South
Africa |
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| City: |
South Africa |
| Country: |
Cape Town |
| Submitter' s Name: |
Regina |
| Nationality: |
Germany |
| Arrival Date: |
August 2005 |
| Date Submitted: |
September 24, 2008 |
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Cape Town is South Africa's multicultural and vibrant
Mother City. The city is home to 3.5 million inhabitants (48% "coloureds",
31% "black", 19% "white"). There are many expat communities in Cape Town,
among the biggest are the English, Germans and French. Cape Town is very
popular due to its picturesque landscape with mile-long white sandy beaches,
the huge Table Mountain and the beautiful winelands nearby. The weather is
mild throughout the year, but there is a constant wind blowing in many
areas.
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The locals are welcoming and friendly. You can enjoy a great
outdoor lifestyle and Cape Town living is great for families, singles and
couples alike. There is a good nightlife scene and also the gay community is
quite strong in Cape Town. The crime rate is the only thing which worries
many expats, but if you take care of your surroundings and stick to certain
rules like not walking on deserted beaches or avoiding certain areas of the
city after dark, and you use a good alarm system, you should not be
confronted by safety problems.
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| Try to get your work permit organized
from overseas, as the local Home Affairs Department seems to be quite
overworked. Otherwise use a reputable immigration consultancy. Expat
children need to have a valid study permit to go to school. It is
recommended to register with your embassy or consulate after arrival, but to
my knowledge, it is not mandatory to register anywhere.
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There is good housing available for expats in many suburbs.
Many houses feature entertainment areas with "braai" (BBQ) facilities and
swimming pools, some even have their own home cinemas. Expats usually sign
one-year contracts. Look out for proper inventories and sign a contract only
if you are sure about the small print too. 3 bed houses from R8,000 up to
R25,000 (near the beach or in a gated estate). Negotiate the rent according
to the standard of the house and definitely check if the alarm system is
working before you sign a contract. |
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Many households employ maids, cleaners or gardeners. Typical
pay for a household helper is around R150 per day. Make sure you have ID
details of your household helper or use a reputable agency.
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| Telkom is the main telephone and internet provider. Beware of
fraudulent practices and change passwords right away when you get your
service installed.
There are 4 free local television channels, but there are satellite services
available through Multichoice/DStv which also provide Sports and Movie
channels, CNN, BBC, SKY as well as Indian and Portuguese bouquets. Deukom
offers German Television channels.
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Afrikaans, English and Xhosa are the main languages spoken
in Cape Town. However, with a knowledge of English, you will have no
problems when communicating as it is either the first or second language
with most inhabitants in Cape Town. |
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| Water is safe to drink. Gas is used for cooking and
heating and the bottles can be delivered to your door. Electricity is
supplied by Eskom. At the beginning of the year we had quite a lot of power
cuts in Cape Town, but recently the system seems to be stabilized. Expect to
pay around R600-R1,000 per month.
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To get a job in Cape Town you have to hold a valid work
permit. To my knowledge, you are not allowed to work if you are an
accompanying spouse. The Career Times (Monday supplement of Cape Times) has
got job ads, but many employers refrain from employing foreigners due to
restrictions favoring Black Economic Empowerment. |
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The local currency is the Rand, currently at 1 Pound
Sterling = 14 Rands. To set up a current account you will need your
passport, proof of address and a work permit. |
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Private healthcare is widely available. There are competent and
friendly staff at the private hospitals, like Netcare and Mediclinic. Expect
to pay R300 for a GP consultation. Be sure to have your immunisations record
up to date. Tetanus, Tuberculosis, Diphteria and Hepatitis are recommended.
I am told that there is no malaria risk in Cape Town. |
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| Private schools offer an excellent standard of schooling. There
are many dual medium schools (Afrikaans and English) and very good English
medium schools too. Many parents get together for lift-clubs, but some of
the prominent schools offer bus transport from the various suburbs.
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You need a valid International Driver's Licence in English
or you need to get an official translation of your National Driver's Licence
by your Embassy. It is recommended that you get your own transport as public
transport is not widely available and reliable.
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In Cape Town there are the big supermarket chains
such as Pick & Pay, Checkers, Spar and Woolworths, which sell many foreign
products like Oreos, Nutella, Tacos, Italian Pasta etc. You can source
almost everything as there are many little delicatessen shops. It seems
though that it is difficult to get clothes for bigger sizes and good
children's leather shoes. |
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Many South Africans are fanatic cricket or rugby
supporters. Soccer is popular too. Watersports like Sailing and Kitesurfing
are very popular. There are Tennis and Hockey clubs, and Fitness Centres
(Virgin Active, Planet Fitness) in many more affluent suburbs. There is even
an ice rink in Cape Town. For entertainment there is an opera house which
stages big international ballets and operas, there are concerts (some in
great wine estate settings or open-air at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden) and
international acts performing in Cape Town's Baxter Theater. Cinema Tickets
are cheap at R25 (not even 2 Pound Sterling)per ticket. |
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A lot of South Africans have (guard) dogs. So vets, even day-care
centres for puppies and grooming parlours :) are to be found in every
suburb. |
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| Get informed and enjoy your stay. Cape Town is a great place for
expats.
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| See too: |
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City Description
Healthcare