Are you moving to another country or doing business abroad? Don’t forget to take cultural differences into account. This infographic, courtesy of Cigna Global, will help you prepare for some of the different workplace customs around the world.
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.
Source: Cigna Global. Image source: [1].
If you’ve moved to South Africa with children, which school in South Africa will offer the best education to suit your children’s needs?
Most expats send their children to international school in South Africa (there are four in Johannesburg alone), however, there is also a large number of excellent South African private schools – single sex, co-ed, or boarding – that you should take into consideration (see school listings below). If your company does not cover school fees or only offers a fixed budget for schooling, a private school will be much more affordable than an international one.
Many factors will play a role in your decision. Below is an overview of the main factors you should consider, highlighting some differences between the international and private schools.
Many expats get school fees reimbursed by their companies so this may not be your number one concern, but you still need to find out what is covered (like uniforms, extracurricular courses, bus service etc.). A cost comparison is not included here, as fee structures can be confusing and vary greatly, but in general private schools are substantially cheaper than the international schools, as they do not have to finance expat teachers.
More than anywhere else, this should be your number one concern, to be researched diligently (together with your place to live). Johannesburg traffic is very bad, everywhere, and particularly during rush hour, so a school within walking distance is ideal, followed by one that offers bus service.
If you’re interested in bilingual instruction, the German or French international schools are your best options. All other schools have English instruction, but offer various foreign languages (Zulu and Afrikaans at the private schools, and more mainstream–from an expat perspective–languages at the international schools).
Depending on where you’re coming from, your kids may have a shorter or longer school day than you’re used to. Private schools typically go from 7:30 to 2:00, with optional sports and after-school activities from 2:00 to 4:00, while the international schools typically reflect what’s customary in the respective school’s home country.
The South African school year begins in mid-January and ends in early December, with two 3-or-so-week breaks in April and August and a number of holidays in between. Therefore, the disadvantage of attending a private school is that your kids will likely go back a half a grade because most local schools insist on pairing kids with their age group. The international schools, however, follow the traditional August-June school year (with the exception of British International College), so if losing that half-year is a concern to you, you are better off with an international school. However, that brings another challenge: International schools also follow the home country’s holidays, so your work calendar might not be aligned with your kids’, making travel planning more difficult.
This is the hardest factor to evaluate. You won’t really know how academically sound a school is until your kids have actually gone there. It’s the area where talking to other expats in similar situations is of the most value. It is fair to say, however, that South African private schools lag behind the United States and England academically, particularly in mathematics and early reading. If you think your children are best served by continuing their existing curriculum, and if you have grounds to worry that making up lost instruction upon your return to your home country will be too difficult for them, an international school will offer more security (if you come from a country whose curriculum the international school represents). However, academics are only one part of a school’s performance, and most private schools do an excellent job in the area of life skills, discipline, sports, and providing a balanced education. When researching schools, find out if they participate and how they score in national and international examinations. You can also look at teacher turnover and enrolment trends.
If this is a concern to you, contact the school directly to find out what, specifically, is offered. Private schools tend to be less flexible in general than some of the international schools and might be less accommodating, but it will also depend on your child’s particular circumstances. Search the ISASA website for a listing of special needs schools.
Your kids (and you!) will make new friends no matter what school you choose, but your mix of friends will be different. Count on meeting many more expats at an international school, and more South Africans at a private school. Expat friends are wonderful, because you have so much in common, but they also tend to move more often. Local friends will offer a better glimpse into the soul of your new country. Most likely you will live in an area such as Dainfern or Kyalami with big populations of expats as well as South Africans, allowing you to meet both.
If your children are invested in specific sports and want to continue them in South Africa, it is important that you check what the school offers. Again, traffic in Johannesburg is unpleasant at best, so that even if a sport is available at a club, it may not be convenient for you to drive there several times a week. All schools offer extramural sports. If you’re looking for cricket and rugby, a private school will be perfect, but if you’re looking for basketball, the American school is better. Swimming and tennis tend to be big sports at both international and private schools. Also, check what music offerings are available through the school – some private schools bring in outside tutors to teach instruments during school hours.
Moving to a new country and attending a new school in itself is a huge accomplishment in terms of life skills. No matter which school you choose, your children will learn tremendously from this experience. But there are certain things you can check: does a school have outreach programs? Entrepreneur days? Job shadowing? Elective subjects/extramurals? Is there an integrated approach to learning, versus mere rote learning such as multiple choice tests? What kind of vision does the school have over the next ten years? Do academics, sports, and music seem to be balanced?
