# Hello :) Im from the UK living in SA



## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

Hello All,

I'm a British Citizen living and working in South Africa with my husband, whose South African...

I'm living in the Cape Town area, working in the world of finance... Although i have to admit the financial world here is far different to the financial world in the UK.

I miss home and my family but im loving the weather and surprisingly the food...

So this is me, a Brit living and working in SA.

P.S. if anyone knows of any local spots where i can find fellow brits and some food from back home, PLEEEEEASE let me know  

Thanks 
F


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

I've put your post in our South Africa page, so that the others from the UK will see it easier

Jo xxx


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## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

awh thank you Jo!! thats really sweet of you. Just trying to get used to how this forum works.

Really appreciate it. 

oh quick question, do you have to tag people to your post or does it automatically notify you on a reply.. because iv commented on 1 or 2 posts but dont know if i have keep going back to check for a reply or you get notified  

Thanks again Jo


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

AF_Cpt said:


> awh thank you Jo!! thats really sweet of you. Just trying to get used to how this forum works.
> 
> Really appreciate it.
> 
> ...



What you can do is look at the posts you've replied on by going into the "USER CP" which you can find on the left of the top green bar. Thats where all your "subscribed" (posts you've posted on) can be found

Jo xxx


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## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

thank you !! you are a star !!


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## Moyes (Nov 3, 2011)

AF_Cpt said:


> Hello All,
> 
> I'm a British Citizen living and working in South Africa with my husband, whose South African...
> 
> ...


Howzit  Your best bet to join up with Brits etc. is to join Internations.org Thats what i did when i came to NZ. They have monthly meetups in Cape Town and many other major cities around the world. Good luck. I will probably be using it to meet people when i head back to Cape Town next year


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## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

Hi Moyes  

Thank you for the reply.. 

I have registered on internations.org and something called meetups..

I've attempted one or 2 events but often encountered loads of South Africans, particularly a lot of people wanting to do business and not just to mix and mingle with fellow brits. 

I just find this site so much easier to communicate with people and everyone is willing to share experiences and advice. I don't know if this makes sense but i really enjoy the interaction and correspondence from fellow brits on this site. Just feels a bit more real that there are lots of expats in SA than other sites where its mostly populated with other South Africans. 

BUT thank you for the heads up.. I shall keep trying while i get to know this country slowly.. 

F


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## Moyes (Nov 3, 2011)

AF_Cpt said:


> Hi Moyes
> 
> Thank you for the reply..
> 
> ...


Yip, no worries. Yea, you are right. Same thing here in Auckland. A lot of the time people are trying to mingle for business at the internations events. 

Best bet would be to get into an activity you enjoy and meet like minded people that way. When i was back in South Africa 3 years ago. Garden Route seemed to have many Brits living there. Wilderness, Knysna etc. 

My wife and I plan on returning back to Cape Town next year. We haven't been back there in 5 years. I hope it hasn't got worse in terms of crime etc. How do you find CT so far?

Well, all i can say about South Africans(specifically Cape Town people) is that they are generally more materilaistic and superficial, but again that all depends on type of South Africans one mingles with. In any case, that is my opinion.

All the best there. I hope all goes well.


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## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

Morning Moyes  

Yes that is very true.. Its not a bad way to generate business if targeting expats is their line of work. which it is in some ways. But when you are an expat yourself and you just want alil piece of home from other expats it becomes difficult. Don't get me wrong, South African's are lovely people but I moved over for my husband, not for the " better life ". So i do miss home like crazy. 

But you are right. Yes i've heard that as well, Garden Route and Knysna. We planning a week away during August/September on either routes. I heard Knysna is like a lil piece of paradise. I'm really excited. 

Oh wow!! why did you move if i may ask? are you coming back to settle? LOL the crime hmmm... well I doubt I can give you an honest take on things, coming from a country where gates and burglar bars and security systems are all very strange. But I would say it's relatively okay in Cape Town. I've heard of things happening to people around me and I've had my car broken into once but its a rather strange system here. I don't know if this is normal but each "district" has a gang and certain gangs thrive off crime and others defend their neighborhoods and thrive off illegal dealings. Both ways are terrible but there's some sort of justice system within the gang world. I say this because when my car got broken into, one of the "gang" members round up a group of men, tracked down the guy who did it, retrieved my stolen goods and returned it back to me. Faster than the police would have responded. I gave them something to show how grateful i was. Nothing that apparently people here don't already do to bribe police. Which i find totally backwards. 

but otherwise I find Cape Town absolutely breathtaking!! There's so many places to visit and so much history behind this country. Its amazing. and i LOVE the weather. took a bit of getting used to but I quite like the warm sunny days. Looking forward to winter too, as they are predicting snow and it will make me feel a little more at home. 

