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Umhlanga Coastline

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get the timing right

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Immigration: The Right Choice ?

Changing countries is a major decision, not to be taken lightly. Perhaps a ridiculous statement to make, yet it may be worth your while to reflect for a moment before spending vast amounts of money and causing total upheaval in your life. This is not designed to talk you out of it, but purely because there are so many stories about people immigrating (or emigrating) only to return 6 months later because things were not as they had expected.

There is a lot that we take for granted in our every day lives and only really appreciate once it is no longer there. This will in most cases occur no matter where you are coming from or where you are going to, because humans are creatures of habit and change is never comfortable.

For this reason, consider for a moment all the implications of new surroundings, new people and places, new ways of doing things. Relocating to a country on a permanent or semi-permanent basis is very different to visiting on a holiday or Business trip.

Leaving behind people that we care about or are used to may seem easy when you consider that global technology allows for instant communication between most places, but there are limitations. For most people, the cost of long distance calls means that you can no longer just pick up the phone to call someone back home when you think of them. You can't just pop in anymore and nor can they. Neither of you will any longer be available to the other if help is needed for any reason ... even something basic, like running an errand or helping with a chore.

Then there are the other considerations that relate to cultural differences and different local and national infrastructures. For example, if you are coming from a location which has a good public transport system that you are accustomed to using, you are in for a shock. Realise that this is one of the things that you will be trading off against the wonderful climate, great lifestyle and amazing people of South Africa.

You will also suddenly find that you have gone from knowing exactly how everything works, what to do to get things done, who to contact, etc. to feeling as if you are floundering on some of the most basic things. Just a simple thing like knowing what shops sell what goods can take some getting used to, let alone trying to figure out how the local bureaucracy works because you need to get your electricity connected.

All of these things things take time to get used to and your own level of adaptability will dictate to a large extent. One of the great things about South Africa is that we are a friendly, helpful nation and as long as you are not scared to ask ... and keep asking, you will eventually unravel the local mysteries and settle in. - Remember that it takes an average of 2 years to settle in any new location, so be sure that you and those accompanying you on this new adventure are prepared to grit teeth and hang in for at least this long after you arrive.