To Go Or Not To Go... That Is The Question...

[expat]

Robcraig, Whitby is a very nice spot- do you work in Wellington and commute?
How does the weather compare with Wellington?
Odd we spent some 5 months in NZ and only ever over heard any one speak afrikaans once - in Mission bay- a couple stood forlornly and spoke. We stayed in Parnell - although we traveled fairly exxtensively. We even once drove up to Browns Bay to see if we could hear ( mixinng of the senses!! ) afrikaans but to no avail.
we did however encounter many saffers and in our engagment with Kiwis many referred to saffers they knew.
what is the protocol - to you rush up and say Howzit or do you ignore them.  I found the one saffer where I worked did not go out of her way to welcome me. Maybe I was expecting to much.
Lekker slaap daar anderkant.

[robcraignz]

Hi Schalk, we have tried the Prestons wors and it is okay. There is a saffer or two working for them, who make their wors, so not bad. Still found the Mad Butcher to be best. When I arrived here, I lived in a suburb of Upper Hutt. Only ever found international stuff at Woolworths, but that seems to have been discontinued in December. Also Woolworths is in the process of being closed down nationally - only Countdown will remain. Haven't tried the Countdown wors, and now with your comment ain't never gonna! Found some Freshpak rooibos at Pak 'n Save in December, was great. Know what you mean about the African stomach. We were told what doesn't kill fattens, eet maar. Lord I miss boarding school - NOT.

[robcraignz]

Hi Expat, I assume by you saying good night, you are still in land of 'melek and money'? Whitby is very nice, even better in the new parts down near Pauatahanui. Yes, wife and I commute to and from Wellington daily. I drop her off in Willis Street and my office is on the foreshore in Petone. I do spend most of my working day and week in Porirua, as I look after a community paper in Porirua. The distance from home to Wellington is about the same distance I used to travel in JHB, around 25 kms. We lived in Sydenham and I worked in Kyalami Office Park. There it took me close to an hour each way (quite often much more than that). Here, if the traffic is heavy, maybe 40 minutes. The normal time form home to centre city would be around 20 to 25 minutes. Porirua is normally around a degree or two higher than Wellington. The beauty is that you are out of the city, but not far from anything. Kapiti Coast up the road. We take our dogs for walks at Queen Elizabeth Park (a massive public park with beaches etc) and that is only 20 minutes up the road, driving the coastal road State Highway 1 right alongside the sea. It is beautiful to say the least. Wairarapa (wine estates and farming) is a 45 minute drive away through the Haywards and over the Rimutaka Hill. As far as Saffers go, most seem pretty friendly whether greeted in English or Afrikaans. Some probably just want to get away and forget SA ever existed. I am not adverse to having a bit of a gathering with Saffers, just didn't come here to be a moaner or a "when we", so avoid that like the tstetse fly, or is that the plague? If NZ is kind enough to take us in, my feeling is I will give it my all. My comment has been that it takes 5 years to become a citizen, so each year my springbok jersey (supporters) goes 20% black. After 5 years it will be completely black with a silver fern on it and say Kia Ora Aotearoa. No. seriously, was forced out of Zambia in 1960's, forced out of SA 1990's, would rather give my allegiance and support to the country I live in. But, one will NEVER

[robcraignz]

Oops, seems I wrote a tad too much. To complete ..one will NEVER lose the 'african' in you. Patrick Swayse actually said that when you visit Africa, it is like an energy that seeps up from the earth and grabs you. I believe that is true, once you have known Africa, you will always belong in part to it, and will always want to go back - even for only a visit. But that is another life, it is history now and the chapters are written. Can always go back and read and enjoy. Need to start writing new chapters in a new book now. Kiwis have a splendid saying "Build a bridge and get over it". I try and adopt that with regard the past. Now that the thesis is complete, would you mind marking and ..... Just kidding, sleep safe and enjoy Africa while you still can. 

[SaKiwiBoer]

...Beginning 2009 met Greg Albertyn (really nice coloured gent when I asked him in Afrikaans, what he did for a living, felt a right wally when he told me he is the SA counsular general - lives in the street behind us in Whitby) who said that at that time some 40 000 ex Saffers here - mostly around Auckland....

robcraignz - I think your "esteemed" neighbour is in for a surprise. 40 000 Ex-saffers in NZ??? I don't think so. Maybe they counted like the "boere" at "Sharpville"...    Maybe it sounds better for everybody if they just "loose" one zero in the total. There are much more than 40 000 in the whole of NZ. Cheese and enjoy. SAKB.

