# Am I about to make the biggest mistake of my life?



## LadyBell84 (Jun 16, 2010)

Hi, im a newbie and have an enormous problem that is giving me sleepless nights.

6 weeks today im due to move to Jo'Burg with my SA partner and our 3 children. Me and the kids are British. Kids ages are 6, 7 and 8 months!! My partner has a good job to go to and we are going to be living in Germiston. I know nothing about the area and would love descriptions good or bad. 
I plan to put the kids into school asap, again have no idea of the area. Im not ignorant, i just never thought we would have to move to SA and have kind of been talked into it. ADVICE AND HELP PLEASE 
Thanks


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## JairajVi (Jun 14, 2010)

LadyBell84 said:


> Hi, im a newbie and have an enormous problem that is giving me sleepless nights.
> 
> 6 weeks today im due to move to Jo'Burg with my SA partner and our 3 children. Me and the kids are British. Kids ages are 6, 7 and 8 months!! My partner has a good job to go to and we are going to be living in Germiston. I know nothing about the area and would love descriptions good or bad.
> I plan to put the kids into school asap, again have no idea of the area. Im not ignorant, i just never thought we would have to move to SA and have kind of been talked into it. ADVICE AND HELP PLEASE
> Thanks


Hi LadyBell,

I lived in SA all my life, 5 years in Johannesburg (Alberton & Kempton Park) and most of my life in Durban. 

I'm not gonna put u off and say 'don't'...I think I'm in the same dliema here, but at the end of the day, whether u like it or not...and from what I've read....I think your partner has already made up his mind to go. Germiston is a lovely place, and there's parts of it, like any other country, that has it's good and it's bad. I love the country too much, but obviously had to leave due to circumstances. At the end of the day...you want the best for your kids. I might be contridicting here (refer to my forum 'Motherland SA')...but no matter where you go, no matter what you do...home will always be home for anyone. It's quite difficult to settle into any country and just call it homke after a few years...but you will see when and if you get down to SA. It's just that u will have to adapt yourself to the way of life in SA. It's different...I speak of it cos I lived it. You have to be wary and alert all the time. It's not bad or the best...or cannot be bad and good at the same time...you will have your moments, just like I do here in NZ.

You can google 'Germiston' and it's history of mining is great. 

I think you will need to experience life there first and then make up your mind...cos no two people think alike...

Cheers


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## vegasboy (Apr 28, 2010)

The one advantage you have is that you are not entangled in the baggage and history of this country, so you will be less inclined to make comparisons. If I may say, take up the challenge and make a quality decision to make the best of it, and you should be OK.

Take to heart what others have posted on this forum, be extremely vigilant, but without living in fear. South Africa is a great place.


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## marieannetta (Mar 22, 2010)

Hi LadyBell

I live in Germiston. Good areas to stay are Lambton, Lambton Gardens or Parkhill Gardens - large gardens, maids quarters and leafy streets.
Good schools, shopping centre close by and reasonably safe. Our public transport is still not good in Germiston so you'll have to drive. 
Google the British Expat Blog in South Africa and you'll be able to speak with fellow country men about the dos and don'ts. Lots of British live in SA and they have overcome various hurdles in adapting from the UK to SA.


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