When moving to Johannesburg, should I look for apartments first or for a job first?
In Joburg, you DEFINITELY need to find your job first.This city is huge. And your job could require serious amounts of time spent travelling.The reason this is a big deal is that we don't have the best public transport system in the world. If you choose to live in a part of the city that's far away from where you work, you're in for a world of pain.If you have a car, there are some parts that take around an hour and-a-half to reach in rush hour. Double that time if you're using public transport.Understand that there are very very very few bicycle lanes. So if you travel by bike, you're going to have to factor traffic into your journey.Buses are usable. But they're thin on the ground. And the routes aren't optimal.Yellow taxis are super expensive. Uber is expensive, but not as expensive as yellow taxis. But time is an issue. They're battling the same traffic as everyone else.Minibus taxis are by far the most pervasive form of public transport. But the system is tricky for newcomers to understand. It works on hand signals. So you stand on a street, and make a specific hand gesture when a minibus taxi screeches past. If they're heading there, they skid to a halt, and you jump in, and pay. If you don't use the right hand gesture, you're kinda screwed. These taxis are great if you don't mind adrenaline and fear and the possibility of being involved in a minor bumper bashing incident. Sometimes the wheels fall off. Literally. (A colleague of mine got to work four hours late, in a neck brace, because the taxi he was in lost a front wheel and overturned.)When you discuss prospective jobs in your interviews, it's always best to ask the person where they'd advise you to live. Joburgers know this city well. And there really are places you shouldn't live if you work in certain other places.
What advice would you give to someone who is moving to Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa?
Where are you coming from?Benoni is a diverse city, featuring more horse stables per square kilometre than anywhere else in the Southern Hemisphere and over ten schools; in some areas there is a concentration of up to 6000 students within a 5 km radius. Ashton International College was founded here in 1998.Over time gold mining has decreased in importance. Today Benoni is focused more on industry and services, rather than mining, and is used as a service hub for eastern Ekurhuleni like Brakpan, Nigel and Springs. Benoni is also the site of the Benoni Heliport, for the use of helicopters.Middle Lake, BenoniVisitors to the town may visit the local museum, the many lakes (Benoni is known as "the City of Lakes"), the Lakeside Shopping Mall (built in the shape of a Mississippi Steamboat on one of the lakes) or Northmead Square (known as the first shopping centre to bring cinemas back to Benoni) located in the Northmead suburb. Near Northmead Square is the Bunny Park, which contains hundreds of rabbits and other small animals and is aimed at entertaining children. Willowmoore Park is a provincial and One Day International Cricket venue. Sibikwa, an internationally recognised and acclaimed community theatre, has been situated in the east of the town since 1989During the 1990s Benoni was the site for the WOMAD Festival (the World of Music, Arts and Dance), an international cultural festival held annually around the world and used to showcase various artists.Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, while Charlene, Princess of Monaco attended school there.Benoni was also the setting for the MTV-inspired movie Crazy Monkey: Straight Outta Benoni, released internationally in 2005.Benoni is currently represented in the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality by the African National Congress (ANC) in the majority, with the liberal-democratic Democratic Alliance being the official local opposition. The City Hall, built in 1937, is a good example of art deco architecture.
What advice would you give to someone who is moving to Johannesburg, South Africa?
I moved back to Johannesburg after being out of the country for 18 years and I love being back. I have chosen to treat it like another adventure (I have lived in the UK, Hong Kong and the UAE) and I make sure I keep my expectations in check. After all, it is Africa and things work differently here.Perhaps I talk from a position of luck, privilege or realism, but my daily experience of Johannesburg (and South Africa) is largely positive. There are issues and many, many challenges, however, here is my brief advice:Have a savvy approach to daily activities and commuting - don’t drive around aimlessly at night (not sure who does that, but you know what I mean). Know where you are going and be vigilant at traffic lights.If you have the choice, pick where you live wisely and ensure you have security around you.Unless you have a ‘secure’ job or some unique skill, South Africa is going to be tricky with its high unemployment rate and Employment Equity laws - you most likely would not get in anyway unless you are a SA citizen or you are sponsored by a company.Approach government departments and the like with patience and realism. Service is generally slow and administratively cumbersome, but I see many people approach these ‘life admin’ chores with such disdain and irritability that it is always going to be a negative experienceThe wealth/poverty divide is huge and obvious and the inequality is evident in everyday dealings. Find your place in the community and do what you can for your community. In South Africa, charity starts at home and we all do what we can to address this in our small way.Enjoy the good parts of it - weather, the South African life style (outdoors, social and engaging) and the South Africans themselves :-)
How cold is it in Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa right now and is it snowing?
