Greener grass on the other side
Many South Africans who have the means or the right to citizenship are considering or have already retired overseas. Unfortunately crime, loadshedding and dysfunctional municipalities are a SA reality. However, is the grass really greener on the other side? Well, yes and no. There are subtleties and realities about being a stranger in a strange land that may make you rethink.
The easy answer to this question is yes. On paper, there are places in Europe, the US and South East Asia where the crime rate is very low, society is organised, social services work efficiently and the landscape is beautiful. You go on a two week holiday and you are seduced by how idyllic life seems to be in those wonderful lands.
So much so that you pack and sell up in SA and move to Nirvana. There is a brief honeymoon period where the sights and sounds of this mysterious new land entrances you. Some time later you might notice that the locals aren’t as friendly as the wonderful staff at your hotel had been, that your fellow townsfolk in your quaint village can’t, or refuse to speak English (and why should they) and that the practicalities of life like buying a car or insurance are fraught with obstacles you had never considered.
Possibly one of the greatest obstacles, few South Africans consider before moving, is the loss of “freedom” they will have to deal with. It is not true that South Africans enjoy more freedoms than the citizens of first world countries. No, we live in a dysfunctional state where we can get away with almost anything or at least
So much so that you pack and sell up in SA and move to Nirvana. There is a brief honeymoon period where the sights and sounds of this mysterious new land entrances you. Some time later you might notice that the locals aren’t as friendly as the wonderful staff at your hotel had been, that your fellow townsfolk in your quaint village can’t, or refuse to speak English (and why should they) and that the practicalities of life like buying a car or insurance are fraught with obstacles you had never considered.
Possibly one of the greatest obstacles, few South Africans consider before moving, is the loss of “freedom” they will have to deal with. It is not true that South Africans enjoy more freedoms than the citizens of first world countries. No, we live in a dysfunctional state where we can get away with almost anything or at least
make a plan to get past it. A rude awakening for many South Africans who find themselves in a first world country is the overwhelming feeling of being policed and admonished constantly.
Living on an idyllic tropical island like Mauritius sounds like a dream come true. But is it? The challenges are the same across the globe. Whether you decide to retire in Greece, Portugal, Australia or any other foreign country, the challenges are universal.
Many South African families are now split between two or more countries. Many people close to retirement are considering Mauritius, Portugal and many other countries that offer golden visas and other incentives to entice them to take their hard-earned cash to their shores. So how are these people faring?
Considering the depreciating trend of the rand against all developed countries’ fiat currencies, it stands to reason that to afford a retirement overseas one needs to accumulate substantial wealth, especially where the conversion ratio is greater than 10:1 and where property ownership and rentals are expensive.
It should be pointed out that we must be
Living on an idyllic tropical island like Mauritius sounds like a dream come true. But is it? The challenges are the same across the globe. Whether you decide to retire in Greece, Portugal, Australia or any other foreign country, the challenges are universal.
Many South African families are now split between two or more countries. Many people close to retirement are considering Mauritius, Portugal and many other countries that offer golden visas and other incentives to entice them to take their hard-earned cash to their shores. So how are these people faring?
Considering the depreciating trend of the rand against all developed countries’ fiat currencies, it stands to reason that to afford a retirement overseas one needs to accumulate substantial wealth, especially where the conversion ratio is greater than 10:1 and where property ownership and rentals are expensive.
It should be pointed out that we must be
very careful when we research something like happiness in retirement. Most of the research and data available originates from the United States, where people seem more content and happier in retirement than in SA. The reason for this is that the US, like some other developed countries, provides a social security grant. In basic terms, this is a government-sponsored retirement scheme.
In the US, as a citizen, you have the choice to start receiving income from government from age 60 or you can wait until 65 and receive a higher monthly income. In many cases, this social grant provides a larger part of many individuals’ retirement income. In SA, we are responsible for our own retirement fund accumulation, and as we know, this is a mammoth task and can easily go astray. This in itself places South Africans at a disadvantage and raises stress levels and negative connotations towards retirement.
Many South Africans fear the prospect of financial hardship in retirement, some without reason. South Africans do experience more stress close to and in retirement compared to Americans and Europeans for the mentioned reasons. Take the statistical data found on the web with a pinch of salt. The data is not linked to South African realities, and it most certainly does not mean that the statistical data will apply to you as a South African if you move to another country, including America, because you will not qualify for the social grants applicable to those countries. This means that to lead the same quality of life, you will need more
In the US, as a citizen, you have the choice to start receiving income from government from age 60 or you can wait until 65 and receive a higher monthly income. In many cases, this social grant provides a larger part of many individuals’ retirement income. In SA, we are responsible for our own retirement fund accumulation, and as we know, this is a mammoth task and can easily go astray. This in itself places South Africans at a disadvantage and raises stress levels and negative connotations towards retirement.
Many South Africans fear the prospect of financial hardship in retirement, some without reason. South Africans do experience more stress close to and in retirement compared to Americans and Europeans for the mentioned reasons. Take the statistical data found on the web with a pinch of salt. The data is not linked to South African realities, and it most certainly does not mean that the statistical data will apply to you as a South African if you move to another country, including America, because you will not qualify for the social grants applicable to those countries. This means that to lead the same quality of life, you will need more
capital than those residents who do receive grants. This in itself is a stressor.
