I moved from Britain to South Africa – the quality of life is so much better

Telegraph

2 days ago

I first landed in Cape Town back in 2004, at 22 years old, for a one-year study-abroad programme with the University of Edinburgh. I'd never set foot on the African continent before, but I was completely hooked the moment I stepped off the plane. My mind was blown, seeing a buzzing city surrounded by incredible scenery, from Table Mountain to the Atlantic Ocean.
Something about the energy of Cape Town got under my skin. After my study year ended, I headed back to Edinburgh to finish my economics degree, but I knew I'd be returning.
After hundreds of phone calls and messages, a friend I had met in Cape Town and I came up with the idea to start a travel company running gap year adventures in South Africa for UK students. I moved back to Cape Town in 2008, when we ran our first trip. The early days were a blur of school talks and dodgy projectors, but the end result was a series of successful three-month overland journeys across South Africa.
The business evolved into tailor-made travel, starting with friends and word of mouth. Then, in 2014, I co-founded a new travel company, Timbuktu.
South Africa has more than lived up to my expectations. It is an incredible country. You can hike in the Drakensberg mountains, drive across the Karoo desert, sip world-class wine in the Cape Winelands and spot lions in Kruger National Park. Cape Town itself is such a great mix of just about everything – mountains, beaches, restaurants, shopping (so my wife tells me!) and culture.
South Africa has a very entrepreneurial spirit with amazing talent, especially creatively, and it's a great place to build a team. The operating costs in South Africa are relatively low, which is a huge advantage in scaling a business, locally and internationally. The flip side is the bureaucracy! There's a lot of red tape and restrictions around banking and international payments. There are also very strict labour laws, heavily weighted towards employees, which is great in theory, but it can make it tough to move quickly when you're trying to grow.
The cost of living, compared to the UK, is incredible. You can have an amazing lifestyle without the eye-watering prices of London (especially when it comes to renting property and eating out).
In terms of lifestyle, it really couldn't be more different to the UK. Here, my days revolve around the outdoors – surfing before work, hiking at the weekend, and visiting some of the best restaurants and vineyards in the world. Endless blue skies and sunshine help too!
Of course, there are downsides. The social inequality and economic issues are huge. Many people live in poverty and there are high levels of crime in certain areas. Pockets of racial tension still exist too, after the country's apartheid past.
Safety is probably the biggest question mark for most people and, when you look at the bigger picture across the country, it's sadly not unjustified. However, it is very location specific. I have now lived in Cape Town, in various locations, for nearly 20 years and have always felt very safe in most central and coastal suburbs. You definitely learn to be more vigilant, however. You have to be aware that there is a lot of petty crime on the streets, related to the high levels of poverty and unemployment. This means not leaving anything visible in your car, not walking alone at night and avoiding certain areas.
Visas are the less glamorous side of moving to South Africa. My initial visa was relatively straightforward as it was a study visa linked to my course in Cape Town, but it only gave me a year in South Africa. When we started our first travel company – which was based in the UK with an office in Cape Town – I got an Intra-Company Transfer work visa, which allowed me to work in South Africa for up to four years. I then managed to renew that visa for another four years.
When we started Timbuktu, which is based in Cape Town, I got a Critical Skills visa with the help of an immigration lawyer. Finally, after five years and jumping through more hoops than I can count, I got Permanent Residency status, which allows me to live and work in South Africa indefinitely.
Navigating the visa landscape can be overwhelming – and it has become more challenging in recent years, with long wait times and fewer options – but finding a good immigration lawyer is a game changer. Finding one early on is my best advice.
Since I first moved here, Cape Town feels more international. There has been a huge increase in tourists visiting and working remotely due to the lifestyle benefits. There's an influx of new apartment hotels and Airbnbs along the Atlantic coast, where we live. From a business perspective, the number of people starting businesses and investing in the country is higher, which is fantastic to see. There's also been a shift in the social fabric. When I first arrived, racial tension was much more visible, but now I think there's more integration, collaboration, and progress. There's still work to do, but the direction feels hopeful.
My (now) wife and I met in Cape Town 10 years ago. We both love living here and it definitely feels like home, particularly since we bought a house in the coastal neighbourhood of Sea Point two years ago. We are both very free-spirited and don't make long-term plans, but neither of us can imagine life without Cape Town in it.
My advice for anyone moving to South Africa is to say yes to everything (within reason!). Be open, be patient, and embrace the adventure. Things like setting up bank accounts and navigating paperwork can take longer than you'd like, but the rewards and lifestyle far outweigh any of these frustrations.
If you come with an open heart and a flexible mindset, you'll discover a country bursting with natural beauty, creative energy, and a lifestyle that's hard to beat.
How to move to South Africa
Immigration lawyer Nora Dawud, founder of Cape Town-based Black Pen Immigration, breaks down some common visa options for British citizens.
Retired Person's Visa
Requirements: Monthly income of at least ZAR 37,000 (approximately £1,600) from passive sources (e.g. pensions, annuities or investment returns).
Work Visa (e.g. Critical Skills Visa)
Requirements: Qualifications and experience in fields listed on South Africa's critical skills list and an offer from a South African employer.
Financially Independent Permit (Permanent Residency)
Requirements: Proof of net worth of at least ZAR 12 million (approx. £500,000), plus payment of ZAR 120,000 (approx. £5,000) upon approval.
Processing times: Between eight weeks for a work visa and up to two to four years for a financially independent permit, depending on specific circumstances.
Find out more on VFS Global (through which applications are processed) and South African Home Affairs websites.