lines and lines of people patiently waiting for a minibus taxi they will be crammed into 15 apiece. You will ...
Registering your Domestic for UIF Payments
I totally love this topic. This is the one thing you will absolutely cherish in South Africa. Okay, not the UIF contributions, which, considering a government agency is involved, cannot be much fun. But, as promised previously, I will walk you through the process, and it will be well worth it because ...
The Life of a Domestic Worker
Having recently read “The Help” (a great book, if you haven’t read it) and now enjoying the privilege of full-time domestic help here in South Africa, I feel compelled to share a few observations on this topic.
My maid – again, the correct South African term is “domestic worker” or simply “domestic” – is absolutely wonderful. She has been a blessing, which is why I’ll call her Sibusiso, Sibu for short. Without her, you wouldn’t be reading this blog post, because I actually wouldn’t be writing ...