How are you finding Auckland? 

Funny enough I actually find the people rather pleasant. You get the odd rotten fruit but they mostly very relaxed people. Apart from the very rich hangouts where the people are very pretentious and materialist like you say. but the middle class are mostly genuine people I enjoy spending time with. 

The biggest downfall i find is that you can see the distinct classes here.. The poor are critically poor but they are so humble and giving and the you get the rich who splurge ridiculous amounts on material things and think they are better than everyone else. 

Thank you so much for your reply though. I really enjoyed hearing and sharing stories!! I hope all goes well on your side!! 
Keep well

F


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## Jennybadenhorst (May 22, 2013)

AF_Cpt said:


> P.S. if anyone knows of any local spots where i can find fellow brits and some food from back home, PLEEEEEASE let me know
> 
> Thanks
> F


Hey!! There is a british store in Milnerton called the UK Emporium. They have a website and deliver too. I'm not sure if i can post URLs here... uke.co.za is the website. Have to get my Ribena fix somewhere, once a year is not enough !!

I've been here for 5 years too, now with two kids and I don't miss England, just the people. The weather, food and people here make up for lots of the home sickness.


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## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

WOW Jenny!! you have really brightened my day with your hidden treasure!hehe 

I live in milnerton so it's just up my alley. I know!! Ribena is yumm BUT im a chocoholic and maybe its just me but the chocolate here tastes different. Dont get me wrong, its good but its just missing that home feeling. the closest iv gotten to home milk chocolate is woolies plain choco. 

Thank you Jenny!! i'm forever in your favour   hehe

Oh P.S. the comment on kids, congratz firstly  and second, how are you finding it here to raise kids?? Compared to back home, would you say SA is more friendly and hands on with education and child development? 

thanx again


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## Moyes (Nov 3, 2011)

AF_Cpt said:


> Morning Moyes
> 
> Yes that is very true.. Its not a bad way to generate business if targeting expats is their line of work. which it is in some ways. But when you are an expat yourself and you just want alil piece of home from other expats it becomes difficult. Don't get me wrong, South African's are lovely people but I moved over for my husband, not for the " better life ". So i do miss home like crazy.
> 
> ...



Hi, Auckland is ok. The weather is terrible here though. Always cloudy, raining and cold for most of the year. NZ is great country though. low crime rates and zero corruption. It get a bit boring though especially in winter. It has a laid back lifestyle to it and i would say it is great for families. I am still young and Auckland can get a bit boring in my opinion. It is expensive though! Rent, food etc is high. Auckland housing prices are some of the highest in the world and they are not great either. Safety wise, it is hundred times safer than Cape Town. I walk anywhere at night in Auckland CBD without any worries. I wouldn't dare do that in Cape Town. People here are not materialistic either which is great 

Cape Town is a much more beautiful city though! Scenery wise. Not law and order wise 

I have witnessed some brutal violent crimes in South Africa and for that reason I fled the country. My father was murdered many years ago and a few of my friends have been robbed, hijacked and mugged. My cousin was beaten up and mugged on long street, Cape Town. It is fair to say, one has to be alert and vigilant at all times in South Africa. Crime affects everyone even the very rich folk. Cameras, high walls and barb wire doesn't stop these criminals from trying their luck. South Africa needs a revamp of the Justice system and lawyers to stop milking the system. It is a complex and touch subject, but with the right procedures and competent government in place, i am all for the death penalty to be reinstated. It is the only thing that will act as a deterrent for these violent criminals who are very numerous in SA.

With that being said, i miss SA terribly, it is a beautiful place with so much potential, but i believe it will get worse before it gets any better there. 

Take care.


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## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

Hi Moyes 

Haha I can see why you want to come back to South Africa.. Cape town is very fast paced. not as fast as joburg but the social lifestyle here is quite strong. It's relaxed but there is always something to do. Like this thing called first Thursdays. I have not yet been but im really looking forward to it next month... Its very chilled but i heard the vibe is amazing. And then there's this midnight mass.. I just bought a bicycle to cycle a bit more to work as I only live one Km away, but riding the streets of Cape Town with hundreds of other families and students is something pretty exciting. It always looks like so much fun and a couple of my friends do it all the time. 

