Andrew Stegmann
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Survival Tips for the 5 Most Expensive Cities for South African Business Travelers

Taking the average cost for four-star hotel accommodation, meals, drinks, laundry, transport, other essentials as well as general demand, Corporate Traveller has named the five most expensive cities for South African business travelers.

Says Oz Desai, Corporate Traveller South Africa GM: “When we travel for business, our choice of destination has little to do with how expensive it is to visit that city. Rather, we travel to cities where we have business interests even if it costs a great deal to fly there, stay in a hotel and buy a meal.

“The bulk of the daily spend will usually be the cost of a hotel room, but other business expenses like taxis, food and drink and even the cost of Wi-Fi quickly add up when you’re travelling for business.”

Here’s a list of handy rand-savers in five popular South African business haunts.

1. New York

Number one at R10,375 a day.

Accommodation prices in New York are subject to extreme fluctuations depending on the season and whether there’s a large-scale event in town. Plan your business travel so that it takes place at off-peak times. Rule of thumb is that from mid-January to mid-March is a good time to visit New York for business even though it’s winter. Also look for hotels uptown or downtown instead of staying midtown. Public transport is excellent in New York so provided you’ve clustered your meetings smartly you will have no issue getting down to business speedily.

2. Hong Kong

Number one in Asia at R6,065 a day.

Hong Kong is the most expensive location for business travelers, overtaking Tokyo which drops to second in the rankings. If you want to eat cheap in Hong Kong, consider taking a foodie tour after hours where you’ll be introduced to some of the lively local hot spots and indulge in dim sum, noodle soups and barbecued meat. If you don’t have time to go on a foodie tour, take a trip to Hong Kong Island and find Dim Sum Square, or be adventurous and visit one of the night markets which always serves up an array of delectable street food.

3 and 4. Switzerland – Zurich and Geneva

Number one and two in Europe at R9,408 and R8,728 respectively.

An easy way to save money in Geneva is to grab a free transport pass when you arrive at the airport. The pass is good for 80 minutes and covers trains, buses and trams for Zone 10, which is pretty much anywhere in Geneva you’d want to go. Throughout Geneva, there’s free Wi-Fi. Simply look out for a network called “((o)) Ville de Geneve.” Unfortunately, affordable eateries are difficult to find in Geneva but don’t despair. Just hop on the 12 tram to the end of the line and walk across the border to the French town of Gaillard for some great restaurants.

For Zurich, it’s a good idea to purchase a city card, which will offer free public transportation as well as discounts or free admission to local attractions. If you like to eat out, it might be worth considering the Easy Dining app. It costs 95 francs (R1,210) per year but the app claims to cut your bill by half with its discounts at restaurants across the canton.

5. Luanda

Number one in Africa.

As Angola’s largest city, Luanda takes the No. 4 spot on the global list – in part because of security factors. Travelling executives end up staying in pricey tourist areas, rather than more competitively-priced business areas.

Although it’s tempting to explore the upper-end restaurants on Ilha do Cabo, if budget is a concern, rather head to Luanda’s central neighborhoods with their backyard restaurants (quintais) where you’ll be able to eat fantastic local specialties at a fraction of the price.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: Bizcommunity [1]. Image sources: Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash [1].

Andrew Stegmann

Signs of Renewed Expat, Foreigner Interest in SA Housing Market

Due to improved sentiment about South Africa, it would not be surprising to see an increasing demand for SA residential property among foreigners and SA expats, according to John Loos, household and property sector strategist at First National Bank.

This is despite demand levels for SA domestic property from foreigners and SA expats being down significantly compared to 2015 and 2016, according to the FNB Estate Agent Survey for the first quarter of this year.

Estate agents surveyed estimated that 4.3% of total home buying for the two quarters up to and including the first quarter of 2018 was by foreigners.

The survey estimated that the percentage of SA homes being bought by SA expats was 1.51% of homes in the first quarter of 2018, after declining since 2015.

