# Expat Moms living in Joburg



## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

We have just moved to Joburg and I am a stay at home mom of a 2 year old and a 3mo. I am a US citizen, my husband is a South African so I have been living in SA for 7years. However having just moved to Joburg I thought it might be nice if there were other expat moms that would maybe like to start a little moms group we could all share info on raising kids in SA. If anyone is interested let me know


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## Faithy (Jul 31, 2011)

Hi Malia:

I'm Faith- would love to join group and meet up from time to time.


Cheers!
Faith


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

*Hi*



Faithy said:


> Hi Malia:
> 
> I'm Faith- would love to join group and meet up from time to time.
> 
> ...


Hi Faith 
That would be great, I am currently living in the Roodepoort area (not sure where you are located) but maybe we could meet up for coffee, I know a couple kiddie freindly places. The closest mall to me is Clearwater Mall, they have a great kiddies play place by a coffee shop. So let me know what works for you 

Malia


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

Hello Malia

We will be moving to South Africa from the US next year with our two kids and I would love to talk with you and others about what it is going to be like raising little ones in South Africa.


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

I would be interested as well. Got a nine month old daughter who was born here. Don't know many other mums with young children so would enjoy sharing experiences.


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

southafricabound said:


> Hello Malia
> 
> We will be moving to South Africa from the US next year with our two kids and I would love to talk with you and others about what it is going to be like raising little ones in South Africa.


Hi
Great, are you moving to the Joburg area ? how old are your kids ? If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I will try and help you with them. There are alot of positives to raising kids in SA, there are challenges but thats why I wanted to start this group because moms tend to know the best when it comes to place to go with the kids, doctors, preschools etc. I grew up in SA and the US every 4 years we would go back and forth so I am pretty familiar with both cultures (the good and bad of both )So I look forward to any questions you may have and hopefully we will have our little group started by the time you come


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Saartjie said:


> I would be interested as well. Got a nine month old daughter who was born here. Don't know many other mums with young children so would enjoy sharing experiences.


Hi 
Thats wonderful, hopefully we can come up with a place and time we can meet up, I am waiting to hear from Faithy. I am residing in the West Rand (Roodepoort area) so if we can come up with a central place to meet that would be great. Let me kknow your thoughts on that


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

Hi 

We will actually be moving to Pretoria, I know it is right outside of Johannesburg. We are super excited about our move!!

I have a 3 year old and 6 month old. We have heard some great things and some scary things about South Africa and I am really looking forward to hearing from some expat mommies that are actually living there now.

I look forward to getting to know you all!


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

Hi again,
We are currently living in Joburg, Kempton Park area but really do not like the place and are hopefully moving soon. I am working but can meet up on weekends.


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

Hello ladies,

I would like to know what your experience has been like raising kids in South Africa. I know we won't be there until next year but I want to get a feel for what to expect. From reading some of the other threads I know that crime is an issue. How do you guys deal with that and your children? Also has anyone been to Pretoria? Can you tell me what it is like?

Till next time!


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

southafricabound said:


> Hello ladies,
> 
> I would like to know what your experience has been like raising kids in South Africa. I know we won't be there until next year but I want to get a feel for what to expect. From reading some of the other threads I know that crime is an issue. How do you guys deal with that and your children? Also has anyone been to Pretoria? Can you tell me what it is like?
> 
> Till next time!


Hi southafricabound
Pretoria is a city, not just "outside of Johannesburg"... the distance is about 50km ..... depending on where you live in either city or suburb.
http://www.distance24.org/Pretoria/Johannesburg

Pretoria is usually considered to be "conservative".... smaller than Johannesburg, lovely leafy suburbs, horrible inner city ( like most inner cities are nowdays )...
Google around for some information, I lived there many years ago as a student , it has changed so much that I cannot really give informative information!


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

Hi Johanna

Yeah I googled the distance and it's like 38 miles for us Americans and isn't too far in those terms. Definitely not too far to meet up with some new mommy friends when we move there. I have done a lot of research online and must of the info is your basic stats or tourist data. I've been looking through a lot of the threads here and it was good to see some expat moms trying to get together.

