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

[BaGearA]

Yes sunshine,there are more people in the Johannesburg metropole than the whole of New Zealand.You are a bunch of hobbits living in a proverbial backwater of the world,no wonder you can get it in 4 days

... Did you just read through the last couple of pages to take a dump on someone for A 15 day old post about where they're geologically located?

 

Just wondering

[Kranswurm]

... Did you just read through the last couple of pages to take a dump on someone for A 15 day old post about where they're geologically located?

 

Just wondering

Its called catching up

[BaGearA]

Its called catching up

cool thanks for clarifying

[Kranswurm]

cool thanks for clarifying

I have never liked that expression "taking a dump".It's so uncouth.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Yes sunshine,there are more people in the Johannesburg metropole than the whole of New Zealand.You are a bunch of hobbits living in a proverbial backwater of the world,no wonder you can get it in 4 days

if you don’t like what you read on this thread, rather stay off. You seem very sour.

[davetapson]

Yes sunshine,there are more people in the Johannesburg metropole than the whole of New Zealand.You are a bunch of hobbits living in a proverbial backwater of the world,no wonder you can get it in 4 days

Because population size has everything to do with it? Oh, ok, gotcha. 

[patches]

Yes sunshine,there are more people in the Johannesburg metropole than the whole of New Zealand.You are a bunch of hobbits living in a proverbial backwater of the world,no wonder you can get it in 4 days

 

It's about scalability and proportion isn't it though?!

 

A better comparison would be to compare how many motor vehicle license administration staff per licensed driver.

 

If NZ has a higher ratio (due to the small population or whatever one wants to attribute it to), then it's possibly an issue that requires additional resource on SA's front to improve the outcomes. We all know how the SA government loves job creation so that shouldn't be a hard sell.

 

If NZ has a lower ratio, then it's possibly a question of efficiency.  Whether NZ is more efficient because they have allowed private entities (like AA and other motor vehicle testing centres) to administer the process, or they process itself is less bureaucratic, or the administration staff just offer better customer service. My guess it could be a combination of all 3 as we all know how little the average Department of Transport or Home Affairs employee actually cares about helping people out (a generalisation I know, but those services have a bad rap for a reason).

 

Either way, I acknowledge that larger populations bring additional challenges, but they also provide a proportionally bigger resource pool. Most good practice models should be scalable. 

 

I once asked a seasoned pilot why a return flight from AKL to JHB costs 1.5x what a flight from JHB to AKL return does. He said it was because the pricing was based on the markets and what people were willing to pay.

 

I see the principle of public services in a similar light. It's often based on what people are willing to endure/accept. If the provider can get away with it, then why change.

Edited February 25, 2021 by patches

[NotSoBigBen]

Just an observation, of my family (my brother, both his daughters and their families) and a few mates that have gone to NZ, most of which were pretty keen cyclists here in SA, only 1 has actively kept up his cycling at least to what he did here.

 

Those of you that have moved, have you found something similar? Have any theories why that might be .....

[Wayne Potgieter]

Just an observation, of my family (my brother, both his daughters and their families) and a few mates that have gone to NZ, most of which were pretty keen cyclists here in SA, only 1 has actively kept up his cycling at least to what he did here.

 

Those of you that have moved, have you found something similar? Have any theories why that might be .....

 

In RSA I cycled because it was a good way to stay fit that was relatively safe. There were purpose built bike parks and I was faster than the average crim trying to nab my bike (calculated risk)

 

In NZ, I have access to so much more SAFE activities. Running, walking, hiking, skiing, paddleboarding, surfing, trail running...the list goes on.

 

So i suppose, for me at least, my cycling has taken a back seat to a whole new set of adventures. I still ride occasionally and my son is getting better and we are now hitting some trails together, so its likely to increase again.

[davetapson]

Pretty much the same for me. I cycled because there wasn't much else that I wanted to do that was within reach.

 

Here there is so much to do on your doorstep you have to ration out your time over the things you want to do.

 

And to commit all of your time to one sport is to miss out on all the other stuff. And the problem with cycling, like properly playing golf, is that it is time consuming.

[davetapson]

Pretty much the same for me. I cycled because there wasn't much else that I wanted to do that was within reach.

 

Here there is so much to do on your doorstep you have to ration out your time over the things you want to do.

 

And to commit all of your time to one sport is to miss out on all the other stuff. And the problem with cycling, like properly playing golf, is that it is time consuming.

[DawieO]

Yes sunshine,there are more people in the Johannesburg metropole than the whole of New Zealand.You are a bunch of hobbits living in a proverbial backwater of the world,no wonder you can get it in 4 days

You are absolutely right on all counts. Have a nice day.

[Chris_]

I read the other day that NZ had cut back on people (res and non-res) coming into the country by 95% on average last year, some months were 99% down, this wasn't much of a surprise.

 

I also read they're closing their immigration office in Pretoria.

 

And then... they've been on a 'skilled' migrant hire freeze for 6 months till March. I don't know why hiring agencies and job postings don't explicitly say this. Here I'm living in hope gleefully applying for jobs like a proper knob 

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

I read the other day that NZ had cut back on people (res and non-res) coming into the country by 95% on average last year, some months were 99% down, this wasn't much of a surprise.

 

I also read they're closing their immigration office in Pretoria.

 

And then... they've been on a 'skilled' migrant hire freeze for 6 months till March. I don't know why hiring agencies and job postings don't explicitly say this. Here I'm living in hope gleefully applying for jobs like a proper knob 

 

I think looking at stats from the last year is pointless.

The branch in Pretoria, Manila and China were all closed due to volume of visa applications dropping, which is directly linked to the border closures.

I would look at things very differently given those facts.

Fact is, skilled labour, if not accessible on shore, will always be sought after.

They are definitely cutting back, but for the more "menial" occupations like store managers, plumbers, etc. I say menial with utmost respect to those trades, they are over-subscribed though.

 

It all comes down to your individual skillset and demand at the end of the day.......

This is based off of my personal experience, I am no immigration agent though. Just an employee, with an employer in NZ patiently waiting for me, fighting my case along with an immigration agency also fighting our case. The blanket border policy is what it is, it is why we decided on NZ as a country to pursue. They look after their citizens so no issues, just frustrating from the other side.

Edited February 26, 2021 by Steven Knoetze (sk27)

[Dubber]

Yes sunshine,there are more people in the Johannesburg metropole than the whole of New Zealand.You are a bunch of hobbits living in a proverbial backwater of the world,no wonder you can get it in 4 days

LOL.  Dude, it's actually just how the 1st world works - regardless of how big / populous the country is.

 

Case in point: booked driving exam day before, took learner test hour before exam, passed, processed, took driving test, passed, card arrived in post two days later.  (Temporary card printed on site at the time).

 

USA - population/area of a couple states exceed SA population and area....

Edited February 27, 2021 by Dubber

[Kranswurm]

LOL. Dude, it's actually just how the 1st world works - regardless of how big / populous the country is.

 

Case in point: booked driving exam day before, took learner test hour before exam, passed, processed, took driving test, passed, card arrived in post two days later. (Temporary card printed on site at the time).

 

USA - population/area of a couple states exceed SA population and area....

Ha ha ha...do people still call people dude?

I am surprised you did not receive the license before you applied

Anywhere where you can buy guns without a license cannot be taken seriously.