An Expat’s Guide to South Africa

28 March, 2013 by Leave a Comment
winter in joburg

You’ve looked at the brochures, you’ve dreamed of the sun, the wildlife and the general culture, and now you’re ready to take the plunge and move to South Africa. Giant Leap One of the main things to bear in mind is that you’re moving to not just another culture, but another continent. If you’ve newly arrived from the UK you should give yourself some time to get used to the climate and you should also explore, in advance, how expensive the country is going to be. Current comparison lists show that South Africa is ranked as the 424th most expensive place to live in the world out of a possible 780 places. In general the country can offer many financial benefits, from lower rent and general living costs than you’d                  

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Joburg: A Storm Chaser’s Paradise

22 October, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Johannesburg Thunderstorms

Try to describe a Johannesburg thunderstorm to someone who has never experienced one and you will fail miserably. All the action movies, imagination and stadium rock concerts could not prepare them for our unforgettable summer spectacles. Aside from its socioeconomic and cultural importance, Joburg’s fantastic summer climate and high altitude result in some of the most spectacular thunderstorms in the world. With dramatic rolling storm clouds, an unrivalled pyrotechnic lightning show and thick, driving rain, the best thing to do in a Joburg storm is to sit back and enjoy the experience. The storms are usually dramatic, intense and over in about half an hour, leaving you languishing somewhere between trauma and euphoria. At                  

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Youth Day

15 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment
youth day 2012

Youth Day is a day of national importance in South Africa. It marks the rising up of the youth against the apartheid education system, culminating in a mass protest march on June 16 1976. The bravery of the youth that day was a vital ingredient in the successful movement against apartheid and the effects of their actions are still widely admired. This all took place just a stone’s throw from Jozi, in the township of Soweto. This year, the day is marked by several events, mostly linked to entertainment rather than history. These include the Concert at Mofolo Park, Soweto, and the Uprising Party at Bassline. There are also innovative, social events planned, such as Cheesekids’ for Humanity’s Youth Day March, where                  

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Winter in Joburg

9 April, 2012 by Leave a Comment
winter in joburg

A warm welcome awaits in the City of Cold Winter in Joburg is not particularly enjoyable.  The once green, luscious landscape becomes a dead ashen-brown colour, littered with dirty veld fires.  The air turns dry and harsh, resulting in perenially chapped lips and itchy skin.  The sky appears hazy and unwelcoming in the evenings and the cold is painfully piercing.  With the majority of houses built for the perfect summers, cold air gets in through cracks and thin window panes, up trouser legs and through duvets.  Everywhere you look, people sneeze and splutter, clutching hot water bottles to their bosoms and waiting for that far off magic day when it will all warm up again.  But Joburg is a                  

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The Johannesburg Crime Museum

1 April, 2012 by Leave a Comment
the-johannesburg-crime-museum

  Have the crime of your life Residents of Johannesburg do not deny the city’s infamous crime rate, but live in the understanding that it is a way of life in any urban metropolis.  In some bizarre way, the city’s criminal activities have actually become a central aspect of its international identity and one of the essential ingredients that make Joburg, well, Joburg.  Cape Town has the mountain, Pretoria, the Union Buildings, and Jozi has the money and the crime.  The Johanneburg Crime Museum is an institution that pays tribute to all manner of crime in the city, right from its humble beginnings to the present day.  Inside its double-thick walls, the museum presents everything from                  

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The Legend of the Parktown Prawn

22 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment
parktown prawn

    Getting to know Joburg’s most infamous resident Say the words ‘Parktown Prawn’ in a crowded room and stand well back.  Grown men are reduced to tears, screaming, stampeding and clambering onto tabletops and assuming the foetal position.  Women shriek, faint and throw shoes, lampshades and cutlery in all directions, all the while trying to burrow through the nearest wall with their fingernails.  This is all due to the power of a simple insect. The Parktown Prawn is a giant cricket that grows to about 10cm in length.  Its colloquial name comes from the northern suburb of Parktown, around which the crickets are often found.  Although they do not actively seek out human                  

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The Thing About Joburg….

5 March, 2012 by Leave a Comment
jozi

Johannesburg is a truly unique place.  Try to explain it to anyone who has not visited it and you will fail miserably.  This is mainly because Johannesburg is not your everyday, postcard city that you can put in a jar and take home with you- it is something that needs to be experienced and, perhaps most pressing, takes time to sink in. Devoid of a central, looming natural wonder or a large river or ocean, Johannesburg immediately strikes as a little odd when compared to other large, iconic global cities.  Also, the fact that the city is commercially orientated- it owes its very existence to the gold that lies beneath it- paints a picture that is all work and no play.  This is not true; Johannesburg has a                  

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Johannesburg AKA Jozi or JoBurg

4 August, 2011 by Leave a Comment

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