The Relocated South African | Emigration stories

Wynand Kuhn's move to Chile was never part of a grand plan.
Born and raised in Upington, Wynand was working in the restaurant industry in Durban when his brother-in-law invited him to Chile in 2005 to help set up a South African-themed restaurant.
He arrived knowing almost no Spanish. Then he met the woman who would become his wife — and decided to stay.
More than 20 years later, Wynand lives with his wife and three sons near Santiago and has built an international career in business and renewable energy.
In this episode, Wynand talks about arriving in Chile, learning Spanish without formal classes, building a career from English teacher to senior executive, returning to South Africa in 2011 and eventually making his way back to Chile.
We discuss life in Chile compared with South Africa, safety, healthcare, education, cost of living, food and wine, raising children between two cultures, and why Chile could be an option for South Africans considering a less conventional destination.
Wynand also talks about the Chilean South African Chamber of Commerce, his possible future move to the United States, and whether South Africa could ever be home again.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:15 Growing up in Upington
02:50 How Wynand ended up in Chile
05:56 Meeting his wife
06:24 Learning Spanish without classes
07:25 Returning to South Africa in 2011
08:09 Raising three boys
09:03 The challenges of starting out
10:16 Building a career in Chile
12:41 From supermarket worker to general manager
14:31 Returning to South Africa
16:00 Finding opportunities through Spanish
18:00 Why Chile became home again
23:49 Considering another move
25:16 Chilean residency and citizenship
25:40 The possibility of moving to the USA
26:46 The Chilean South African Chamber of Commerce
28:19 Living outside Santiago
29:19 Safety and crime in Chile
32:27 Healthcare and schooling
33:57 Minimum wages and cost of living
34:46 The cappuccino index
36:12 Chilean food and seafood
37:53 Chilean wine
38:54 Staying connected with family in South Africa
40:32 Could Chile work for South Africans?
42:52 Tax in Chile
44:07 Would Wynand ever return to South Africa?
46:01 His advice to young South Africans
47:20 Final thoughts

CONNECT WITH WYNAND
Wynand Kuhn is active on LinkedIn. You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynand-kuhn/

THE RELOCATED SOUTH AFRICAN
The podcast for navigating emigration from South Africa for a better future.
www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
If Wynand's story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African living abroad.

Tracey Shearer left South Africa in 2003 with an Irish passport, a printer and no real plan beyond seeing what life abroad had to offer.
What followed was a 13-year journey through the UK and Singapore before eventually returning to Cape Town.
Tracey grew up on Johannesburg's East Rand and spent 13 years running a design agency with her sister before deciding it was time to leave. In London, her original entrepreneurial plans didn't work out, and she eventually found her way into maritime recruitment, a career she has now been in for around 20 years.
Singapore became a major part of her life. She ran a recruitment company there for seven years, built an international network and experienced a very different way of living.
Eventually, however, her heart was pulling her back to South Africa.
In this episode, Tracey talks honestly about leaving South Africa, the realities of starting again overseas, the cost of living in London, Singapore's safety and efficiency, healthcare, building an international career, and why she ultimately chose Cape Town.
We also discuss the role of family, the idea that the grass is always greener somewhere else, and how technology has made it possible for Tracey to continue recruiting internationally while living in South Africa.
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SABLE INTERNATIONAL
For over 30 years, Sable International has offered seamless solutions that simplify the complexities of cross-border movement and financial management, so that you can focus on what matters most: building your future beyond borders.
Find out how Sable International can support your journey:
https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy
_______________________________________________________________
TIMESTAMPS
00:01 Introduction
01:15 Growing up in Johannesburg
02:36 Leaving South Africa in 2003
03:44 Arriving in London with a printer
04:17 Trying entrepreneurship in the UK
05:16 Finding maritime recruitment
06:13 Discovering the maritime industry
10:52 The cost of living in London
12:24 Adjusting to life overseas
13:05 Moving from London to Singapore
21:58 Healthcare in London and Singapore
23:27 Why Singapore works so well
29:47 Building a recruitment company in Singapore
30:19 Returning to South Africa
30:52 Working internationally from Cape Town
32:10 Why family pulled her home
32:47 Is the grass really greener?
33:15 Choosing Cape Town
34:00 Building a life back in South Africa