We are moving there for sure so I just want a balanced perspective on raising a family there and hopefully I'll make some friends before we even arrive.

Like all mommies my babies are my number one concern and I look forward to learning about the country from the moms' perspective.

Thanks for all the info you can share!


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Saartjie said:


> Hi again,
> We are currently living in Joburg, Kempton Park area but really do not like the place and are hopefully moving soon. I am working but can meet up on weekends.


Weekends are okay, let me know a good weekend and for you ahead of time and then we can come up with a meeting place


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

*To all expat moms*



southafricabound said:


> Hi Johanna
> 
> Yeah I googled the distance and it's like 38 miles for us Americans and isn't too far in those terms. Definitely not too far to meet up with some new mommy friends when we move there. I have done a lot of research online and must of the info is your basic stats or tourist data. I've been looking through a lot of the threads here and it was good to see some expat moms trying to get together.
> 
> ...


Hi guys
Just wanted to let those of you know, Moms and Tots and Moms and Babes are great little groups to attend, most of Joburg and Pretoria suburbs have groups, you pay a membership fee and it is a great experience for mom and child. Moms and Babes work more on development of crawling and tactile stimulation etc. Whereas Moms and tots is like a readiness program for 1-3 yrs it helps them get use to having a teacher instruct them but have you there for positive reinforcement. I really found them benificial for both myself and my child, andother good web site to find things in Joburg is Kids party venues & services, schools, activities, child care, baby furniture, entertainers | Jozikids


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

Hello ladies,

What are some unique issues to raising kids in South Africa that I may not experience in the states? I read online at one of the schools website in Pretoria that over exposure to the sun is a real issue. Do you guys have to put sunblock on every time you take the kiddos outside?
What do you for extra protection above what I would do here?

What are the carseat laws like? I know that Woolworth is where most grocery shopping is done but where do you guys like to buy your toys and books and stuff. 

I know security is an issue. What extra precautions do you guys take for security over what you would do like in the States?

Did any of you have to adapt to driving the right hand drive cars? If so was it a snap or did it take awhile? As you all know we drive on the left here and I'm curious and nervous about the switch.

Thanks for any response.


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

maliasharpley said:


> Hi guys
> Just wanted to let those of you know, Moms and Tots and Moms and Babes are great little groups to attend, most of Joburg and Pretoria suburbs have groups, you pay a membership fee and it is a great experience for mom and child. Moms and Babes work more on development of crawling and tactile stimulation etc. Whereas Moms and tots is like a readiness program for 1-3 yrs it helps them get use to having a teacher instruct them but have you there for positive reinforcement. I really found them benificial for both myself and my child, andother good web site to find things in Joburg is Kids party venues & services, schools, activities, child care, baby furniture, entertainers | Jozikids


Of course I wrote my post before I clicked on your link! Ooops!! Thanks for the info it even has info for the Pretoria area. Super site. My daughter loves moon bounces so finding a place to take her is great!


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Hi
The sun can be quite hot in the summer, so alot of the smaller kids will wear sun hats and sunblock is what I normally put on MAx (my 2 yr old) but I lived in Ohio and Kansas City and the summers were just as hot  
When it comes to Car seats they are far more leanient, you won't get pulled over and fined if your 2 yr old is not in a car seat ...but ofcourse car seats are highly recomended especially getting use to driving on the other side of the road and dealing with the crazy taxi drivers (who have a set of their own personal road rules  )
Woolworths is very nice I would compare it to more of higher end grocery store you can find alot of specialty items so in some cases they are a little more pricey but you regular grocery stores are Pick N Pay, Spar Checkers. You will find all your basic stuff there .Ofcourse the food will be a bit different from the US not as many easy put together meals, like it will be hard almost impossible to find stuff like Stove top stuffing, Frenchs Green Beans (things that can make a casserole really easy) but you just improvise and if you need recipes I have 
They have Toys R US out here as well as other toy stores so don't worry about that.
When it comes to crime you hear different stories from different people, our age kids don't really notice and I feel its pointless stressing them out about it when they are so young, when thye get to be 7-8 they may notice news headlines more or hear stories from their friends and we as parents just need to reassure them. Bad things can happen no matter what country you live in, but my rule of thumb is when in Rome do as the Romans. You will notice most houses will have high walls and electric fences, and intercom systems as well as private security....these are all great things to have when looking for a house. There are alot of gated communities as well which are lovely and not as expensive as they would be in the states...when it comes to kids playing in the streets, that doesn't really happen out here, but we make up for that with play dates at each others houses. You will see street kids and beggars on your way to grocery store and again if the subject comes up with your kids its a great way of talking about compassion for the less priviledged.

