Adventures of an Expat in South Africa
This blog post was inspired by a reader with a question about his upcoming move to South Africa. He knew Cape Town was more beautiful, he said, but perhaps his chances of finding employment were better in Johannesburg? If you are an expat moving to South Africa with a choice of Johannesburg vs Cape Town, read more to find out which factors to consider.
In my 15-year old daughter's world, "sketchy" is the new word of the day. Sketchy is a catchall label for any situation that might be uncomfortable in the slightest. It makes me think of our life in South Africa, where a large portion of what happened to me can be defined as sketchy. Driving into the township of Alexandra to take home the baseball coach I had just met: Sketchy.
Prompted by my husband's trip to South Africa I posted a request on the Joburg Expat Facebook page to list essential items to bring back from South Africa. I wanted to make sure he didn't forget anything. I got an overwhelming response in just a few hours. Everyone just typed what first came to their mind, and it turned into a list both useful and hilarious.
In light of recent comments by the American President about African countries and their people, here is a look at one of those African countries. South Africans possess many unique attributes that we should welcome in any immigrant, if he or she even chooses to leave their beautiful country in order to move to another whose president loves to hurl insults at the rest of the world.
My recent migration of blogging platforms gave me an opportunity to speed-read through Joburg Expat. This gave me an excellent bird's-eye view of what South Africa has done for our family. Our lives are richer for having lived in Johannesburg for three years, gone to school there, and traveled the continent. Thank you South Africa for everything, starting with biltong.
As expats, we know how quickly things can change. You might be recalled to where you came from or be sent to another continent at a moment's notice. And as expats, we also know that regret about opportunities missed is one of the burdens we often bear heavily. As you begin implementing your New Year's Resolutions for 2017, take a look at this South Africa Bucket List.
Part 2 of a two-part series about the Wild Coast Meander, a 5-day slack packing hike along South Africa's Wild Coast starting at Kob Inn. Read on as we continue from Wavecrest Beach Hotel and Spa to Trennery's Hotel and finally Morgan Bay Hotel, the ending point of our journey.
Nowhere but Africa are you so pampered when embarking into the wilderness, and this is very true for the Wild Coast too. You might think of deserted landscapes and rugged terrain to be conquered by sheer power of will, but in reality porters carry your bags and you walk along mostly flat stretches of beach ending at a nice hotel – and inevitably its bar – every afternoon.
In the three and a half years since we left South Africa, so many things have changed. I guess it's normal that things change. But it feels as if nothing much changed at all while we lived in Johannesburg, and then boom! - the minute we are gone, new stuff sprouts up all over the place. What kind of stuff am I talking about? Read this to find out!
The South African Wild Coast along the Indian Ocean in the Southeast of the country is one of the most beautiful and untouched wild places on Earth. If you hike along it on the Wild Coast Meander, you encounter nothing but pristine beaches, a few cows, and an occasional rondavel. Look for yourself and you'll see what I mean.