The survey also indicated that the number of buyers from other parts of Africa purchasing residential property in SA has slowed faster than overall foreigner home buying here in recent years. For Loos this could arguably reflect tougher African economic conditions compared to those in more developed countries in recent years.

The estate agents’ estimates about a weakening demand among foreigners and SA expats throughout 2017 reflected “dampened investor sentiment” towards SA in general, according to Loos.

In his view, this was likely caused by the stagnation of SA’s economy over a number of years, uncertainty about the SA government’s future economic policy, and “negative news” about the country such as sovereign rating downgrades to “junk status”.

“However, we have started 2018 with a noticeably more positive mood in South Africa, partly due to the political leadership change in the country following the ruling party’s elective conference in December 2017,” said Loos.

Positivity has also been reflected in a stronger rand and a rise in the RMB-BER Business Confidence Index in the first quarter of 2018.

“We will wait for further quarterly surveys before concluding that foreigner and expat buying levels are picking up meaningfully or not,” said Loos.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: Fin24 [1]. Image sources: [1].

Andrew Stegmann

Cape Refugee Centre To Be Reopened

Home Affairs Director-General Mkuseli Apleni says the department will comply with the 2017 Supreme Court order to reopen the Cape Town Refugee Reception Centre.

Last year, the Supreme Court ordered the department to reopen and maintain the Refugee Reception Centre in Cape Town. In its judgement, the court held that the closure was ‘irrational and unlawful.’

The Cape Town Refugee Reception Centre, which was closed in 2012, was at that time the second busiest Refugee Reception Centre in the country.

Addressing the media in Tshwane on Tuesday, Apleni said the department has begun complying with the court order.

“The Department of Home Affairs has no intention to disregard the judicial directive and we will duly respect the judgment. In this regard, we have commenced with plans to comply with the order,” Apleni said.

Apleni said the department has allocated a budget within the ambits of the current baseline.

“We have prioritised the funding and filing of key posts to get the centre operational. However, the department is dependent on Public Works to provide suitable office accommodation.

“To this end, we have engaged the Department of Public Works which, in turn, has issued a procurement instruction to their regional office in Cape Town,” Apleni said.

He said the Department of Public Works provided a project execution plan on 6 April 2018.

“The department will continue to uphold its constitutional obligation to those in need of protection from any form of persecution,” he said.

The Western Cape High Court had initially favoured the Department of Home Affairs to close the refugee office in Cape Town. The Scaralbini centre appealed the matter at the Supreme Court of Appeals, which ruled in their favour.

The Cape Town Refugee Reception Centre was established in 2000 as one of five Centres in terms of section 8.1 of the Refugees Act.

The Supreme Court of Appeal also instructed the Department of Home Affairs to furnish the court with monthly updates on the progress regarding the re-opening of the RRO.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: Town Press [1]. Image sources: [1].

Andrew Stegmann

Plans to Improve OR Tambo Immigration Services

Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba says he plans to meet with Transport Minister Blade Nzimande over plans for Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) to deal with long queues and other issues at immigration at the OR Tambo International Airport.

Gigaba held a meeting with officials at the airport on Wednesday morning and walked over to the immigration point of entry.

Gigaba has told ACSA and OR Tambo International management that he doesn’t want to be persuaded against launching pilot projects that could improve services at the airport.

“I’m saying all of this as a way of telling you what I want to see happening. I can’t be persuaded against that.”

Gigaba says plans which include technological systems to eliminate long queues at points were supposed to be implemented during the next financial year, but he wants them to go live sooner.

“Initially the delay was on our side, but I would like them to be brought forward so that we can start piloting them and ensure that we provide quality service to our clients.”

These systems include e-visas, which will enable travellers to apply for visas online, and e-gates, which will allow self-service at airports.

 

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, and Remuneration needs, email marketing@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: Masego Rahlaga (EWN) [1]. Image sources: [1].