When it comes to driving on the other side of the road it takes a couple weeks but you get use to it, majority of the cars are stick shift that was the biggest adjustment for me but I just dove on in and you get the hang of it, but you can get automatice if it is too much for you. Again Joburg being a city it is city driving the Taxis can be a little tricky you will see them break about every road law you can think of but you just avoid driving too close to them and keep your sense of humour. One thing that is a bit more prevalent inJoburg and Pretoria is hyjacking so you just make sure you have your doors locked when driving and windows up and becareful of driving in unfamiliar parts at night, Pretoria is lovely though we are considering moving there 
Well I hope I have answered some of your questions, again this all my experience and you may hear different from others, I have lived in SA majority of my life asided from going to the US every 4 years...(and university in the US, Ohio State University) 


southafricabound said:


> Hello ladies,
> 
> What are some unique issues to raising kids in South Africa that I may not experience in the states? I read online at one of the schools website in Pretoria that over exposure to the sun is a real issue. Do you guys have to put sunblock on every time you take the kiddos outside?
> What do you for extra protection above what I would do here?
> ...


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

southafricabound said:


> Hello ladies,
> 
> I would like to know what your experience has been like raising kids in South Africa. I know we won't be there until next year but I want to get a feel for what to expect. From reading some of the other threads I know that crime is an issue. How do you guys deal with that and your children? Also has anyone been to Pretoria? Can you tell me what it is like?
> 
> Till next time!


I only have one child and she was born here and is almost 10 months old. I have not had any real problems with her so far. The one real important thing is that one must ensure that you have the best Medical Aid cover there is so that if something happens to your child (or you for that matter),you are properly covered so that you can get the help that you need. No cover no help. Finding the right nursery (if you are intending to use one) is also of great importance. We found one by recommendation and it's turned out great. There are horror stories going around of nurseries treating kids badly for various reasons (usually skin colour has got something to do with it). Not sure how much truth is in these stories but you will hear about them when you get here. Crime in SA is of course an issue but we have not had any problems so far (touch wood). Please note that people here love to tell you horror stories about crime that has happened to a friend of a friend kind of thing. Although there are of course truth in these stories please treat them with caution and don't let this scare you off. My advise is to not to be too naive, keep your wits about you and stay out of any dodgy areas. You will learn to live in this society once you get here but yes there are is a lot of crime. On Pretoria I can say that I love the place. We live in Joburg for work purposes but go to Pretoria often. The difference with Pretoria as far as I am concerned (being an English speaking foreigner) is that it is very Afrikaans which can be a bit of a hassle if you don't know the language and the culture. Saying that, Pretoria is filled with embassies so you can get by on English for sure. These are of course my personal opinions and experiences and other people may have completely different views and opinions on these matters.


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

Thanks Ladies for the great info!

It is really helpful getting a feel for what to expect. I figured that with proper precautions you can survive the crime issue. We are super careful people even for American standards so beefing it up won't be too hard. 

I love to cook and am trying to learn how to make things from scratch already so getting used to a new way of eating will be interesting!!


