As it turns out, psychology is very much at play when moving to a new country… Psychology tells us that as humans, we have an inbuilt need to belong. It’s not enough for us just to belong to this huge clan of “humans”, we actually want to have individualised belonging, which means we want to identify with specific groups of people in a population of humans. This comes into play quite evidently with emigration. Immigration to Australia from South Africa doesn’t come void of worries and concerns. One of the top concerns that expats worry about, is fitting in to their new community. For this reason, many South African expats place a lot of importance on finding out how many South Africans live in Australia and where these Saffas are actually located. The good news is that there is a thriving and growing community of South Africans in Australia; and they are fondly referred to as “Aussiekaners”. You could soon be an “Aussiekaner” if you have your sights set on Aus.
South African living in Australia
Becoming an Aussiekaner!
Whoa! What’s an “Aussiekaner”? That’s bound to be going through your mind right now, if you have never heard of the word. The word itself sounds a bit like a hybrid, because it is. It’s the term given to Australian South Africans. Sounds complicated, doesn’t it? Well, it’s actually not very complicated at all. The term refers to South Africans living in Australia, who pledge allegiance to Australia, but also still see South Africa as their home. SA will always be on the forefront of their hearts. That’s where their parents were born, where they went to school and where some of their best memories were made. Aussiekaners also spend quite a bit of their time supporting sports teams back home!
Let’s really dig deep into the meaning here. It’s not a surface level thing. It has real meaning to be an Aussiekaner. An Aussiekaner isn’t just someone who looks fondly back on life back in South Africa, but someone who wants to keep their roots firmly intact. They want their kids to learn Afrikaans and keep up to date with the news and political landscape back home. Aussiekaners also have a special place in their hearts for South African farmers.
The South African Population in Australia
You’re probably wondering just how many South Africans live in Australia already and how many make the choice each year to head to different beachy shores. The last recorded statistics, which date back to roughly a year ago, show that there are currently 189,000 South Africans living in Australia. You will find the largest community of South Africans in Sydney, so head that way if you want a Saffa community to fit right in to. The statistics may be a little outdated (dating back to 2011) but they show that there were around 28,700 South Africans in Perth and 20,968 South Africans in Melbourne at the time! These seem to be the top areas for South African expats to head so, if you want to settle in which your tjommies, head for these areas!
The number of South Africans arriving in Australia seems to have been growing in leaps and bounds annually. In the 2016/2017 period, 5,397 South Africans headed for Australian shores. With so many South Africans heading to Australia, you wonder what’s so alluring about the country, don’t you?
Why South Africans Emigrate to Australia:
What makes Australia the place for South African expats? There are a number of reasons really, which we will list briefly below.
- Excellent Health Care: Australia offers free and subsidised healthcare – and also has some of the best hospitals in the world. We all know that South African public healthcare is nothing to write home about.
- High Level of Free Education: Australian schooling is offered free in primary levels and can be subsidised in tertiary levels. The Australian education system is considered high quality. While there is free schooling in some areas in South Africa, the standard of education is not particularly high.
- Good Weather: The weather in Australia is very attractive, especially for South Africans who like sunshine and days on the beach. South African weather may be a bit cooler than Australia!
- Job Availability: Jobs are easier to come by in Australia than they are in South Africa. In fact, while South Africa’s unemployment rate is around 30%, Australia’s is only 7.45%. Skilled expats in Australia don’t typically struggle to find work.
- Strong Economy: The economy is strong in Australia, along with their currency. When you earn Australian dollars, you are earning a decent wage. Unfortunately, the South African rand is extremely weak along with the South African economy.
These are just some of the reasons that Australia is seen as such a worthy place to end up. Each South African family to relocate of course has their own set of personal reasons.
Reasons to Do Business with FinGlobal
When immigrating to Australia from South Africa, you will undoubtedly have your hands full. You probably haven’t even begun to think about how to handle your tax emigration and financial emigration from South Africa. Perhaps you haven’t thought of getting the funds out of your South African retirement annuity too. If that’s the case, now is the time to reach out to a FinGlobal consultant. Not only can we simplify the financial aspect of your emigration from South Africa, but we can also provide you with premier advice and guidance, so that you can make educated decisions along the way. If you would like to chat to a consultant about your emigration financial needs, contact us at FinGlobal. You can give us a call or send us an email today.