# 22yr Old moving to Joburg



## UKFlier (Jan 18, 2012)

Hi all,

I am graduating this year, and the company I have a job with has, subject to a work visa being granted (and other factors), offered me a place in Joburg. I jumped at the opportunity. However I do have a few questions and was hoping someone could help me out.

The costs I am having trouble getting a firm budget are

Cost of Home insurance in Sandton area, for a 2 bed townhouse?
Cost of car insurance for a small hatchback (Vauxhall Corsa etc.)?
Armed response (from Chubb or other)?

Nightlife in Sandton? Lots of clubs or mainly bar based?

Postal service, will i need a PO box for personal post?

Thanks and sorry about the list of questions, i just want to make sure i have all bases covered before moving out to this exciting country.


----------



## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

These issues have been discussed before, have a look under the "search" option. If you have more pertinent questions, I am sure somebody will be of more assistance.

All your questions depend on many variables.


----------



## martinaloeb (May 12, 2011)

The only way you can be sure of how much things cost is to call the service providers themselves, and even then, be prepared to be quoted a completely different price once you arrive. This is Africa ;-)

I think that Sandton seems to have enough bars and restaurants, but it is nothing like the UK. Mainly you have to get home, and there is not much in the way of safe public transport here. There always has to be a designated driver now, who cannot have a single drink as there are so many roadblocks here. It is of course not illegal to have a drink and drive, but you get a really hard time driving on a foreign license here, even when you are sober

You definitely need a PO Box


----------



## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

martinaloeb said:


> The only way you can be sure of how much things cost is to call the service providers themselves, and even then, be prepared to be quoted a completely different price once you arrive. This is Africa ;-)
> 
> I think that Sandton seems to have enough bars and restaurants, but it is nothing like the UK. Mainly you have to get home, and there is not much in the way of safe public transport here. There always has to be a designated driver now, who cannot have a single drink as there are so many roadblocks here. It is of course not illegal to have a drink and drive, but you get a really hard time driving on a foreign license here, even when you are sober
> 
> You definitely need a PO Box


 It is an offence to drink and drive : 
THE DRINK-AND-DRIVE OFFENCES

The Road Traffic Act, 1989, creates two separate offences which involve the use of alcohol. It is an offence to drive a vehicle on a public road or occupy the driver's seat of a motor vehicle with its engine running while the person behind the wheel:

Is under the influence of intoxicating liquor, or a drug having a narcotic effect; or
Has a concentration of alcohol in the blood of 0,05g or more per 100ml of blood.
Any person behind the wheel whose blood-alcohol level is 0,05g or more per 100ml is regarded by the law as being incapable of driving a vehicle, and is liable to be prosecuted. A 'vehicle' is 'a device designed or adapted principally to travel on wheels or crawler tracks', so a charge can be brought against the driver of an animal-drawn cart or a bulldozer, or even a cyclist.

A person may be prosecuted just for sitting in the driver's seat of a stationary vehicle while the engine is running. And a vehicle is 'driven' even if it is moving without the engine running, for example if it rolls downhill or if it is being pushed.

For driving 'under the influence' or with a blood-alcohol level of 0,05g per 100ml or more, a person may be fined up to R120,000 for drink driving(OLL), + R180,000 for culpable homicide! The court shall, in its discretion, order that the driver's licence of a person it has convicted of one of these offences be endorsed with details of the conviction and sentence. Alternatively, it may order that the licence be suspended or cancelled. An unlicensed driver may be disqualified from obtaining a driver's licence.


----------



## martinaloeb (May 12, 2011)

Thanks Johanna. In the UK we are allowed 80mg per 100ml blood which is a glass of wine or a beer. thanks for letting us know that it is less here (50mg). That is really good to know for the future, although as I said - I'm dry when I'm driving! Gotta keep my wits about me for those mini bus taxi's ;-)





Johanna said:


> It is an offence to drink and drive :
> THE DRINK-AND-DRIVE OFFENCES
> 
> The Road Traffic Act, 1989, creates two separate offences which involve the use of alcohol. It is an offence to drive a vehicle on a public road or occupy the driver's seat of a motor vehicle with its engine running while the person behind the wheel:
> ...


----------



## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

martinaloeb said:


> Thanks Johanna. In the UK we are allowed 80mg per 100ml blood which is a glass of wine or a beer. thanks for letting us know that it is less here (50mg). That is really good to know for the future, although as I said - I'm dry when I'm driving! Gotta keep my wits about me for those mini bus taxi's ;-)


It is against the law, not saying that everyone obeys the law.

Where I live there is a zero tolerance to drink and drive!

Taxis.....


----------

