# Moving to Witbank



## Tropical Texan (May 16, 2010)

My husband has been offered a wonderful job in Witbank. We have 4 small children (ages 9, 3 year old twins, & 18 months) I wanted to know if anyone has lived here & if its reasonably safe for families with children. The project he would be working on is for 7 years in SA. I'm no really concerned with schools because I'm comfortable home schooling. We are from Texas, but we have lived in St. Croix, USVI too. My husband is currently working in Colombia, but it is too dangerous for the children because of kidnappings & political unrest. I just want to do my research & make sure that this is a good move for our family. Thanks!


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## arnaud (Jul 29, 2009)

Tropical Texan said:


> My husband has been offered a wonderful job in Witbank. We have 4 small children (ages 9, 3 year old twins, & 18 months) I wanted to know if anyone has lived here & if its reasonably safe for families with children. The project he would be working on is for 7 years in SA. I'm no really concerned with schools because I'm comfortable home schooling. We are from Texas, but we have lived in St. Croix, USVI too. My husband is currently working in Colombia, but it is too dangerous for the children because of kidnappings & political unrest. I just want to do my research & make sure that this is a good move for our family. Thanks!


Seems OK. Some will tell you "don't go", some will tell "you go". As far as I am concerned, go for it if your husband has been offered a wonderful job. I don't know this town, you'd better contact your new husband's company. They should have useful information about the area, where to settle, the accomodations, transports and so on.


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## zambezi.king (Oct 8, 2009)

Witbank is about 60-70 miles outside Johannesburg and is a well equipped town. I do feel however that you need to google witbank as it has had it its share of problem regarding respiratory ailments due to it being located in a coal producing area. My SIL and family moved from there a year or two ago due to health issues (nose bleeds, asthma etc). The fact that you will be bringing 4 kids along might be an issue.

Just google the place and if need be contact local medical agencies and doctors if you think it is warranted. If it was me... 

On the plus side crime is lower, and you are on the doorstep (2 hours drive) to Mpumalanga which is a very scenic area and home to the Kruger National Park etc.

Hope this helps.


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## Cnf (Mar 17, 2010)

Smaller town and a beautiful area. 

Too slow for my liking but I have often "holiday'ed" in the area. You are not far from the Kruger Park and Blyde River Canyon amongst other fantastic locations.


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## onealdw (May 22, 2010)

Cnf said:


> Smaller town and a beautiful area.
> 
> Too slow for my liking but I have often "holiday'ed" in the area. You are not far from the Kruger Park and Blyde River Canyon amongst other fantastic locations.


 I too am moving that way ..working at the Eskom Kusile project. I am also bringing my family. Where would be a good residence?


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## nicolaf (Sep 26, 2010)

Hi there,

Did you make the move to Witbank, how has it being?
My husband has being offered a good post there and again we would be relocating with two children aged 4.5 and 3. I am very concerned about their saftey and schooling, do you have any advice? What is there to do for a stay at home Mum while the kids are in school?


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## Tropical Texan (May 16, 2010)

No, we didn't move. We heard too many horror stories of violence to risk taking our kids there. Hope things go well for you!


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## nyala (Sep 24, 2010)

Tropical Texan said:


> No, we didn't move. We heard too many horror stories of violence to risk taking our kids there. Hope things go well for you!


Where abouts are you in South africa or did you stay in US?


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## Tropical Texan (May 16, 2010)

We are still in the US


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## e7shelbel (Mar 14, 2011)

*Question regarding Eskom*



onealdw said:


> I too am moving that way ..working at the Eskom Kusile project. I am also bringing my family. Where would be a good residence?


Hi there, 

My husband recently has been looking at positions at the Eskom Kusile project. I noticed you submitted this thread a little less than a year ago. Have you moved there? What are your thoughts if you have moved? What are the safety factors, environment, living conditions? 

We have no children, yet...

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

thank you


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## AGON (Mar 15, 2011)

Hi all,

I was born in Witbank, and stayed there until the age of 20.

My parents still stays there and we visit very often.

Yes, the air is NOT clean, anyone with allergies, asthma might suffer a bit. I have asthma and since I moved away it has been better...

