Welcome to our Cape Town Living Tips

April 2017

Dear all,

the South African communities stand up together as they unite against corruption, nepotism and social injustice as we all could witness during the last two week’s major protest actions and recent transport strikes.

As the country is struggling with political infighting, a reshuffled cabinet, corruption and financial instability which has now resulted in a downgraded credit rating, South Africans all over the country are voicing their discontent with the president. Jacob Zuma is facing much opposition, now also within his own party, the ANC, and a motion of no-confidence against him is pending in parliament. The constantly growing anger of the South African public with his politics and the recent downgrade of South Africa to sub-investment status by rating agencies Standard & Poor as well as Fitch, has given a dire outlook and business confidence is falling again. South Africa’s downgrade to ‘junk status’ has hurt all South Africans and the poorest of the poor will again suffer the most. However, the sentiment is not only felt in South Africa but also in the neighbouring countries and the wider Southern African region. South Africa, which is seen as the gate to Africa for many investors, might suffer from the consequences as well.

South Africa has still so much to celebrate and be proud of, so we all should keep a positive mindset. The resilience and patience of the South African people teach us that we can overcome adversities peacefully. So the mesmerising landscape and vast array of activities offered in this country will continue to attract numerous tourists and expats due to the favourable exchange rate for foreign income earners and with this support the local economy. The tourism sector is growing along with plenty of work opportunities for skilled, qualified and experienced foreigners in a variety of business sectors. Aside from constantly ranking high in tourism surveys, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg are again listed among the top 100 cities in Mercer’s Quality of Living survey 2017. The housing market has shown continuous growth and Cape Town is still the top performing market in South Africa, as the ‘city is perceived to offer the best service delivery and lifestyle in the country’ (NY Times, 12.4.2017). International events and conferences showcase the best of the country and we trust that South Africa again will rise again from their struggles and become a stronger and more united nation than ever before.

A quick reminder to all: Cape Town has been declared a disaster area in March in order to manage the extremely low water supply more efficiently. The usable water levels at the local dams are now less than 16% and thus strict water restrictions apply. For those who are not aware of these regulations which are in effect since the end of last year, please find more information here.

Cape Town Water Restrictions 2017 explained

Now enjoy our newsletter and have a great time in Cape Town or wherever you are!

Updates and News

Permanent Residence in South Africa?

Many expats wonder if the adventures with the Home Affaires department have finally come to an end, once they have received their permanent residency certificate. Well, life gets easier when you do not have to worry about renewing your temporary visa in time, but you need to make sure to keep to the following deadlines. Read more here.

South African PR rules and deadlines

What's On in Cape Town?

There are many events happening in Cape Town in April and May as you will also see on our ExpatCapeTown event calendar. Visit any of the festivals in the Cape, dance the night away at the Bree Street festival or see the drama ‘My Children, My Africa!’, one of South Africa’s most famous plays by much acclaimed playwright Athol Fugard. On our April calendar you will find also a special page on kids holiday activities and remember that there is another long weekend (and school holiday) at the end of April, the Freedom Day weekend.

Events in April

Events in May

Typical South African terms

What means ‘senzenina’? South Africans used this expression in the recent protest actions. It stems from a powerful anti-apartheid song which asks: ‘What have we done to deserve this’

What means ‘shame’? This term is used widely in South African slang. It is used as reaction showing sympathy or compassion in many situations such as: ‘Shame man, so your daughter is still not feeling well?’ or ‘Shame, this puppy is so cute’

South African Slang Words

Expat Cape Town Insider Tips

Looking for affordable and reliable car rentals in South Africa? If you need some flexibility in your transport options, whether you are looking for longer-term rentals or you need short-term options for emergencies or your visitors, contact Motorent for an offer. This innovative company is run by an expat who cares about happy customers. Motorent offers very reasonable rates for reliable cars to our community, so make sure to contact them to find out more about their best offers for your requirements.

Do you want to show your support for education and science? Then come along to the ‘March for Science’ in Cape Town on Earth Day (April 22). The March for Science is an international movement centred around the celebration of science. As the organisers emphasise, the march is meant as an expression of the beauty of the world around us and a demonstration of the commitment to continue learning about it.

More about the march for science

Spread the love and help a good cause The massive fire that raged through Hout Bay in March, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and left more than 15,000 residents in Imizamo Yethu township homeless. Many families still live in a make shift ‘tent city’ and wait for better temporary housing solutions. Still your help is much needed. A great organisation to support is Thula Thula.

More about Thula Thula

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. Private sales and offers will be placed for free. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Expat Cape Town Directory

Do you need more info on living in Cape Town? Make sure to like our new Expat Cape Town Facebook page and be informed of new events, new expat related businesses and read more great news about the Mother City. On the new Facebook page you will find interviews, reviews and interesting reading to make your stay in Cape Town even more enjoyable. Plus this is another place to post your personal housing and job search ads.

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.

Living in South Africa e-book

What’s coming in the Next Newsletter?

Contact us here

Enjoy your life wherever you are! Best regards,

Regina

w: www.expatcapetown.com t: @expatlivinginsa | #expatcapetown f: Expat Cape Town | LivinginSouthAfrica