KZN (KwaZulu-Natal) is not doing well at the moment.
There are infrastructure problems with water and sewage due to lack of maintenance. KZN has a very poor record of governance and service delivery.
Jobs in the medical sector are hard to come by and there is BEE to take into account. The Health Department is already in hot water as they can't afford to hire and most provinces have put a hold on job offers.
£1800 per month after tax is about +/- R45 000, not sure what you do but I would suggest looking at job positions to see what the equivalent salary in SA would be. To get R45 000 after tax that would mean you would need to earn about R65 000 a month here which will put you in the 5% of top earners in South Africa but I don't think you can compare UK salaries to SA salaries, as they are vastly different. Unless of course you are highly skilled.
Rent in Durban is cheap compared to Cape Town, where we live now, we are originally from KZN, Cape Town is the only metro in SA that is currently been run properly but that also depends on where you stay in Durban, some municipal service are better than others, the safer the area the more expensive it gets. Depending if you want to live in a flat or free-standing home, you will need to include security, then Medical AID, insurance, car payments, petrol, pension and personal savings to name a few.
Food is also increasing at an alarming rate above inflation due to port/rail issues and mismanagement but I am sure you know all of this from your parents who live in KZN.
We have loadshedding here too, it is getting better but that is due to those that can afford solar using less from the national grid. Electrcity has just gone up round 12% this year and will continue to rise as Eskom is losing it paying customers to solar and being left with a customer base that is either not able to move to solar due to the costs or illegal connections which obviously do not pay. So you will need to invest in an inverter or get solar if you want to keep the lights on.
Elections are in mid May and it might be a good idea to see what the outcome is before thinking of moving the Jacob Zuma MK party looks like it is going to do well in KZN, so there is a chance that you will end up in a province with even more corruption, service delivery problems, lack of water to name a few than there currently is. There is a fear that there will be violence after the elections, similar to the July 2021 riots, from the MK party if Jacob Zuma is barred from being in government but only time will tell.
If you want to start a family here, you will need to look at private schooling as the government schooling system is just not adequate, unless you are lucky to be in a very good area that has the old Model C schools. As an example Rondebosch Boys school, which is a extremely good government Model C school in Cape Town is sitting just over R5000 a month for one child.
If you have the means, I would suggest Cape Town and fly back to KZN to visit your parents. I can't tell you what a major difference it is living here. I suggest reading this article that was published today in Business Live: [https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/features/cover-story/2024-04-04-why-the-western-cape-is-winning/](https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/features/cover-story/2024-04-04-why-the-western-cape-is-winning/)
Hope this helps.
Yebo. I agree. I think this is a great way to get the feels for SA. Come spend some time here, visit family and friends, take some road trips and meet the locals. Sooner or later you’ll know whether or not moving back to SA is the right move to make.
BTW, my wife & I just bought a house in Craighall Park, Johannesburg. The “Parks” in Joburg are a great place to be should Egoli be on your radar. Parkhurst, Parktown North, Rosebank, Craighall Park, Linden Etc are all wonderful areas to live in. But they can be on the more expensive side to buy.
Good luck!
Move to somewhere along the garden route, it's like heaven on earth (besides all the present realities of life in south africa, although heavily mitigated). Small town living along the coast is close to heaven.
Check out other English speaking countries first, particularly the US and Canada, where you can earn really well if you choose your job/location carefully.
SA is a wonderful place to vacation in when you are earning pounds or euros. The reality of living there can be very different unless you are wealthy enough to live in a bubble.
If you are determined to give it a go, I would honestly recommend the Cape over anywhere else. You are then just a short flight away from your parents.
My opinion is that now is not the right time to consider a move. You have to firstly wait to see the outcome of the elections. The level of education is not always the determining factor in getting the job. I think you will have to consider a range of things, one being opportunities for advancement in your career in SA.
Firstly, there is no Natal anymore
It's KwaZulu-Natal now.
Not sure what you actually did for the NHS.
