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New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.


Wayne Potgieter

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Interesting reading, this thread.

 

My ex and my kids move over next week. So I have been following this carefully just to get an handle on how you lot manage and operate. For the most part it all seems good.

 

She will be taking up a position at the University of Otago in Dunedin, and it seems to be a fairly good paying gig and she has done her budget calculations so she knows what she can and can't afford.

I will be looking at NZ as an option in the coming years for sure

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I'm currently contributing to feeding old age pensioners in Zim who "didn't do it all again" and life and African economics happened to them.

 

Given a redo of their choices I suspect they might choose to have done it differently.

 

My folks came down from Zim in 1981 with $1500 to their name (all they were allowed to take) and I doubt they regret their decision...

 

My grandparents are in the same boat.

 

They had it all. Through many years of hard work, and starting with nearly nothing, they got themselves to retirement with all the niceties. Houseboats on the Zambezi, a small farm, chalets near vic falls, beautiful home in Bulawayo.

 

When things started going pear-shaped they thought it was just a minor bump in the road. They took a 6 month holiday to Oz. By the time they came back, hyper-inflation had eaten away at a huge chunk of their savings and pensions. Then over the years they were reduced to next to nothing. Selling all those things they had worked so hard for, just to be able to eat.

 

If they had left Zim for the SA, UK, NZ, Germany or Aus (all 5 of their children left Zim ages ago), they could have lived a pretty comfortable life.

 

I have the same worry for my Mom. She's the 1 of the 5 in South Africa. Widowed. Been a stay-at-home mom most of her life. Things in SA are pretty tough for her.

 

I did however hear that the NZ government will be announcing their plan for parental resident visas at the end of this month. Currently application are closed due to backlog, but hopefully their new plan finds away to better assess and manage applications.

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Interesting reading, this thread.

 

My ex and my kids move over next week. So I have been following this carefully just to get an handle on how you lot manage and operate. For the most part it all seems good.

 

She will be taking up a position at the University of Otago in Dunedin, and it seems to be a fairly good paying gig and she has done her budget calculations so she knows what she can and can't afford.

I will be looking at NZ as an option in the coming years for sure

 

Otago is a beautiful part of the country. I'm not overly familiar with Dunedin, but have traveled in and around the area. There can't be many Saffers that far south.

 

Somewhere in central Otago or McKenzie County (Canterbury) would be my ideal pick for a place to live in NZ. Unfortunately my line of work is harder to come by down there.

 

The other nice thing about it is housing will be way cheaper than what us suckers up here in Auckland have to deal with.

 

Good on her for budgeting properly. I was pretty naive when I moved over. I did a few sums and when I converted the offered salary I thought "holy crap, that's amazing". I then realized that I was hired as somewhat of a cheap labourer, hahaha  :ph34r: :lol:

 

Speaking of which, the government also plans to increase the minimum salary for Accredited Employer Visas  from $55 000pa to $70-something.

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My grandparents are in the same boat.

 

They had it all. Through many years of hard work, and starting with nearly nothing, they got themselves to retirement with all the niceties. Houseboats on the Zambezi, a small farm, chalets near vic falls, beautiful home in Bulawayo.

 

When things started going pear-shaped they thought it was just a minor bump in the road. They took a 6 month holiday to Oz. By the time they came back, hyper-inflation had eaten away at a huge chunk of their savings and pensions. Then over the years they were reduced to next to nothing. Selling all those things they had worked so hard for, just to be able to eat.

 

If they had left Zim for the SA, UK, NZ, Germany or Aus (all 5 of their children left Zim ages ago), they could have lived a pretty comfortable life.

 

I have the same worry for my Mom. She's the 1 of the 5 in South Africa. Widowed. Been a stay-at-home mom most of her life. Things in SA are pretty tough for her.

 

I did however hear that the NZ government will be announcing their plan for parental resident visas at the end of this month. Currently application are closed due to backlog, but hopefully their new plan finds away to better assess and manage applications.

I'd like to be able to get my parents out here (x2 - divorced [emoji19] ).

 

Got to get myself sorted out first tho.

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All the paper work is already in place and I was approved by ACS for ICT Support but thats not on the long term skill list in OZ so we are trying New Zealand. I would like to have a job offer before going over. The misses will look after the kids the first couple of months while I work.