I went for a long hike with the Mountain Club of South Africa in a mountain near Johannesburg about a week ago. There were several mountain pools and waterfalls. We swam in each of them, the last time I swam with all my clothes on. When I got back to the car they were dry again.There is a rule in South Africa: Any month without an R in its name means that you might need a jersey and the nights will be long. Children hate months without R in its name!In our part of the world Christmas means swimming outside, sitting under trees and walking around with shorts and slops. Traditional Christmas pudding is ice cream. The days are long and warm. We have over 4,000km of coastline and some of us spend more time in the water than out of it. The sun only goes down at 20:30 in some parts of the country and rise at 04:30 again.Most of us never see snow in our lives, not even in winter. Those of us who hike the high mountains see snow more often than the rest of us. Mostly it is just a thin layer of snow. It is common to walk around without a jersey even in winter during day time.The bad news is that our houses are very poorly insulated with large windows. Double-glazing simply does not exist here. Electricity is expensive and winter evenings can be miserable as it is not much warmer inside our houses than outside. Admittedly, this only last two months most of the time with things warming up in August.August means two very different things: If you are in the North it means veld fires, ugly, dry vegetation and air pollution. In the Cape it is beautiful beyond imagination with millions of flowers, streams everywhere and clear, clear skies.
Moving to South Africa as a white American family?
Short and sweet just in case I happen to be wasting my time responding to a troll: 1. Crime affects everyone - and if you are stupid enough to flash cash around or show off expensive items then you will be more likely to be the victim of crime. That being said, on some level there are criminals who relish in the pain they can cause to white people. 2. Very few Americans here I'm afraid. There are a few areas that are "predominantly" white I guess. Mostly in the more affluent areas. But if you are looking to find somewhere with only whites you'll have a bit of an issue and come away disappointed. 3. Almost everyone speaks English in some form or another. And most of us at least 1 or 2 of the other 10 official languages. 4. I have never seen anyone in Johannesburg walking around on an average day in traditional dress. That is usually reserved for weddings and/or tourist purposes. Everyone has embraced western style of dress. This has been the way for decades. 5. Jhb is a metropolitan area just like NY or London - just not as first worldlike with regards to service delivery etc. Other than that we have tall buildings, electricity, running water etc 6. There are a million and one different stores. Very few of the same stores as in the states but similar nonetheless. 7. The weather is fantastic. Hot in summer between October and March, cooling down to a manageable temperature in winter. Summer is the "rainy" season on the highveld. We very seldom have snow, it gets a little windy during August/September but that doesn't last too long.
What strikes first time visitors as special or unusual when they arrive in Soweto, Gauteng, South Africa?
I trust that this information will help.There are many informal businesses around(mostly foreign owned).Damaged infrastructure in some regions due to riots caused by ‘poor service delivery’.Growing public entertainment areas (pubs, bars and clubs).Unemployed youth.Nyaope (drug) rules and damages young people.Good public transport availability.Our taxis are minibuses and most of the drivers are filled with road rage tendencies, risk with people's lives and don't have the driving documents.Majority of the people lack information or misinformed in many aspects in our society.Everyone is minding their own business.
What are the best aspects of living in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa as a young adult?
Hi there,I do stay in Benoni since 2009 and worked for an engineering company. Benoni has good industrial and good schools. The temperature is quite cool and it’s full of very friendly people. Benoni is a quiet place and full of work opportunities. These are some of the things I picked up.Crime rate is lower and Benoni is a good place to raise kids.
Can someone please give an elaborate answer about the living situations in Johannesburg, South Africa?
Johannesburg is a city where people work hard and play harder. If you said you wanted to move to New York would you base your decision on the Bronx or Long Island. Johannesburg is a huge city with it's good areas and it's bad areas. The good suburbs are first world. Good schools, home security first class medical facilities, golf courses, great eating places and malls. The bad areas are like downtown Baghdad. South African drivers are pretty pathetic. If your teenagers have been on defensive driving courses they will be fine. There are 9500 traffic fatalities a year, mostly pedestrians. We have a lot of unlicensed and unroadworth taxis on the roads that make driving an adventure. The security services in Johannesburg are very advanced. Any home that you are given to live in should have good fencing and a security system. Few africans dislike americans because of apartheid. Most africans have problems with the Iraq war - but that is an abstract dislike. When you are dealing with individuals they will say what they hate about US policy and then ask your advice on getting a green card. Overall the people are very friendly and helpful. I've put in links to some of the Johannesburg schools. The crime rate in South Africa is something like 7 times as high as in the states. We have 22 000 murders a year with a population of 44 million. The US has the same number of murders with a population of 280 million. The police are improving their statistics. The National Geographic team that did an article on Johannesburg a few years ago came from Iraq. The worked mainly in the bad areas and couldn't wait to get back to the safety of Iraq. The climate is great the facilities are wonderful and with the dollar being worth six Rand 50 SA cents your budget will stretch pretty far. Be intelligent and you will have a great time. One small thing is that Johannesburg is multi-lingual. Signs saying "Hou Links" mean keep left. They are not street names.