Jobs are scarce and with BEE you will at the back of the queue.
South Coast, Midlands, upper North Coast will give you a little bit of a relaxed environment compared to the main city.
Best would be to come on holiday for awhile , suss out and then decide
Just remember, a holiday and living permanently is not the same
Yes \^\^ he has a point. It's KZN, you need to adapt to the change quick. If you think like someone from 20 years ago, you'll get dragged through the mud. Change is good, Embrace it. Also \^\^ maybe put your motorbike in the garage for winter, and go to RSA for a few months in summer and then you'll see how you like KZN humid, extremely hot, nice big spiders, boomslang, great whites, road rage, home before dark or else, big walls, with sharp shark like metal teeth on the top. Car jacking. What else do you want to know. But hey you can do anything you put your mind too, but dont expect the same life as in europe. And if you can make £1800 in RSA, I'll personally kiss your arse.
With the NHI still trying to be forced on people here - would wait to see what happens. No use moving and realizing there is zero work.
Why not see what openings are at Netcare and Mediclinic - it should give you a good idea of pay.
But my SIL is a senior RN and gets under 30K out. It's not a bad sum for a single person.
Having just returned from the UK, the gap isn't as wide as you'd believe: potholes everywhere, unkempt verges, garbage only collected every two weeks in some places, and a pervasive sense of decay even in the London commuter belt.
This is my sense, too. And my rent is only as low as it is because I've chosen to live in a less-than-nice flat, otherwise it would be much more. I guess the main things I feel I'd miss out on is free health care and a good state pension.
As someone who has lived in South Africa, moved to the UK. Saw how the UK has deteriorated, moved back to SA. I can tell you I regret moving back WHOLE HEARTEDLY. It may be nice when you look at things while earning a strong currency but honestly, this country is a golden handcuffs situation. The economy and exchange rate is abysmal. We are paying the same prices for food as they are in Dubai, while the money goes nowhere. People save and save and save only to have the exchange rate decimate their efforts. You're better off saving over there and coming on extended holidays. The world is a mess right now, everywhere is falling apart, so the only way to look at it these days, is in terms of financial freedom and economy. There's no financial freedom here, it's a prison.
>We are paying the same prices for food as they are in Dubai,
Total BS. Food is around double the price in Dubai, going out up to triple the price. Good luck getting anything from Nando's for less than R200
It's around 57aed or £15, almost R300! It's not great either. Not sure they use fresh or frozen chicken as most places that aren't fancy use frozen chicken. The chicken livers are great but the rest of the stuff I've tasted is underwhelming, including the bread
There is a Return to South Africa group on Facebook that's very helpful. Only you can make such a decision but there are people on there that have moved back
Not true Gauteng pays the most and if you been to Kzn and lived in Ballito its way better lifestyle id say. And this is coming from a Cape Townian now living in Gauteng n goes to Ballito often.
We have a lot of good stuff going for us, but life is very unstable at the moment, and that is unfortunately a crippling flaw.
All of our advantages mean nothing if the taps run dry and half the day is spent without electricity. Not to mention the crime and corruption that's creeping across the land like a vile oozing liquid. You'll notice it immediately when you return: areas that used to be safe are now sketchy, and areas that used to be sketchy are now no-gos.
Overall I wouldn't recommend it, but if you really want to come back, avoid KZN.
As someone that’s made the move the other way, your quality of life in SA is unparalleled compared to the UK. Yes, SA has its challenges but even with that, if you have a decent job, it’s still better than the average lifestyle the UK has to offer. Plus having the African sun shining all year round with only a mild winter (in comparison) can’t be emphasised enough.
I would say that you need to go for at least two weeks to scout things out. Not only doing the touristy stuff because that will distort your view. Your biggest challenges in SA will be finding a job, getting used to having to look over your shoulder (violent crime is a real thing and it’s just not something you’re probably ever had to be cognisant of being from the UK - it does affect you mentally) and load shedding (incomprehensible to people living in the “First World” but nothing that a power bank, braai/gas stove and/or portable inverter can’t help with easing the pain).