Hi Zatec!

 

I did not know you were also looking at moving? I am contemplating as well. The major drawback at this stage is my two girls aged 4 and 5 months that would not see their grandparents etc often anymore.

 

I would however move for their future... The fact that last night we had our second burglary in secunda within a year Does not sit well with me. They stole my road and mtb and luckily with the help of neighborhood watch and security we were able to recover the bicycles. I just keep thinking what if they entered the house? Will they come back? Fckrs.

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Posted on another forum too, hopefully more

 

 

Can any one recommend a agency that is legitimate? As well as give solid and constructive advise on the below?

 

I am interested in the ICT or finance field , as a Business Analyst with 12 years proven BA experience at one of the big 4 here in SA. Of those the last 7 as senior.

 

The main problem is i have no degree or diploma. Various courses and some certifications. I am 11 subjects into my 30 subject diploma. However if at all possible i would not want to wait the 2 to 4 years needed to complete before making the move.

 

Investment / starting out wise, the way the rand and tax is going I estimate that i wont be able to leave with more that 1 to 1.5 bar.

 

My main reason for this move will be my 2 daughters future opportunities. This obviously means it will be me, my wife and the 2 of them moving. We are both 38, kids both still pre school 5 and 3 . Both can understand and communicate in english.

 

Wife will most probably not work or do half day.

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So I will start to get paperwork in order like qualifications, birth certificates etc.

 

How hard is the day to day transition to NZ? How is the support structure that side for parents with small children? Are the locals/fellow safas acommodating to foreigners and willing to make new friends? How easy is it to buld up a support system there?

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So I will start to get paperwork in order like qualifications, birth certificates etc.

 

How hard is the day to day transition to NZ? How is the support structure that side for parents with small children? Are the locals/fellow safas acommodating to foreigners and willing to make new friends? How easy is it to buld up a support system there?

This thread will probably answer all your questions and more.Go to the beginning and read

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This thread will probably answer all your questions and more.Go to the beginning and read

Thanks will do

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Hi Zatec!

 

I did not know you were also looking at moving? I am contemplating as well. The major drawback at this stage is my two girls aged 4 and 5 months that would not see their grandparents etc often anymore.

 

I would however move for their future... The fact that last night we had our second burglary in secunda within a year Does not sit well with me. They stole my road and mtb and luckily with the help of neighborhood watch and security we were able to recover the bicycles. I just keep thinking what if they entered the house? Will they come back? Fckrs.

 

I'm glad they only jacked your bikes. That's really not cool. I'm not sure how I would carry on living here, or anywhere really if (I don't even want to write the words down) had to happen to my family.

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Hi Zatec!

 

I did not know you were also looking at moving? I am contemplating as well. The major drawback at this stage is my two girls aged 4 and 5 months that would not see their grandparents etc often anymore.

 

I would however move for their future... The fact that last night we had our second burglary in secunda within a year Does not sit well with me. They stole my road and mtb and luckily with the help of neighborhood watch and security we were able to recover the bicycles. I just keep thinking what if they entered the house? Will they come back? Fckrs.

Small world. I heard about the bikes. Luckily there is technology that can help. My brother moved to Ausyralia about 10 years ago so we got used to the time zone and skype thing. I have friends in NZ as well and all of them would do it again in a heart beat. Small price to pay according to me
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So I will start to get paperwork in order like qualifications, birth certificates etc.

 

How hard is the day to day transition to NZ? How is the support structure that side for parents with small children? Are the locals/fellow safas acommodating to foreigners and willing to make new friends? How easy is it to buld up a support system there?

try looking here as well

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/SouthAfricansLivingwantingtoliveinNZ/?fref=nf

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So I will start to get paperwork in order like qualifications, birth certificates etc.

 

How hard is the day to day transition to NZ? How is the support structure that side for parents with small children? Are the locals/fellow safas acommodating to foreigners and willing to make new friends? How easy is it to buld up a support system there?

I think everyone responds/reacts differently. I am one of those who went and came back. Support structure was one of our issues.

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I think everyone responds/reacts differently. I am one of those who went and came back. Support structure was one of our issues.

Would you mind to elaborate more on the reasons for returning to SA and how it is like to be back?

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