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ExpatCapeTown Newsletter, September 2017, South Africa traffic law changes September 23, 2017 |
Welcome to our Cape Town Living TipsSeptember 2017
Dear all,
what a lovely warm Spring we had this year. Although we direly need some more rain, the spring flowers colour our landscape. Last weekend, we managed to get out of the city and went on a lovely little day trip up to Port Owen near Veldrift. The wildflowers were painting the fields brightly in all the colour of the rainbow. Although some friends had warned us about the less widespread flower displays, we nevertheless throughly enjoyed our road trip and can highly recommend driving along the R27 to explore the wonderful West Coast and seaside villages.
As the Cape Town fresh water reserves are still very low, please keep on preserving our precious water resources. The dam levels are extremely low compared to the previous years. Level 5 Water restrictions were introduced at the beginning of September, so be aware that now fines are levied on excess water use. Read more here.
Read more about the City of Cape Town Water Restrictions Level 5
September is Heritage Month in South Africa. On Heritage day, 24 September, friends and family usually gather around the braai and enjoy a wonderful meal and cherish each other's friendship and company. We wish you a wonderful day while celebrating the cultural heritage with all our differences and our similarities. Let’s remember the wise words of social rights activist and nobel peace prize winner Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu who once said: ‘Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realise our need of one another.’
Now enjoy our newsletter and have a great time in Cape Town or wherever you are!
Updates and NewsThis is what you will find in this ExpatCapeTown newsletter edition: * All you should know: Traffic law changes 2017 * What's on in Cape Town: September and October events * Typical Slang Words: braai vleis and china * Cape Town Insider Tips: Know where to go when... South Africa Traffic Law Changes: AARTO Bill 2017A new traffic law is on the way to be signed by the South African president. As the Road Traffic Offences Amendment Bill has been passed by the National Assembly on 5 September 2017, the demerit point system will be implemented all over South Africa in due course. Even if this change in the traffic laws might still take some months, you should, nevertheless, be aware of the changes that will be implemented soon. In our article we will introduce you to the anticipated changes in the traffic regulations. Check out our page here.
What's On in Cape Town?
There are many events happening in Cape Town in September and October as you will also see on our ExpatCapeTown event calendar. So make sure to know what’s going on in Cape Town and keep busy while exploring your surroundings and taking part in the many events which are offered at this time of the year. Also remember to check our calendar for school holidays activities as the Cape Town schools will be closed from 30 September until 8 October 2017 for the annual Spring holidays - remember that holiday dates for private schools might vary. Read more here.
Events in September
Expat Cape Town Kids Holiday Activities
What means ‘braai vleis’? This term stems from the Afrikaans words for ‘braai’ (barbecue) and ‘vleis’ (meat). On a typical South African braai you will usually find beef, lamb or chicken and sometimes fish or seafood. And it's always a friendly gesture to not come empty-handed when invited for a braai, some ‘braaivleis’ (ask your host for guidance) or drink (soft drinks and juice always are fine) will always be appreciated.
What means ‘china' in South African English? This South African term does not refer to nationality but is used to refer to a good friend or mate. It most probably originates from the cockney rhyming slang word ‘china plate’ rhyming with ‘mate’ and thus was once introduced in South Africa by immigrants from Britain.
Need to get your drivers licence converted? Make sure to have a recent translation and confirmation of your foreign drivers licence as well as either a traffic register number or ID and original PR certificate, when applying for a conversion letter at the traffic department. Read more here.
Read more about converting your foreign drivers licence
Looking for a break and time out after visiting the Department of Home Affairs in town? Just head to nearby Haas Cafe in 19 Buitenkant Street. We enjoyed a delicious lunch with yummy sandwiches and a really filling bunny chow, great service and lovely atmosphere. Then we were ready again to face the world after a long day's battle in the city.
Looking for a house sitter or petsitter? Check our Facebook page, where we allow our forum members to post personal ads. There are always some people looking for sharing their expertise, offering or looking for jobs, selling their household goods because of the next move etc. And of course let us know if you are keen to get featured on our site's expat interview section where you can tell us all a bit more about yourself and the services you can offer to our community. Looking forward to hearing from you! Read our interview section and enjoy the tips and insights other expats
share.
Do you want place an ad on our new business directory? Due to growing demand to place ads on our forum and on the website, we decided to use our wide expat network and help you promote your local business to the Cape Town expat community directly through our new expat directory. Check out the new directory and contact us for your options and pricing. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Do you need more info on living in Cape Town? Make sure to like our new Expat Cape Town Facebook page and join our ExpatCapeTown forum - a Facebook group. But please no ads in the forum and make sure to read our pinned post:-) Thanks!
Looking for a comprehensive South African expat guide in form of an e-book? If you want to give your foreign friends some more insights on South Africa, showing them why we all love living here, simply order one of our e-books for them. ‘Living in South Africa’ is available in .pdf and .epub form.
Enjoy your life wherever you are!
Best regards,
Regina
w: www.expatcapetown.com
t: @expatlivinginsa | #expatcapetown
f: Expat Cape Town | LivinginSouthAfrica
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