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Hi Ladies
well I had an "interesting" experience yesterday that I feel is worht sharing. I was on my way to fetch my 2 yr old from playgroup and and the traffic was back up on the main rd (Hendrik Potgieter) anyway needless to say it was the traffic police causing the traffic jam by blocking off 2 of the 3 lanes they were randomly checking vehicles so I was on of the "lucky" selected. (now you have to display your car license on the windshield of the car and I thought my hubby had put the new one up, but he had not) so the Traffic officer said to me that he was going to have to issue me a "spot fine" (I had no idea what that was) I showed him I had the car license with me and would put it up as soon as I got home. He insisted he would need to issue a spot fine so he asked to see my license (I am still driving on my US license, which is legal) he then asks me how much money I had on me, ignorant me still not figuring out what was going on showed him my wallet was empty and I had no cash. I only clicked when he responded "what am I going to do with you?" then I firgured he wanted a bribe but I literally had no cash on me. This is broad day light with cars all around, so he let me go. My husband (who is an attorney) explained a spot fine is not to be paid to the officer they give you the fine and you pay at the police station and that the next time that happens you ask the officer for his name and badge number and call him (hubby) or go and report it at the police station. Unfortunatly this bribing is very common out here and it is very disconcerting, because you are at there mercy if you don't understand your rights. So guys not sure if you all know what a "spot fine" is but now I do


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

maliasharpley said:


> Hi Ladies
> well I had an "interesting" experience yesterday that I feel is worht sharing. I was on my way to fetch my 2 yr old from playgroup and and the traffic was back up on the main rd (Hendrik Potgieter) anyway needless to say it was the traffic police causing the traffic jam by blocking off 2 of the 3 lanes they were randomly checking vehicles so I was on of the "lucky" selected. (now you have to display your car license on the windshield of the car and I thought my hubby had put the new one up, but he had not) so the Traffic officer said to me that he was going to have to issue me a "spot fine" (I had no idea what that was) I showed him I had the car license with me and would put it up as soon as I got home. He insisted he would need to issue a spot fine so he asked to see my license (I am still driving on my US license, which is legal) he then asks me how much money I had on me, ignorant me still not figuring out what was going on showed him my wallet was empty and I had no cash. I only clicked when he responded "what am I going to do with you?" then I firgured he wanted a bribe but I literally had no cash on me. This is broad day light with cars all around, so he let me go. My husband (who is an attorney) explained a spot fine is not to be paid to the officer they give you the fine and you pay at the police station and that the next time that happens you ask the officer for his name and badge number and call him (hubby) or go and report it at the police station. Unfortunatly this bribing is very common out here and it is very disconcerting, because you are at there mercy if you don't understand your rights. So guys not sure if you all know what a "spot fine" is but now I do


Hello Malia,

That's crazy! So stuff like that is pretty common there huh? What would you have done if you had cash? Is it advisable to pay the bribe and report it later after you are safe at home or don't ever pay a bribe at all?

Thanks for sharing so glad you guys are ok.


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

southafricabound said:


> Hello Malia,
> 
> That's crazy! So stuff like that is pretty common there huh? What would you have done if you had cash? Is it advisable to pay the bribe and report it later after you are safe at home or don't ever pay a bribe at all?
> 
> Thanks for sharing so glad you guys are ok.


Oh no, do not pay bribes...please. There is enough bribery and corruption!


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

southafricabound said:


> Hello Malia,
> 
> That's crazy! So stuff like that is pretty common there huh? What would you have done if you had cash? Is it advisable to pay the bribe and report it later after you are safe at home or don't ever pay a bribe at all?
> 
> Thanks for sharing so glad you guys are ok.


Hi
Its not good to get into paying the bribes, it is very common for the police to ask for bribes and people will pay so that they do not have to put up with the hassle. But I wouldn't. As for reporting it, that can be more trouble than it is worth, most of the time not much is done about it anyway. I guess my ignorance saved me, you do have to handle the situation quite carefully, you don't just outright accuse the policemen of bribery because things can get really heated you just play dumb and say "issue me the fine because I don't have any cash on me" or "just issue me the fine" One thing that my hubby also told me is that if you have your car license in the car they can't issue you a fine they should just give you a warning.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

The problem is that you are in the power of someone else .
I can post numerous recent News links of how SA Police have handled "Situations" involving men and women.