Apart from money, loneliness and boredom can make retirement very difficult, even on a tropical island. What are the challenges that one faces in a foreign country? (More than in your own country.)
Community. We are pack animals, and we need to belong. Considering the different cultures and habits of other populations, “belonging” does not come naturally. Very few communities welcome foreigners with open arms. That is why we find ex-South Africans congregate in certain areas of countries like Melbourne and Sydney in Australia and the North of Mauritius.
Language. Although the official language in Mauritius is English, the locals still favour French and Creole. The same applies to Europe where Italian, French, Spanish and German dominate. Many European countries are quite hostile towards English-speaking individuals. You might pride yourself on having a basic knowledge of the language to help you navigate the supermarket or coffee shop but will it help you talking to an unsympathetic call centre agent at the insurance company?
Getting involved. Identifying community projects and getting involved is not as easy as it seems. The language barriers in these areas are even greater. People are happy to accept your money but less so to receive your physical help. This leads to a feeling of being used.
Law & order. Not all countries have the
Apart from money, loneliness and boredom can make retirement very difficult, even on a tropical island. What are the challenges that one faces in a foreign country? (More than in your own country.)
Community. We are pack animals, and we need to belong. Considering the different cultures and habits of other populations, “belonging” does not come naturally. Very few communities welcome foreigners with open arms. That is why we find ex-South Africans congregate in certain areas of countries like Melbourne and Sydney in Australia and the North of Mauritius.
Language. Although the official language in Mauritius is English, the locals still favour French and Creole. The same applies to Europe where Italian, French, Spanish and German dominate. Many European countries are quite hostile towards English-speaking individuals. You might pride yourself on having a basic knowledge of the language to help you navigate the supermarket or coffee shop but will it help you talking to an unsympathetic call centre agent at the insurance company?
Getting involved. Identifying community projects and getting involved is not as easy as it seems. The language barriers in these areas are even greater. People are happy to accept your money but less so to receive your physical help. This leads to a feeling of being used.
Law & order. Not all countries have the
freedom of movement, religion and speech as SA. Many countries abide by religious laws, but not all South Africans are accustomed to these restrictions. South Africans often run into the law in Australia (which is probably the closest to SA) because of smoking, littering, speeding and general conduct. We have all heard South African expats complaining about the nanny state they find themselves in. It is real and terribly frustrating.
Family. The freedom to just hop in your car and take a drive to family or pick up the phone and speak with them without the challenge of different time zones is priceless.
Some of the above factors contribute to the fact that over the past five years, almost 400 000 individuals have returned to South Africa. While there is a growing trend for more and more South Africans to leave SA, and it is understandable why,one should just make sure of where you are going. The grass is not always greener on the other side. With the influx of foreigners and fugitives to various countries,including Europe and the US, their dynamics
Family. The freedom to just hop in your car and take a drive to family or pick up the phone and speak with them without the challenge of different time zones is priceless.
Some of the above factors contribute to the fact that over the past five years, almost 400 000 individuals have returned to South Africa. While there is a growing trend for more and more South Africans to leave SA, and it is understandable why,one should just make sure of where you are going. The grass is not always greener on the other side. With the influx of foreigners and fugitives to various countries,including Europe and the US, their dynamics
namics are changing with more homeless people and rising crime rates. For an increasing amount of South Africans the Western Cape is special and one of the best destinations in the world as far as quality of life, affordability and friendliness are concerned. Perhaps semi-grating to the Western Cape or Southern Cape is a good alternative. Over the past year, almost 150 000 people moved to the Western and Southern Cape from other regions. This is a good indication that South Africans are starting to consider this alternative as opposed to moving across the ocean.
Packing up and moving to foreign shores should not be taken lightly. A good start will be to connect with fellow South Africans who have been in a country you are considering for a while. They often have social or support groups. If they don’t have such groups, maybe that can be your first project to start such a group…There are beautiful, exotic and interesting places to spend your retirement and they should be considered. However, understand that there will be challenges.
Packing up and moving to foreign shores should not be taken lightly. A good start will be to connect with fellow South Africans who have been in a country you are considering for a while. They often have social or support groups. If they don’t have such groups, maybe that can be your first project to start such a group…There are beautiful, exotic and interesting places to spend your retirement and they should be considered. However, understand that there will be challenges.
Before & After
There are two bits of advice, one before and the other after leaving, that all people considering a move overseas should contemplate:
Before leaving permanently, try and spend as much time as possible living as a local dealing with day-to-day issues in your chosen country. Go to the bank or (even worse) telephone an insurance call centre and try and understand how to navigate technical issues in a foreign language. Fortunately some things are a lot easier these days thanks to Google Translate and that many internet browsers are now capable of translating websites into English.
After making the big move give yourself more time than you think to settle in. There’s always more red tape than you imagine. You’ll need to spend time doing the little things like buying kitchen utensils as well as the bigger jobs like opening bank accounts.
Remember that things are often done very differently in other countries. Some things that in SA merely required filling in an online form might involve collecting multiple stamped documents. It can take months, not weeks, to begin to feel like you’re on top of things. Don’t expect to feel truly settled for 6-9 months.