CONNECT WITH THE RELOCATED SOUTH AFRICAN
The Relocated South African is the show for navigating emigration from South Africa for a better future.
www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Listen, subscribe and explore more stories from South Africans around the world.
If Tracey's story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African living abroad.

Connor Jackson was born in Durban, spent much of his childhood in Tanzania, returned to South Africa, and then unexpectedly found himself building a life in Hungary.
At 18, Connor went to Hungary on a Rotary exchange programme. He didn't choose Hungary as his first option, but what began as a one-year adventure became a life-changing experience.
He returned to South Africa after the exchange, started studying at Stellenbosch University, but soon realised that he wanted to return to Hungary. He eventually moved back to Budapest, restarted his degree, learned Hungarian and began building a career there.
In this episode, Connor talks about:
Growing up in Tanzania and living in an expat mining community
Arriving in Hungary with virtually no Hungarian
The challenge of learning one of Europe's most difficult languages
Returning to South Africa and discovering that he had changed
Leaving Stellenbosch and moving back to Budapest
Studying international relations and starting his career in Hungary
Finding community through Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and rugby
What life in Budapest is really like
Safety, public transport and the cost of living
Working for Hungarian companies
The challenges of Hungarian immigration and bureaucracy
Being forced to leave Hungary after a visa problem
How a lawyer helped him return
Why he recently became a Hungarian citizen
Travelling and building a life across Europe
Connor also explains why putting yourself out there is so important when you move abroad, and why joining a sports club or other community can be one of the best ways to make friends and build a new life.
And despite becoming Hungarian, Connor says you never stop being South African.
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SUPPORTED BY SABLE INTERNATIONAL
For over 30 years, Sable International has offered seamless solutions that simplify the complexities of cross-border movement and financial management, so that you can focus on what matters most: building your future beyond borders.
Find out how Sable International can support your journey:
https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy
_______________________________________________________________
TIMESTAMPS
00:11 Welcome from Budapest
01:02 Growing up in Tanzania
03:43 Life in a Tanzanian gold-mining community
07:20 How Connor ended up in Hungary
09:08 Living with Hungarian host families
10:59 Arriving in Hungary with no Hungarian
13:35 Learning the Hungarian language
14:51 Returning to South Africa
16:28 Leaving Stellenbosch for Budapest
18:23 Studying and working in Hungary
19:12 Finding community through martial arts
21:35 Living in Hungary during COVID
23:44 Building a social life in Budapest
24:40 What Connor loves about Budapest
27:52 Cost of living in Hungary
30:50 Working in Budapest
32:42 Hungarian immigration and bureaucracy
35:23 Advice for South Africans considering Hungary
36:55 Becoming a Hungarian citizen
38:25 Travelling around Europe
40:00 Committing to your new life abroad
41:28 Braai, biltong and staying South African

CONNECT WITH THE RELOCATED SOUTH AFRICAN
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If Connor's story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African living abroad.