Pay the bribe, its part of the price you pay for living in SA.


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Daxk said:


> The problem is that you are in the power of someone else .
> I can post numerous recent News links of how SA Police have handled "Situations" involving men and women.
> 
> Pay the bribe, its part of the price you pay for living in SA.


I agree that it was upseting to me because they have "power" in the situation but if you carry on paying the bribes it will never end and you will pay more and more. For my situation I would not have had to legally pay the fine even if he issued it to me, so if I paid him off, I would just be wasting my money. You will find in most cases you won't have to even pay the fine if they issue the fines...especially if they are small amounts (the fines) the courts won't pursue it, unlike other countries where they have the capacity to keep track of people's records the courts here are overwhelmed with problems, even if you just appear in court for some big fines they normally will reduce or even write them off. So things aren't always what they seem.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Malia, I see you have lived in SA for 7 years and only recently moved to Jhbg.
without intending to patronise you, Rule 1: what do the locals do?

Rule 2: unless you have been living in another 3rd World Country, do what the locals do.
If you had been living elsewhere in Africa, we would not be having this conversation.

Rule 3: The Cops openly solicit bribes because they CAN.


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Hi Ladies
Well I just wanted to clear up the latest conversation, I in no way wanted my little "bribing incident" to turn into bad mouthing South Africa. I have not only lived here for 7 yrs but grew up here from 1981 (we would travel to the US every 4 years, spend a year in the US and then return) But I chose to return to SA and married a South African, and I love this place,for all its good and bad. I merely wanted to let those of you guys know what a "spot fine" really was that is all. There are so many beautiful and fun things about SA, the people here are amazing they are for the most part (the people I have encountered) friendly and helpful. And the beautiful places to visit and animals to see for me make up for all the negatives. One thing I have learnt is that there are positives and negatives of every country and we all have a choice what we want to focus on


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## Lou72 (Feb 19, 2011)

southafricabound said:


> Hello ladies,
> 
> I would like to know what your experience has been like raising kids in South Africa. I know we won't be there until next year but I want to get a feel for what to expect. From reading some of the other threads I know that crime is an issue. How do you guys deal with that and your children? Also has anyone been to Pretoria? Can you tell me what it is like?
> 
> Till next time!


Hi 
I moved to Pretoria 6 weeks ago from the UK. I'm Irish but have lived in the UK for 20 years. We are here with my Husbands work for 3-5 years. We're living in Waterkloof Ridge and I have to say I'm finally settling in. I have two boys, Alex will be 4 in Nov and Ethan will be 1 in Oct. Would love to meet other Mom's in my area as not made any friends yet. 

Lou


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Saartjie said:


> I only have one child and she was born here and is almost 10 months old. I have not had any real problems with her so far. The one real important thing is that one must ensure that you have the best Medical Aid cover there is so that if something happens to your child (or you for that matter),you are properly covered so that you can get the help that you need. No cover no help. Finding the right nursery (if you are intending to use one) is also of great importance. We found one by recommendation and it's turned out great. There are horror stories going around of nurseries treating kids badly for various reasons (usually skin colour has got something to do with it). Not sure how much truth is in these stories but you will hear about them when you get here. Crime in SA is of course an issue but we have not had any problems so far (touch wood). Please note that people here love to tell you horror stories about crime that has happened to a friend of a friend kind of thing. Although there are of course truth in these stories please treat them with caution and don't let this scare you off. My advise is to not to be too naive, keep your wits about you and stay out of any dodgy areas. You will learn to live in this society once you get here but yes there are is a lot of crime. On Pretoria I can say that I love the place. We live in Joburg for work purposes but go to Pretoria often. The difference with Pretoria as far as I am concerned (being an English speaking foreigner) is that it is very Afrikaans which can be a bit of a hassle if you don't know the language and the culture. Saying that, Pretoria is filled with embassies so you can get by on English for sure. These are of course my personal opinions and experiences and other people may have completely different views and opinions on these matters.


