Expat Insights
Get news and useful articles for South Africans worldwide on our blog.
Afrikaners abroad
Calling all Afrikaners abroad! We’d like to know; how often do you speak Afrikaans, and do you still expose your children to the Afrikaans language? Do you have Afrikaans friends living around you, and if not, do any of your foreign friends have any interest in...
What is the complexity of ceasing my tax residency in South Africa?
This is the first tax season that South Africans living and working abroad will be expected to pay tax on their foreign income back home, where they qualify as a resident for tax purposes. This shouldn’t be news to you however, as these tax law changes have been...
Mielietert recipe
If you’re for sweetcorn as much as we are, then you’re bound to have chowed down on a big tray of mielietert in the past! Mietert is a firm favourite in the South African home. It adorns the “sides” table at the weekend braai, features on the Christmas festive spread...
Dual citizenship for South Africans abroad
The term “second passport” seems to be on everyone’s lips these days. If you’re not walking around with a second passport, you’re doing it wrong – at least that’s what the general impression is. Getting a second passport seems to be becoming the norm for the average...
Have you heard? Big changes coming in emigration from South Africa for expats
The concept of “emigration” through the Financial Surveillance Department of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) was phased out effective 1 March 2021 due to tax law changes. While these legislative amendments were intended to encourage South African expats to...
South African chef masterclass
Let’s talk about somewhat of an institution in South Africa: Checkers! Of course, checkers has come a long way over the years. It’s no longer only the go-to for affordable groceries; it’s now the go-to for fine cheese and wine, too – and absolutely everything in...
Top tips for getting your South African inheritance offshore
Death of our loved ones isn’t something we like to think about, especially in the middle of a pandemic. We have to be realists, however, and accept that as South Africans living abroad with family back home there is a chance that we will feature in a loved one’s last...
Canadian immigration requests spike after recent unrest
The recent unrest in July this year saw a spike in immigration requests from local business owners in the KZN and Gauteng areas. South Africa has seen small waves of unrest in the past, but none such as was seen in July this year. The looting and burning of countless...
Gourmet braai recipe (a whole spread)
Hello there, is it time for yet another braai? Whether you live in sunny South Africa or on foreign shores, South Africans never need a reason to fire up the coals. Anytime is the right braai-time in our books! However, if we have the added benefit of a genuine excuse...
Second residency options for people who want out of SA
Are you looking for a safety net as a Saffa, just in case you one day in the future (or even soon) want to get out of the country? What are your second residency options and costs? If the answers to these questions are, “yes” and “I don’t know,” then you are not...
Tax Matters: Top misconceptions about double taxation agreements in South Africa
Before “expat tax” was written into our tax law with the Taxation Law Amendment Act of 2020, Double Taxation Agreements weren’t much of a big deal because South African tax residents living and working abroad could claim exemption from paying tax on foreign income,...
How to make rusks
The Danes call them 'Tvebak', the French call them 'biscotte', but we're sure you'll agree that there's nothing quite like a South African rusk! Other brands exist, but Ouma is to rusks what Colgate is to toothpaste: it's the benchmark and a staple in many South...
FinGlobal client base
The idea of packing up your life and heading overseas might be something you’ve toyed with on occasion. And now, since the advent of the Covid induced economy downward spiral and the recent looting and unrest that seems to have enveloped the country, that idea may be...
Expat Talk: What happens if I don’t emigrate for tax purposes?
If you’re a South African living and working abroad, it’s likely that you’re weighing up your options when it comes to tax emigration after the changes brought into effect by the Taxation Laws Amendment Act in March 2020. According to these changes, South Africans...
South African crayfish
South African crayfish, also called the spiny lobster, rock lobster, or kreef in Afrikaans, are known for their spiny shells and long antennae. Their natural habitat is along the east and west coasts of South Africa, where they can be found hiding under rocky...