# Moving to Witbank



## RGibbs (May 22, 2013)

I will be moving to the Witbank area in a couple of months. Any suggestions on the better and safest areas to live? Also, any info you csn provide on any subject will be appreciated.
I will be transfering from the USA
THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR ANY INFORMATION OR SUGGESTIONS?

Brandy


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## lavidarachel (Dec 26, 2012)

Hi Brandy, 

We are in Jo'burg now, but spent the first few weeks of being here in Witbank (partner works for Black and Veatch) and was working at Duvha station.

We stayed in a bed and breakfast in Del Judor whilst we were there, but other B&V employees who are based in Witbank full time live on Bankenveld estate which is lovely and is a golf estate (and has a great cafe!). Depends what your budget is.

Don't drink the water in Witbank, and get somewhere with a generator and a water tank (can't remember what they are called!) - they dont always pay their bills to the government, and so it goes off.

Rachel


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## RGibbs (May 22, 2013)

Thanks, Rachel
I will be working for B&V as well. Small world, huh?
I have been told that, tentatively, I will be stationed at the Kriel plant but it's not definite yet.
If you think of ANYTHING that you believe might be of benefit to me, please let me know. Especially if you know anything about Kriel.

BTW, my name is Randy. I'm not sure why "Brandy" appeared earlier. Possible operator error?

Randy


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## lavidarachel (Dec 26, 2012)

RGibbs said:


> Thanks, Rachel
> I will be working for B&V as well. Small world, huh?
> I have been told that, tentatively, I will be stationed at the Kriel plant but it's not definite yet.
> If you think of ANYTHING that you believe might be of benefit to me, please let me know. Especially if you know anything about Kriel.
> ...


Hi Randy,
I had a feeling you might be B&V  I am a bit rubbish on the stations, but I will send you my partners email address - he will have much more info. 

The company that find a house for you are really good, and do most of the leg work. When do you arrive?

Rachel


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## lavidarachel (Dec 26, 2012)

RGibbs said:


> Thanks, Rachel
> I will be working for B&V as well. Small world, huh?
> I have been told that, tentatively, I will be stationed at the Kriel plant but it's not definite yet.
> If you think of ANYTHING that you believe might be of benefit to me, please let me know. Especially if you know anything about Kriel.
> ...


Hi Randy,
I had a feeling you might be B&V  I am a bit rubbish on the stations, but I will send you my partners email address - he will have much more info. 

The company that find a house for you are really good, and do most of the leg work. When do you arrive?

I can't work out how to send a message on here! His name is 

He is on LinkedIn too!

Rachel


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## RGibbs (May 22, 2013)

Thanks again Rachel. It will be a couple of months before I arrive in S.A. I will e-mail Brendan and hopefully he can answer a couple of job-related questions I am curious about. I looked up the Bankenveld community you mentioned. It really looks nice and appealing and I think I would enjoy living there.
I appreciate all of your help.
Have a great weekend!

Randy


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## expatinafrica (Jun 14, 2013)

*Witbank*

Randy, just wondering if you had any info about Witbank? Is it a nice place to live for expats? I had a look at the Brankenveld Estate mentioned in the thread but could not get any info on rent costs in this arera. I will most likely be sent to a Powerstation in this region toward the end of the year and would appreciate any info you could pass on. 
In particular, I would be curious to know of job/volunteer opportunities in Witbank for my partner who will be coming with me. Thank you.


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## RGibbs (May 22, 2013)

I have not yet moved to Witbank (still awaiting my work visa) but from my research, a lot of expats are located in Witbank. It seems that Bankenveld is a very desirable location and is inhabited by a lot of expats. It seems thatBankenveld is the most expensive which is not surprising since it is located on both a golf course and lake. There are two rentals listed on local real estate websites for furnished houses in Witbank, one is listed for 16, 500 rand per month and the otherfor 22, 000 per month. It appears that similar houses are available in other gated communities at a slightly reduced rental rate.
I have decided that I am going to locate in Bankenveld if there is anything available close to the amount of my housing allowance, even if I have to subsidize with my own cash.
Witbank has a mall with approximately 100 shops, as well as a casino.
It appears that Witbank is large enough and modern enough to provide most everything you need.

Sorry I don't have any first-hand experience but I have spent many hours researching the area.

Hope this helps.

Randy


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## expatinafrica (Jun 14, 2013)

Thanks Randy, appreciate it.
Bankenveld looks nice from the website alright but when I went onto Google Streetview to have a "walk" around the place, it didn't appeal to me as much. A lot of houses seemed under construction and there didn't seem to be any children etc around. Obviously the views would be taken when the Google car was going around and so may be a couple fo years old but considering its a little off the beaten track in SA, I would have thought they might be less than 18months old. If you do get any word from your collegues out there, I would appreciate some feedback as Bankenveld does seem like the best Witbank has to offer.
Also if you had any feedback on what Eskom are like to work for in their Powerstations, I'd appreciate it too. Like yourself, it looks like I will be hired in as part of their current recruitment drive in relation to their coal stations. I am curious to know what they are like on the ground as I am getting very mixed reviews from people who have worked in the stations in SA before.


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