Hi
If you are still keen on maybe meeting up I was thinking of taking my kids to Banbanani's maybe this weekend. Its a great little place in Melville with a wonderful play area. If you are keen maybe we can meet up Saturday? Look on the jozikids.co.za and they should list Banbanani's or I can give you address


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Faithy said:


> Hi Malia:
> 
> I'm Faith- would love to join group and meet up from time to time.
> 
> ...


Hi Faith
I was thinking of maybe taking my kids to Banbanani's in Melville this weekend (Sat) its a great place with a lovely play area you can find out more about it on jozikids.co.za if you would like to meet up let me know


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

Lou72 said:


> Hi
> I moved to Pretoria 6 weeks ago from the UK. I'm Irish but have lived in the UK for 20 years. We are here with my Husbands work for 3-5 years. We're living in Waterkloof Ridge and I have to say I'm finally settling in. I have two boys, Alex will be 4 in Nov and Ethan will be 1 in Oct. Would love to meet other Mom's in my area as not made any friends yet.
> 
> Lou


Hi 
Welcome, its strange but it seems it becomes more difficult the older you get to make friends, kids are so great they make friends so easily  I would love for us to all meet up unfortunantly I live in the West Rand in Joburg...but its not impossible if we choose a saturday and a place we can meet up. We have friends (my husbands work friends)in Pretoria and it is only a 20-30 min drive. But maybe one of the other ladies on the thread lives in Pretoria I know SOuthafricabound will be coming to Pretoria next year. I was telling the other ladies Moms and Tots is a great way to meet other moms and your boys fall in the age range well Alex maybe a little too old but deffinantly Ethan and I really enjoyed doing it with my son Max (he is 2) they have a website that tells you the groups in your area


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## maliasharpley (Jul 15, 2011)

maliasharpley said:


> Hi
> Welcome, its strange but it seems it becomes more difficult the older you get to make friends, kids are so great they make friends so easily  I would love for us to all meet up unfortunantly I live in the West Rand in Joburg...but its not impossible if we choose a saturday and a place we can meet up. We have friends (my husbands work friends)in Pretoria and it is only a 20-30 min drive. But maybe one of the other ladies on the thread lives in Pretoria I know SOuthafricabound will be coming to Pretoria next year. I was telling the other ladies Moms and Tots is a great way to meet other moms and your boys fall in the age range well Alex maybe a little too old but deffinantly Ethan and I really enjoyed doing it with my son Max (he is 2) they have a website that tells you the groups in your area


Oh by the way another great activity to do with the boys is Little Kickers. I teaches them soccer skills if you are interested I can send you their info. I think they may have a website as well


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

maliasharpley said:


> Hi Ladies
> Well I just wanted to clear up the latest conversation, I in no way wanted my little "bribing incident" to turn into bad mouthing South Africa. I have not only lived here for 7 yrs but grew up here from 1981 (we would travel to the US every 4 years, spend a year in the US and then return) But I chose to return to SA and married a South African, and I love this place,for all its good and bad. I merely wanted to let those of you guys know what a "spot fine" really was that is all. There are so many beautiful and fun things about SA, the people here are amazing they are for the most part (the people I have encountered) friendly and helpful. And the beautiful places to visit and animals to see for me make up for all the negatives. One thing I have learnt is that there are positives and negatives of every country and we all have a choice what we want to focus on


Sorry Malia, had not noticed this.
kindly quote my post and underline what I said to "badmouth " SA in this instance.


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

maliasharpley said:


> Hi
> If you are still keen on maybe meeting up I was thinking of taking my kids to Banbanani's maybe this weekend. Its a great little place in Melville with a wonderful play area. If you are keen maybe we can meet up Saturday? Look on the jozikids.co.za and they should list Banbanani's or I can give you address


Hi, sorry, only saw your message now. Have been home with very sick baby for the past 5 days (bronchitis and 39.9 degrees fever). All better now and back at work. We have a few busy weekends now with birthdays and weddings but still want to meet up so will let you know when I am free and then we can see what suits you.


