Expat Insights
Get news and useful articles for South Africans worldwide on our blog.
The Mandela Effect
In Cognitive Psychology, the “Mandela Effect” is a phenomenon that affects many of us. And who knew that one Fiona Broome would coin the term relating to our very own South African Mandela?! In 2009, Fiona Broome was attending a conference when she got onto the...
What Do You Need to Know About the Australian Tax Office Before You Relocate?
If you’re relocating to Australia, or considering making such a move, you’re going to want to know what the tax expectations are for you in the land down under. Knowing what you’re in for is a good way to ensure you avoid any nasty tax surprises in the future. Let’s...
Benefits of Formal Emigration from South Africa
If you thought that formal emigration meant leaving South Africa on a jet plane wearing a tuxedo or a ballgown, you’d be sadly mistaken. While there is no formalwear involved in formal emigration, there is a lot of paperwork and many official state organisations to...
Can You Lose Your SA Citizenship After Immigrating?
Picture this…you are mingling at an expat braai and overhear a story about how one of the expats lost their South African citizenship after acquiring their new citizenship in the very country you are now in. Your ears prick, because you didn’t know that was possible....
Traditional South African Pumpkin Fritters Recipe
Today seems like just the day for a good pumpkin fritters recipe! The pumpkin certainly has its place in South African culture. As an expat possibly missing home, you might have spared a thought for traditional “pampoen koekies” every time you caught a whiff of...
Marula Oil: Africa’s Magic Oil
One of SA’s most magical botanicals, the marula fruit tree (Sclerocarya birrea) is native to parts of southern Africa, and while the marula fruit been a significant part of African culture and folklore for centuries, marula oil only recently been discovered by the...
SA Academy Awards Films
If you are living life and working up a storm in a foreign country, thousands of kilometres away from South African shores, you might feel reminiscent of the good old days. While it’s certain that your current days are great and your future is bright, South Africa has...
The Expat’s Guide: to Extracting Your Inheritance Money From South Africa
If you’re a South African living abroad, chances are you’re going to need to deal with your Will at some point - it’s inevitable. You’re going to have to think about how your estate and assets will be dealt with on your passing. In addition to your own estate, there’s...
Guide to immigrating to Ireland from South Africa
Are you getting excited about the prospect of a change of scenery in Ireland? If moving to Ireland from South Africa is something that you plan to do in the near future, having a deeper understanding of the country and the dos and don’ts is quite important....
Sosaties – Kebabs
Sosaties… kebabs… call it what you want – it really doesn’t matter. What matters is that sosaties are delicious and South Africans can’t help but love them. Back home in SA, you’re probably used to calling them “sosaties” whereas any foreign country would probably...
Useful airplane exercises for long flights
If you don’t have effective airplane exercises up your sleeve, you could find yourself in severe discomfort on a long haul flight. Yup…the reality of airplane cramps is pretty unavoidable and most SA expats know all about it! Sitting on a plane for many hours at a...
Cool South African Animal Facts
How many South African animals can you name right now? The list would be rather extensive, wouldn’t it? South Africa is blessed with a plethora of wildlife. In fact, there aren’t many places in the world with such prolific fauna and flora. When most people think of...
Capital Gains Tax: Becoming a Non-Resident by Tax Emigration
Capital Gains Tax. If those three dreaded words send chills down your spine, this post is for you. What is capital gains tax exactly? How will capital gains tax affect you as a South African expat? Does it still affect you even after emigration? If you’ve got...
Where to find South Africans living in Canada
If you are planning on uprooting your life and heading for Canadian shores, you might want to think about where most of the South Africans in Canada are living. There is a stark contrast between life in Canada and life in South Africa, that’s for sure. One of the best...
Ultimate South African Snoek Braai Recipe
Hmm, the smell of smoked or braaid Snoek is undeniably drool-worthy! One of the best things about visiting the Western Cape is the many corner shops selling smoked Snoek and melt-in-your-mouth fresh bread to enjoy. Most people don’t make it home with their takeaway...