[ronaldd]

...Beginning 2009 met Greg Albertyn (really nice coloured gent when I asked him in Afrikaans, what he did for a living, felt a right wally when he told me he is the SA counsular general - lives in the street behind us in Whitby) who said that at that time some 40 000 ex Saffers here - mostly around Auckland....

robcraignz - I think your "esteemed" neighbour is in for a surprise. 40 000 Ex-saffers in NZ??? I don't think so. Maybe they counted like the "boere" at "Sharpville"...    Maybe it sounds better for everybody if they just "loose" one zero in the total. There are much more than 40 000 in the whole of NZ. Cheese and enjoy. SAKB.

how many would you estimate is in NZ

do we could the folks who nationalised years ago,  or do we only count those who are technically still saffers and dont have a new passport yet?

we need anther million saffers please, can someone send in the order?

[expat]

Robcraig - yes I am in sa however not still but in fact back. One of those who armed with PR an LSD trip and hours upon hours of research and reflection called it a day when one evening while lekker homesick I got an unsolicited job offer which I grabbed.
On a prudent level it would have made sense but for us given our age, our jobs and no children we felt why be miserable about what is happening to us versus what might happen.
I  though Wellington beautiful but was most off put by the weather - as I said I though Whitby particularly quaint.
I think joburgers find the beauty in NZ and the water and see stuff intoxicating. It is a little less powerful if you come from CT.
what type of work do you do and how does it compare to SA and Zim?
I am happy for each succesful emigration - sadly so.
well this time I will say goodmorning kiwi's.

[SaKiwiBoer]

how many would you estimate is in NZ

do we could the folks who nationalised years ago,  or do we only count those who are technically still saffers and dont have a new passport yet?

I "count" anybody that were born or stayed in SA and saw themselves as SA'ns at one stage in their life.
I guess there could be in the region of 250 000 plus.

At one stage it was estimated that 5 SA families walked into NZ via ACKL airport per day cowboy style.
Say this happened for + - a year. (I think it was much longer) A family = 3+ people.
365 days X 3 = 1095 people walking in per year, never to return to SA again.
There are 2 more airports and don't tell me they didn't do it there either. CHCH was known at one stage to process WP's in a couple of hours..., and you're legal.
How many came legally on PR and WP per year?? This has been going on since the pre '94 years. Then the post '94 years. Then when Mbeki took over it happened again. It repeated itselve in the beginning of '07 with the story that Mandela died and UHURU were coming. I personnally know of people that got on a plane within a week of this news coming out. It happened again when it became clear Zuma was taking over. Don't tell me there are only 40 000 in NZ. Not if you walk around in small towns and hear the people speak Afrikaans. How many English speaking SA'ns are out there that you don't hear that easily. We've travelled a bit. I've met SA'ns from Kaitaia down to Wellington. Not made it over to the South Island as yet except a weekend in Queenstown in '08.
APUM2cW. Cheers, SAKB.

[Rockhopper]

Agree with SAKB - I would reckon between 250k - 300k Saffers in NZ.  We've been here 6 months and we personally know at least 20 families, which equates to around 50 people (children included).   All of them ex South Africans!

I know for a fact that there are way more families in Wellington.  I have not even met Rob and the rest of the ex-Saffers in Whitby!    So my ruff guesstimate would be that there are at least 40000 Saffers in Wellington alone (if you include all of them since the 80's)!

I have seen pictures of "get-togethers" in Christchurch where there were at least another 50 families.  And we haven't even begun with all you JAFFAs 

So yeah I would estimate at least 250 000...

[SaKiwiBoer]

Agree with Schalk. Forgot about the early 80's. I just think there are a hellofalot of SA'ns in this little country. I think if they admit too how many of us that are here, we might become a threat and they might not want us as a threat. So better to say nothing or recall small numbers. APUM2cW. Cheers, SAKB.

[alwyn]

Easy, just do what the SA police does with crime statistics.

[SaKiwiBoer]

alwyn - Keep it under wraps??? 
Ek verstaan nie mooi nie. Ek word oud en is dalk 'n bietjie stadig... 
Enjoy, SAKB.

[Rockhopper]

...I think if they admit too how many of us that are here, we might become a threat and they might not want us as a threat. So better to say nothing or recall small numbers. APUM2cW. Cheers, SAKB.

My friend, if the number of Asians and Pacific Islanders aren't bothering them, I don't think we will -      This morning on the train I heard more Mandarin than English being spoken!

[SaKiwiBoer]

I have heard some of our Maori friends have been rumbling on about the amount of Asians around and that the figures are getting to much because in future they might claim a bigger "steak" in Parliament....     . We (european looking) on the other hand are just disappearing through the "cracks". APUM2cW. Cheers, SAKB.