It's getting rather cold here. but its a different kind of cold. Back home we have heaters everywhere and you can wear a few good layers and you're okay. Here the rain and the wind makes you feel as though you can never wear enough haha. Any tips? hehe

Yeah you are so right!! The crime here is ridiculous... criminals will always find a way because its a test of their survival in a way. I sort of understand why people get robbed and mugged. I wont justify it but if you look at the way people are living... you either have money to survive or you're struggling to make ends meet. The system is so corrupt and it is evident how much money this city is bringing in. But I cannot for the life of me understand WHY this government is not putting it back to rebuild the country. Greed is a very high trend here. No one looks out for the person next to them. everyones looking out for themselves. Thats also why crime is so high. If people witness it, they rather close their eyes and walk away and pretend it never happened. 

It's a vicious cycle in this country. I pray it gets better. the crime is disgusting but the place is so beautiful. 

I'm so sorry to hear about your dad and friends.. that's quite a trauma to go through. I can only imagine what you've been though. For me this stuff only happened in movies.. now its all becoming so real. Every South African has a heartbreaking story and experience about living here. 

You are right.. its only going to get A LOT worse before it gets better. 

F


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## ady1976 (Nov 18, 2008)

Hello. I'm a brit who has been in Durbs for a few years but moving to cape town in a few weeks. What can I expect in terms of rental prices for a 2 bed place in a half decent area. Thinking milnerton or blauberg way?

As for uk chocs not sure about CT but some of the Spars in durban have imported UK chocolates and soft drinks. Bit pricey but sometimes good to get a taste of home


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## AF_Cpt (Apr 30, 2015)

HI Ady1976

Thats awesome! you will love it here. I heard Durban is very hot all the time.. You will feel right at home in cape town.  its starting to get cold and remind me of home, but the sun still shines and the beauty is still here  

Hmmm well both those area's are good. I stay in Milnerton, in an area called ROyal Ascot. I pay about R9500 for a 2 bed place without electricity. I find that the electricity in the area is more expensive so prob budge around R11000 with electricity. (and trust me, iv asked around in other area's, milnerton seems to be expensive. We get less units for the same amount for say someone living in ROndebosche.) 

Sorry, im getting technical. But Blauwberg and milnerton are great areas!! you get the good area's and cheaper ones, but they generally the same feel. Lovely, peaceful and much more spacious than other area's. 

Blauwberg is like expat central.. there's this place i like to hang out, it's called eden on the bay, and its just packed with expats every so often. Its not a far drive from Milnerton. but I chose to stay in milnerton cause its closer to work and the mall ( century city ). Maybe consider where work is cause both these area's are great but they far out from town and camps bay etc. Doesn't take long to get there though. but its like driving from Westville to the beachfront in Durban.. ( I have friends in durban ) visited once or twice. 

Oh really??? I should check the Spar's properly then. the one by me is a small one so they stock limited stuff. but thank you  i will have a looksee


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## ady1976 (Nov 18, 2008)

Hi any joy with the Spars as yet? We arrived last week and start work tomorrow. Saw a place just across from eden on the bay so fingers crossed we secure it! I'll also let you know if I find any English chocs anywhere


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## Stefan123 (Jul 6, 2015)

Hi ady1976,

Welcome to the beautiful Western Cape and I do hope you will enjoy your stay. So much on offer here. You must remember to visit the UK Emporium for all your British needs. They have almost everything and if they do not have it they will get it for you.


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## SA Feather (Jul 16, 2015)

Hi!

Not too sure what you are still missing, but the Slug & Lettuce strike me as quite english, as does the Irish(!) Pub near Greenmarket Square.

You may also want to try the Fireman's Arm on Buitengracht for their Bangers and Mash (they show sports on the big screen). The area south, Simon's Town and surrounds, seem to be more english than Milnerton. Take a drive there one day, and eat at the Brass Bell in Kalk Bay!


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## ady1976 (Nov 18, 2008)

Hi , just to let you know I've found some UK chocs and drinks in Camps bay. At a small deli next door to The Hussar Grill. 

Enjoy!


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## ady1976 (Nov 18, 2008)

Stefan123 said:


> Hi ady1976,
> 
> Welcome to the beautiful Western Cape and I do hope you will enjoy your stay. So much on offer here. You must remember to visit the UK Emporium for all your British needs. They have almost everything and if they do not have it they will get it for you.


Thanks Stefan. Where about is the emporium?


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