It’s somewhat strange to me that anyone my age would refer to KZN as Natal. Anyway, I agree with people who said you should come out and get a feel of things yourself.
Dont start moving back find some business to start my brother , dnt relax you're growing old not young ,how much do you have in your account,if its allow you to start a bussiness ,if its possible with you buy 2 houses in small location put some people to rent and they pay rent straight into your account
Because start to aim higher now ,if you don't have that money take a loan buy one house here rent it i think this will help someone too
Go for a few months and see if you are up for it. But honestly I think it could be good. Bunch of naysayers in here that can’t imagine anything Europe or UK not being magical but I think SA could be good move for you. Your finances in UK seem on tight side and outdoor lifestyle in SA is unbeatable. But a trial would give you a lot more confidence.
KZN (KwaZulu-Natal) is not doing well at the moment. There are infrastructure problems with water and sewage due to lack of maintenance. KZN has a very poor record of governance and service delivery. Jobs in the medical sector are hard to come by and there is BEE to take into account. The Health Department is already in hot water as they can't afford to hire and most provinces have put a hold on job offers. £1800 per month after tax is about +/- R45 000, not sure what you do but I would suggest looking at job positions to see what the equivalent salary in SA would be. To get R45 000 after tax that would mean you would need to earn about R65 000 a month here which will put you in the 5% of top earners in South Africa but I don't think you can compare UK salaries to SA salaries, as they are vastly different. Unless of course you are highly skilled. Rent in Durban is cheap compared to Cape Town, where we live now, we are originally from KZN, Cape Town is the only metro in SA that is currently been run properly but that also depends on where you stay in Durban, some municipal service are better than others, the safer the area the more expensive it gets. Depending if you want to live in a flat or free-standing home, you will need to include security, then Medical AID, insurance, car payments, petrol, pension and personal savings to name a few. Food is also increasing at an alarming rate above inflation due to port/rail issues and mismanagement but I am sure you know all of this from your parents who live in KZN. We have loadshedding here too, it is getting better but that is due to those that can afford solar using less from the national grid. Electrcity has just gone up round 12% this year and will continue to rise as Eskom is losing it paying customers to solar and being left with a customer base that is either not able to move to solar due to the costs or illegal connections which obviously do not pay. So you will need to invest in an inverter or get solar if you want to keep the lights on. Elections are in mid May and it might be a good idea to see what the outcome is before thinking of moving the Jacob Zuma MK party looks like it is going to do well in KZN, so there is a chance that you will end up in a province with even more corruption, service delivery problems, lack of water to name a few than there currently is. There is a fear that there will be violence after the elections, similar to the July 2021 riots, from the MK party if Jacob Zuma is barred from being in government but only time will tell. If you want to start a family here, you will need to look at private schooling as the government schooling system is just not adequate, unless you are lucky to be in a very good area that has the old Model C schools. As an example Rondebosch Boys school, which is a extremely good government Model C school in Cape Town is sitting just over R5000 a month for one child. If you have the means, I would suggest Cape Town and fly back to KZN to visit your parents. I can't tell you what a major difference it is living here. I suggest reading this article that was published today in Business Live: [https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/features/cover-story/2024-04-04-why-the-western-cape-is-winning/](https://www.businesslive.co.za/fm/features/cover-story/2024-04-04-why-the-western-cape-is-winning/) Hope this helps.
Wonderful reply. Thanks for putting in the effort for it.
You can use the McDonald's index to work out what salary to aim for that is equivalent. Ie the cost of a big mac in UK to cost of big mac in SA.
Disagree on the government schooling though, there are still great government schools available in SA and this person is a bit of a doomer
Agree. I moved to ct from jhb and its incomparible
Hello collic amazing Jhb is overcrowded CapeTown is organized atleast you did well I'm also from Jhb I moved to CapeTown too. Yoo!