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## southafricabound (Aug 4, 2011)

Lou72 said:


> Hi
> I moved to Pretoria 6 weeks ago from the UK. I'm Irish but have lived in the UK for 20 years. We are here with my Husbands work for 3-5 years. We're living in Waterkloof Ridge and I have to say I'm finally settling in. I have two boys, Alex will be 4 in Nov and Ethan will be 1 in Oct. Would love to meet other Mom's in my area as not made any friends yet.
> 
> Lou


Hello Lou

I have a 3 yo girl and almost 7 mo old boy, we will be in Pretoria in October 2012. I don't know where we will be living yet but we are super excited about our move. We will be there 3-4 years with my husband's job as well. I'm eager to learn as much as I can about what to expect there before we come so I can't wait to hear about your experiences!


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## melime (Nov 18, 2011)

*Meet up in Dec ?*

Hi moms,

Just saw these posts and was wondering if you managed to meet up already? 

I'm Malaysian (lived here for 4 years), moved around abroad...NZ, Brunei and recently been living in the London, UK for past 8 years. Lived in Mauritius for a year where my son (now 14 months) was born. We then moved to SA end of last year. 

Currently based in Kathu in the Northern Cape but often travel to Pretoria as hubby's family is mostly there. Its not easy finding friends here in this little town so was wondering if you had a group meet up next month, I'd love to join with my little munchkin. 

Do you have online meet ups too, like on Skype or group emails? 

Hope to hear from you soon. 

M


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## Nthabiseng (Feb 19, 2012)

maliasharpley said:


> We have just moved to Joburg and I am a stay at home mom of a 2 year old and a 3mo. I am a US citizen, my husband is a South African so I have been living in SA for 7years. However having just moved to Joburg I thought it might be nice if there were other expat moms that would maybe like to start a little moms group we could all share info on raising kids in SA. If anyone is interested let me know


Hi , I am actually a South African , lived in England for more than 5 years and decided to come back home . My husband is Brits, we have got 3+ year old son and 1+ year old daughter , and just moved to Johannesburg . It'll be nice to meet you, guys. 

nthabiseng


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## Nicolaxxx (Sep 15, 2010)

southafricabound said:


> Hi
> 
> We will actually be moving to Pretoria, I know it is right outside of Johannesburg. We are super excited about our move!!
> 
> ...


Hi,

My name is Nicola and im engaged to a South African and have been together for 6 years now, we have just returned from our 3rd visit to SA. My partner and myself have decided we want to move there on a permanent basis as we love it so much. I have a 2 year old and im struggling to know which road to go down to get my permanent residency. I've contacted the Home office in London and they just re direct me to someone else. This has been going on for a month now and im no further.....
So could somebody please direct me in the right path as we are desperate to move. 


Regards

Nicolaxxx


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## Nthabiseng (Feb 19, 2012)

Nicolaxxx said:


> Hi, My name is Nicola and im engaged to a South African and have been together for 6 years now, we have just returned from our 3rd visit to SA. My partner and myself have decided we want to move there on a permanent basis as we love it so much. I have a 2 year old and im struggling to know which road to go down to get my permanent residency. I've contacted the Home office in London and they just re direct me to someone else. This has been going on for a month now and im no further..... So could somebody please direct me in the right path as we are desperate to move. Regards Nicolaxxx


 Hi Nicola, It seems really impossible for someone to get a permanent residence permit to come to South Africa when u r over there , it took my husband over a year to get one ( he didnt even get it , he had to come over and goto Home Affairs for it ). IT CAN BE A NIGHTMARE!