It is classified as a City, not a town. So it has ALL the things a City needs. STAY way from any public hospitals, make sure you have a proper medical aid that will cover you for a private hospital.

Most of the areas are nice, stay away from areas close to the Centre of Witbank, unlike other countries, the "Centre of town" - (regadless of which city or town you are in) are not a place where you want to be!!!!
If you need more info, please let me know!

AGON


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## e7shelbel (Mar 14, 2011)

AGON said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I was born in Witbank, and stayed there until the age of 20.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the information. We are looking at renting a home, is the Del Judor or Middelburg area nice to rent in? Is this a fairly safe area? Any other help w/ common customs or courtesies would be wonderful.

Thank you again,


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## AGON (Mar 15, 2011)

e7shelbel said:


> Thank you for the information. We are looking at renting a home, is the Del Judor or Middelburg area nice to rent in? Is this a fairly safe area? Any other help w/ common customs or courtesies would be wonderful.
> 
> Thank you again,




Hi,

Del Judor is a nice area, so is DIE HEUWEL (means "the hill").

Just remembered yesterday, the water and electricity in Witbank is atleast 3/4 times a month off. Sometimes for 2-3 days at a time. So if you do rent make sure that the house has a generator. The water is not drinkable, so you will have to buy water, or make sure that you have a water prurification unit in the house.

We will not move back to witbank, but will consider Middelburg - also a nice little town. But it also has it's draw backs.

Read up about the crime stats, it is a sad reality that SA is riddle with crime, mostly due to the poverty levels, which comes from unemployment.

SA is a beautiful country thou!! But just be open minded about it. 

There is some private schools, if you have kids maybe consider them, as some of the English schools are not THAT good, they are avg.

Good luck in making the decision!


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

AGON said:


> Hi,
> 
> Del Judor is a nice area, so is DIE HEUWEL (means "the hill").
> 
> ...


I am stunned!
apart from sailing on the Witbank Dam I have had no real contact with the town other than bypassing it on the way to Dullstroom for a weekends flyfishing.

The way Witbank was just described could be any town in Zambia,Malawi or the DRC....
I had not realised it had gone that far down.
Thank you.


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2011)

e7shelbel said:


> Hi there,
> 
> My husband recently has been looking at positions at the Eskom Kusile project. I noticed you submitted this thread a little less than a year ago. Have you moved there? What are your thoughts if you have moved? What are the safety factors, environment, living conditions?
> 
> ...


Hi

Is your husband being employed directly by Eskom or by one of their "outsourced" partners? I woork in the immigration industry, and I would suggest asking either Eskom (or the company Eskom has mandated to assist) to provide you with details of other expats whom they have sent on location. That way you can be in direct conact with people who work in SA on site, and thus can provide you more insight than just what lige is like in SA.


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## AGON (Mar 15, 2011)

Joaschim said:


> Hi
> 
> Is your husband being employed directly by Eskom or by one of their "outsourced" partners? I woork in the immigration industry, and I would suggest asking either Eskom (or the company Eskom has mandated to assist) to provide you with details of other expats whom they have sent on location. That way you can be in direct conact with people who work in SA on site, and thus can provide you more insight than just what lige is like in SA.




That is an excellent idea!! You have to know what to expect!


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## Guest (Mar 17, 2011)

AGON said:


> That is an excellent idea!! You have to know what to expect!


Glad I could help  Feel free to let me know if there is anything else.


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## AGON (Mar 15, 2011)

Daxk said:


> I am stunned!
> apart from sailing on the Witbank Dam I have had no real contact with the town other than bypassing it on the way to Dullstroom for a weekends flyfishing.
> 
> The way Witbank was just described could be any town in Zambia,Malawi or the DRC....
> ...


A couple of years ago the water filters broke, the water - when you bath was brown... When we went to visit my parents, I didn't want to bath in that water. Most houses has water purifiers, or you buy water. My parents has a generator and an inverter, for incase the power is off longer than expected...

I, for one will not move back there... Middelburg - maybe!! But they have the same problems with electricity, less often than Witbank.


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## e7shelbel (Mar 14, 2011)

*THank you*

THank you everyone for your advice and help


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