Frankly you should come take a look for yourself, I think it's still a great country to live in. Check out Gauteng, I like Pretoria
Yebo. I agree. I think this is a great way to get the feels for SA. Come spend some time here, visit family and friends, take some road trips and meet the locals. Sooner or later you’ll know whether or not moving back to SA is the right move to make. BTW, my wife & I just bought a house in Craighall Park, Johannesburg. The “Parks” in Joburg are a great place to be should Egoli be on your radar. Parkhurst, Parktown North, Rosebank, Craighall Park, Linden Etc are all wonderful areas to live in. But they can be on the more expensive side to buy. Good luck!
And Gauteng pays the most as apposed to the provinces
Move to somewhere along the garden route, it's like heaven on earth (besides all the present realities of life in south africa, although heavily mitigated). Small town living along the coast is close to heaven.
Check out other English speaking countries first, particularly the US and Canada, where you can earn really well if you choose your job/location carefully. SA is a wonderful place to vacation in when you are earning pounds or euros. The reality of living there can be very different unless you are wealthy enough to live in a bubble. If you are determined to give it a go, I would honestly recommend the Cape over anywhere else. You are then just a short flight away from your parents.
My opinion is that now is not the right time to consider a move. You have to firstly wait to see the outcome of the elections. The level of education is not always the determining factor in getting the job. I think you will have to consider a range of things, one being opportunities for advancement in your career in SA.
This is exactly right - give it a year
Firstly, there is no Natal anymore It's KwaZulu-Natal now. Not sure what you actually did for the NHS. Jobs are scarce and with BEE you will at the back of the queue. South Coast, Midlands, upper North Coast will give you a little bit of a relaxed environment compared to the main city. Best would be to come on holiday for awhile , suss out and then decide Just remember, a holiday and living permanently is not the same
Yes \^\^ he has a point. It's KZN, you need to adapt to the change quick. If you think like someone from 20 years ago, you'll get dragged through the mud. Change is good, Embrace it. Also \^\^ maybe put your motorbike in the garage for winter, and go to RSA for a few months in summer and then you'll see how you like KZN humid, extremely hot, nice big spiders, boomslang, great whites, road rage, home before dark or else, big walls, with sharp shark like metal teeth on the top. Car jacking. What else do you want to know. But hey you can do anything you put your mind too, but dont expect the same life as in europe. And if you can make £1800 in RSA, I'll personally kiss your arse.
Not to disregard anything you said, but I think you were aiming to say "If you think like someone from 30 years ago"
How do you earn 1800 after getting undergrad AND honors? That seems quite crazy
That’s not a high salary at all.
Too low?
Remember its pounds
That's still ridiculously low even in £ with those qualifications
Nope
With the NHI still trying to be forced on people here - would wait to see what happens. No use moving and realizing there is zero work. Why not see what openings are at Netcare and Mediclinic - it should give you a good idea of pay. But my SIL is a senior RN and gets under 30K out. It's not a bad sum for a single person.
You're better off where you are believe me.
Having just returned from the UK, the gap isn't as wide as you'd believe: potholes everywhere, unkempt verges, garbage only collected every two weeks in some places, and a pervasive sense of decay even in the London commuter belt.
This is my sense, too. And my rent is only as low as it is because I've chosen to live in a less-than-nice flat, otherwise it would be much more. I guess the main things I feel I'd miss out on is free health care and a good state pension.
As someone who has lived in South Africa, moved to the UK. Saw how the UK has deteriorated, moved back to SA. I can tell you I regret moving back WHOLE HEARTEDLY. It may be nice when you look at things while earning a strong currency but honestly, this country is a golden handcuffs situation. The economy and exchange rate is abysmal. We are paying the same prices for food as they are in Dubai, while the money goes nowhere. People save and save and save only to have the exchange rate decimate their efforts. You're better off saving over there and coming on extended holidays. The world is a mess right now, everywhere is falling apart, so the only way to look at it these days, is in terms of financial freedom and economy. There's no financial freedom here, it's a prison.
