Expat Insights
Get news and useful articles for South Africans worldwide on our blog.
Oldest wine farms in South Africa
What do you know about the South African wine industry? The truth is that most South Africans don't know much about it. When quizzed on it, you might not even know what the oldest wine farm in South Africa is! Don't worry – you'd be forgiven! As you sit around the...
Creamy spinach recipe South Africa
Head down to the local South African steakhouses, and you won't struggle to find plenty of stock of creamy spinach! But that's not the only place you'll find it! As it turns out, Saffas think spinach, especially the creamy kind, should feature in every kind of meal –...
Is tax emigration a requirement for expats to transfer funds from South Africa?
As a South African living abroad, transferring funds from South Africa can be riddled with red-tape and frustration if one is not aware of the nuances of the exchange control regulations. Even though these regulations have been relaxed somewhat, there are many...
SARS Auto-Assessments: South African taxpayers have 40 days from 1 July 2022 to accept or reject so don’t delay!
The latest tax season has seen some major changes from the South African Revenue Service, all aimed at streamlining tax processes and maximising collection. More than 3 million taxpayers have been autoassessed by SARS via eFiling this year, and if they are satisfied...
Liquid funds in SA – options for transfer abroad
Even though exchange control legislation has been relaxed over the last year, it’s important to understand that red tape and administrative hurdles still remain when you transfer money from South Africa, irrespective of whether you are already living abroad or still...
What is a non-tax resident and how to receive this designation
According to South African Revenue Service (SARS), “if an individual is neither ordinarily resident, nor meets the requirements of the physical presence test, that individual will be regarded as a non-resident for tax purposes”. As simple as this definition sounds,...
Cape Malay pickled fish
While pickled fish can't be considered a staple part of South African food, it's still an important part of our culture as South Africans. Many would say that no Easter celebration is complete without it. It is a large part of what makes up our unique heritage....
Five fascinating facts about South Africa’s fynbos
What’s the big deal about fynbos? From a plant perspective, it’s an amazing phenomenon that makes South Africa so unique and biodiverse. The Fynbos Biome is found exclusively in the Cape Floral Kingdom and covers only about 6.7% of South Africa’s land surface (which...
The latest news on South African pension funds in 2022
While the legislative wheels of change turn to allow for early withdrawal of pension funds, National Treasury has requested patience from individuals who are eager to withdraw a portion of their retirement savings, to allow for the necessary public participation and...
Sosaties 3-ways
When we think of a braai, many different things come to mind. Chicken in a sweet marinade, lamb chops cooked to crispy perfection and even braaibroodjies. But honestly, is any braai complete without sosaties? Sosaties can be made with any meat of your choosing,...
South African slang – slang like no other
You braai, you do things now-now, and you like to bask in the glory of the South African sun with a nice cold brewski in your hand – this is what it’s like to truly be a Saffa, but if you tried to explain this to someone else in a foreign country, would they...
The lowdown on South African living annuities in 2022
What happens when you reach the official legislative retirement age of 55? If you’re ready to stop working and you’ve saved enough in a retirement annuity, pension, or provident fund, it’s time to formally retire from your fund. In order to provide an income for the...
Braaibroodjies
Love them or hate them (but we know you love them, don’t worry!), braaibroodjies are an important and delicious part of any South African braai. Whether you prefer a simple cheese broodjie, or a mix of cheese, onion and tomato, the braaibroodjie is one of the most...
Put the kettle on, let’s drink rooibos tea for our health!
Is there anything more South African than a hot pot of freshly-brewed rooibos tea? Not only does it taste like home, but it comes with a host of health and medicinal benefits too. Aside from being caffeine-free, Rooibos is 100% natural with no added preservatives or...
The lowdown on South African provident funds in 2022
While South Africa’s National Treasury is still contemplating updates to our retirement funding regime and following public consultation processes to determine the best way to enable early access to retirement savings, it’s important to know exactly what you can and...