Nthabiseng


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

Nicolaxxx said:


> Hi,
> 
> My name is Nicola and im engaged to a South African and have been together for 6 years now, we have just returned from our 3rd visit to SA. My partner and myself have decided we want to move there on a permanent basis as we love it so much. I have a 2 year old and im struggling to know which road to go down to get my permanent residency. I've contacted the Home office in London and they just re direct me to someone else. This has been going on for a month now and im no further.....
> So could somebody please direct me in the right path as we are desperate to move.
> ...


 Hi Nicolaxx,
Have you looked at this yet ( lots to read through)

Immigrating to South Africa


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

Nicolaxxx said:


> Hi,
> 
> My name is Nicola and im engaged to a South African and have been together for 6 years now, we have just returned from our 3rd visit to SA. My partner and myself have decided we want to move there on a permanent basis as we love it so much. I have a 2 year old and im struggling to know which road to go down to get my permanent residency. I've contacted the Home office in London and they just re direct me to someone else. This has been going on for a month now and im no further.....
> So could somebody please direct me in the right path as we are desperate to move.
> ...


Hi there, I know it can be a very frustrating experience trying to sort this out. As you are not married yet you cannot apply for PR. You must have been married for 5 years before you can apply. You will therefore have to apply for Temporary Residence Permit. The only TR you can get from High Commission in London is the Relatives one which only allows you to reside in SA with your partner but you cannot work, this is usually a two year permit. Once in SA you will need to get a job offer (if you intend to work) and then re-apply for your spousal visa with work endorsement. Sadly this is a very time consuming process.

Another route you can try is to sort out your child's SA passport. As your partner is SA citizen, you child has a right to citizenship. Once your child is SA citizen you should be able to apply for PR under the category of being the foreign parent of a SA citizen (section 27(g) of the Immigration Act 2002). This means that you do not have to wait for five years from the date you get married to get PR.


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## concord (Jan 9, 2012)

Saartjie said:


> The only TR you can get from High Commission in London is the Relatives one which only allows you to reside in SA with your partner but you cannot work, this is usually a two year permit. Once in SA you will need to get a job offer (if you intend to work) and then re-apply for your spousal visa with work endorsement.


 Saartjie, I thought you can apply for a relative's or a spousal permit if you're not married to a SA citizen. I thought you can only ask for a life partner permit...


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

concord said:


> Saartjie, I thought you can apply for a relative's or a spousal permit if you're not married to a SA citizen. I thought you can only ask for a life partner permit...


Yes of course you are right. Getting a bit confused myself. I initially read the post wrong and thought they were married, subsequently edited my post but obviously got it wrong again. Anyway, as there is a child I would go for Permanent Residency straight away in any event, as we all know it saves A LOT of hassle. Thanks for correcting me:clap2:


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## Saartjie (Mar 1, 2010)

Nicolaxxx said:


> Hi,
> 
> My name is Nicola and im engaged to a South African and have been together for 6 years now, we have just returned from our 3rd visit to SA. My partner and myself have decided we want to move there on a permanent basis as we love it so much. I have a 2 year old and im struggling to know which road to go down to get my permanent residency. I've contacted the Home office in London and they just re direct me to someone else. This has been going on for a month now and im no further.....
> So could somebody please direct me in the right path as we are desperate to move.
> ...


Sorry if I have confused you. Please disregard my comment about TR. Concord is absolutely right, if you are not married you can only apply for Life Partner permit. My comments about PR still stands though, provided that you obtain an SA passport for your child. I apologise for any confusion.


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## concord (Jan 9, 2012)

Saartjie said:


> Thanks for correcting me:clap2:


You're welcome!  We need to help each other!


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## tee1 (Aug 17, 2012)

*hi*



maliasharpley said:


> We have just moved to Joburg and I am a stay at home mom of a 2 year old and a 3mo. I am a US citizen, my husband is a South African so I have been living in SA for 7years. However having just moved to Joburg I thought it might be nice if there were other expat moms that would maybe like to start a little moms group we could all share info on raising kids in SA. If anyone is interested let me know


Hi my name is tee,i live in joburg ,we can meet up


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