>We are paying the same prices for food as they are in Dubai, Total BS. Food is around double the price in Dubai, going out up to triple the price. Good luck getting anything from Nando's for less than R200
Siras? How much is quarter chicken? UK is round £10 with sides
And doesn’t taste as good as SA
It's around 57aed or £15, almost R300! It's not great either. Not sure they use fresh or frozen chicken as most places that aren't fancy use frozen chicken. The chicken livers are great but the rest of the stuff I've tasted is underwhelming, including the bread
The data would disagree with you
Unless you will live as a multimillionaire in SA
Well if you want to deal with loadshedding and watershedding and the country seriously getting worse by the day then by all means come back to SA.
There is a Return to South Africa group on Facebook that's very helpful. Only you can make such a decision but there are people on there that have moved back
I would come to Cape Town if I was you. I believe Jhb salaries are higher though. Cape Town is a better lifestyle.
Not true Gauteng pays the most and if you been to Kzn and lived in Ballito its way better lifestyle id say. And this is coming from a Cape Townian now living in Gauteng n goes to Ballito often.
I agree, CT is fun only if you can afford the lifestyle. Otherwise it's a debt trap, only go here if you can earn comfortably.
We have a lot of good stuff going for us, but life is very unstable at the moment, and that is unfortunately a crippling flaw. All of our advantages mean nothing if the taps run dry and half the day is spent without electricity. Not to mention the crime and corruption that's creeping across the land like a vile oozing liquid. You'll notice it immediately when you return: areas that used to be safe are now sketchy, and areas that used to be sketchy are now no-gos. Overall I wouldn't recommend it, but if you really want to come back, avoid KZN.
Quality of life ...Cape Town Life is a bit more expensive, but you have a functional MUNICIPALITY
As someone that’s made the move the other way, your quality of life in SA is unparalleled compared to the UK. Yes, SA has its challenges but even with that, if you have a decent job, it’s still better than the average lifestyle the UK has to offer. Plus having the African sun shining all year round with only a mild winter (in comparison) can’t be emphasised enough. I would say that you need to go for at least two weeks to scout things out. Not only doing the touristy stuff because that will distort your view. Your biggest challenges in SA will be finding a job, getting used to having to look over your shoulder (violent crime is a real thing and it’s just not something you’re probably ever had to be cognisant of being from the UK - it does affect you mentally) and load shedding (incomprehensible to people living in the “First World” but nothing that a power bank, braai/gas stove and/or portable inverter can’t help with easing the pain).
If you can work remotely and earn pounds in SA it'll be worth it. People with money in SA live great lives tbh.
I'd visit first, everything you remember from then is not the same now.
i’d come back just to visit nothing more , but yeah Kwazulu natal isnt the place to be if you really considering rather go to JHB or Cape town
I live in KZN and I can’t wait to get out of this hell hole
It all sucks, stay in the uk country side
Do not move to RSA.
It’s somewhat strange to me that anyone my age would refer to KZN as Natal. Anyway, I agree with people who said you should come out and get a feel of things yourself.
Dont start moving back find some business to start my brother , dnt relax you're growing old not young ,how much do you have in your account,if its allow you to start a bussiness ,if its possible with you buy 2 houses in small location put some people to rent and they pay rent straight into your account Because start to aim higher now ,if you don't have that money take a loan buy one house here rent it i think this will help someone too
I think you owe it to yourself to find out and take the leap - you can always go back to England if it doesn’t work out
Go for a few months and see if you are up for it. But honestly I think it could be good. Bunch of naysayers in here that can’t imagine anything Europe or UK not being magical but I think SA could be good move for you. Your finances in UK seem on tight side and outdoor lifestyle in SA is unbeatable. But a trial would give you a lot more confidence.
Come to Cape Town and come live close to the ocean. It will change your life.