Adventures of an Expat in South Africa
As an expat, I often reflect on which qualities make a good expat. But what is true for expats is also true for travel companions. The hilarious travel memoir "What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding" elaborates on a certain less-than ideal travel companion and gives excellent advice in form of a list "you use when interviewing your next potential trip partner."
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.
Zimbabwe is often maligned for its political situation, but it is a wonderful travel destination that stands out with beautiful and diverse scenery as well as incredibly friendly people. There is much more than Victoria Falls to see in Zimbabwe, so make sure you plan your trip accordingly. Here are some insider tips by guest blogger Simon Massey.
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.
Trailing spouse. You can’t be an expat and not have an intimate relationship with those two words. In fact, being or having a trailing spouse is not just relegated to expat territory. Rather, it’s a universal issue of humankind that bores deep into the essence of a relationship. Read on to find out why you should watch Grey's Anatomy to learn more about the trailing spouse dilemma.
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.
Here is a question I occasionally get from prospective expats mulling over a move to South Africa: Can South Africa cater to the special educational needs of my kids? If you have children with special needs and have come to Joburg Expat for answers, this post will hopefully help you learn more about one special needs school in Johannesburg, Japari.
Despite fears of crime, the biggest fear for many South Africa-bound expats with children is whether they’re making a mistake with their choice of school. Of all the questions I get asked, school choice is always the one that seems to cause the most sleepless nights. Here is a look at the lessons we learned from sending our kids to school in South Africa (hint: they were fine).
Climbing Kili is magical. For many people it's also life-changing. If you already live in Africa, especially at high altitude in Johannesburg, you'd do yourself a disservice if you didn't give the highest free-standing mountain in the world at least serious consideration. You don't need to be a mountain-climber. All you need is a spirit of adventure, and perhaps more importantly, a sense of humor.
Lawson Ricketts and Nick Geimer are two American expats who fell in love with Johannesburg and upon their return to the United States founded Ngala Trading Co. to bring luxury African interior design and decor to the North American market. Read all about the founding of their company in this feature article on Joburg Expat.