Andreas Pyper's journey to America began almost by accident. In 1997, he and a group of friends entered the US Green Card Lottery as a joke. His wife Amanda won. A few years later, they packed up their lives in South Africa and moved to California.
What followed was anything but easy.
Andreas arrived in America as an experienced HR manager, but found himself starting again at the bottom. His first job was as an HR filing clerk. He had no US credit history, no professional network and no company waiting to welcome him. His wife also had to start over, completing the requirements to become licensed as a therapist in California.
The first 18 months tested their family and their marriage. They experienced financial pressure, loneliness and uncertainty. Later, they lost their home during the 2008 financial crisis and had to rebuild again.
But Andreas kept going.
Today, 26 years after moving to the United States, he is a Human Resources Director for a large county organisation in California. He shares the practical lessons he learned along the way, from building a US credit history and choosing the right employer to understanding pensions, healthcare and the importance of accepting that you may have to take a few steps backwards before moving forward.
Andreas also has some strong advice for South Africans considering America: build relationships with Americans, don't expect your South African career success to transfer immediately, be prepared to work your way up, and don't underestimate the importance of having a strong marriage and family partnership.
This is an honest conversation about immigration, resilience, humility, career rebuilding, marriage and making a new life work.
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SABLE INTERNATIONAL
For over 30 years, Sable International has offered solutions that simplify the complexities of cross-border movement and financial management, so you can focus on what matters most: building your future beyond borders.
Find out how Sable International can support your journey:
https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy
_______________________________________________________________
TIMESTAMPS
00:17 Welcome and Andreas' life in California
02:32 Growing up in Durban and Cape Town
07:44 His political upbringing
09:13 University and national service
10:31 Working in HR and the Green Card Lottery
11:16 How his wife won the Green Card Lottery
13:16 Discovering California
16:07 His father's life after politics
17:10 How the Green Card process worked
19:19 Leaving family behind
21:02 Starting again in America
24:29 Building a US credit history
28:25 His wife's professional re-licensing
29:30 The difficult first 18 months
35:29 Immigration and marriage
37:25 Losing their home during the financial crisis
42:24 Building their lives again
42:41 The importance of government jobs and pensions
45:10 Healthcare in America
47:02 The biggest mistakes South Africans make
49:25 Advice for anyone considering emigrating
52:45 The one thing he would have done differently

CONNECT WITH THE RELOCATED SOUTH AFRICAN
www.relocatedsouthafrican.com
If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another South African considering life abroad.

James Whelan was born and raised in Johannesburg before moving to London in 1998. Five years later, after meeting his Japanese partner, he moved to Japan for what was supposed to be one year.
More than two decades later, he's still there.
James is now married, has three children, works in recruitment and has permanent residency in Japan. But despite building a successful life in Tokyo, he still feels a powerful connection to South Africa and says that if circumstances allowed it, he would move back home tomorrow.
In this episode, James shares the reality of life in Japan as a South African.
We talk about moving from Johannesburg to London and then Japan, the culture shock of arriving in Japan, living there without fluent Japanese, finding work, Japanese working culture, raising children in Tokyo, safety, healthcare, the cost of living, public transport, Japanese food and what it feels like to remain a foreigner after more than 20 years.
We also explore whether Japan has really become home for James, his connection to South Africa and his thoughts about eventually returning.
_______________________________________________________________
SABLE INTERNATIONAL
For over 30 years, Sable International has offered seamless solutions that simplify the complexities of cross-border movement and financial management, so that you can focus on what matters most: building your future beyond borders.
Find out how Sable International can support your journey:
https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy

_______________________________________________________________
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
00:23 Growing up in Johannesburg
03:05 Moving to London
03:11 From London to Japan
05:00 Learning Japanese
08:43 Culture shock
11:32 Settling into Japan
13:00 Permanent residency
14:46 His children and South Africa
16:23 Working in Japan
18:31 Visas and red tape
20:23 Japanese work culture
24:02 Life in Tokyo
25:43 Safety in Japan
28:14 Food and adapting to Japanese cuisine
31:19 Healthcare
33:03 Cost of living
35:24 Public transport and cars
37:16 Family and leisure
40:14 Is Japan home?
42:52 What James would tell his younger self
45:01 Final thoughts

CONNECT WITH THE RELOCATED SOUTH AFRICAN
The Relocated South African is the show for navigating emigration from South Africa for a better future.
www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Listen, subscribe and explore more stories from South Africans around the world.
If James's story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African living abroad.