One additional note for prospective expats: Make sure you investigate school options early and apply for a space for your child so that you can be placed on a wait list in case availability should be limited. Visit www.isasa.org or www.studysa.co.za for more information on South African education.
Information about numerous international schools can be found at the links below.
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.
Being born into a family of diplomats has both its pros and its cons, says expat Diana Predosanu. On the one hand is a great adventure, even a life of privilege. On the other hand, many families lack the support they need for the ongoing changes of this nomadic lifestyle. Here are some of the lessons Diana learned as a child ‘growing up between worlds’.
Lesson #1. As a child, leaving friends behind was hard, but making new friends was relatively ‘easy’
Leaving friends in my ‘home’ country to accompany my parents on their mission was never easy, but the excitement of taking a flight and moving to a new country usually outshone any doubts or fears.
I was nine years old when we moved to Brazil. I have memories of learning Portuguese at home and slowly becoming integrated at school. Unlike other diplomats’ children, I never joined the international schools, so every move, every country, came with the challenge of learning the local language and making friends with locals. Often, the only ‘different’ child in school was me. But I found the other children were open and friendly and, as I was quite resilient, I made friends easily in Brazil (and later in Colombia).
My basic approach was: learn the language, go to school, make new friends and keep in touch with friends back ‘home’ via letters.
Later I did my university studies in Australia. In this environment – where everyone is ‘new’ and part of a multicultural society – I found my place and was able to enjoy the melting pot of Sydney.
Lesson #2. Going back ‘home’ was more challenging than I ever imagined it would be
Going ‘home’ was hard, arguably harder than arriving in a new place. Leaving everything that had been built in those years and going back to a place that had changed, as a person who had changed too, was never easy. I was expected to belong, but I didn’t… not really, not anymore. The experiences abroad had filled my soul with other smells, colours, tastes. I rekindled childhood friendships, but found it hard, as a teenager, to make new friends at ‘home’.
Lesson #3. A heart in search of a home and yet ‘itchy feet’…
Growing up constantly moving from one country to another made me think that I would like to settle somewhere and build a home. But my reality has turned out to be so different! I continued to study abroad and I accepted jobs in different countries. I realise I feel the need to keep moving, to keep trying new destinations. Every place I go to, I feel that something is missing. My first reaction is to pack my bags and head somewhere else. I keep trying to find that one place that will feel like my home, a mix of the various experiences I’ve had. Time is passing and I am still looking…
Lesson #4. It’s never the same when you visit any of your adopted countries
In my experience, no matter how well we keep in touch with a place, or with people, things change. In 2012, I went back to Australia, hoping to ‘get back’ my life there and with it my friendships and habits. This turned out to be impossible. Although my friends welcomed me back, so much had changed. My friends were now adults, employed, married, with commitments… we were no longer students. I, on the other hand, was employed part-time and no longer had both my friends and my family in one place. Things had evolved and I couldn’t go back to how they had once been.
Lesson #5. Home is everywhere you’ve lived, and nowhere
(See Lesson #3!) I have called every country I have lived in ‘home’. I am proud to have adapted each time, as a chameleon blends in with its environment. But nowhere have I really belonged. In my ‘home’ country, I don’t feel quite at home – after all, I have lived abroad for more than half my life. I don’t speak the same as my local peers and I think differently to young people my age. In my adopted countries, I may have adapted, but I wasn’t born there, so I am not quite one of them either. Home really is everywhere and nowhere.
Author: Vivian Chiona (Expat Nest). Source: [1]. Image source: [1].
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.
Contributions by Mohumi Maswabi.
Botswana, (officially the Republic of Botswana (Setswana: Lefatshe la Botswana), a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, has a landscape defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta, which becomes a lush animal habitat during the seasonal floods.
The massive Central Kalahari Game Reserve, with its fossilized river valleys and undulating grasslands, is home to numerous animals including giraffes, cheetahs, hyenas and wild dogs. The citizens refer to themselves as Batswana (singular: Motswana). Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966.
Since then, it has maintained a strong tradition of stable representative democracy, with a consistent record of uninterrupted democratic elections and the best perceived corruption ranking in Africa for the last four years.
Facts you may not have known about Botswana:
1. When you first meet someone, how do you greet them?
When meeting, a standard greeting in English is: “Hello, how are you?” A typical Botswana greeting involves saying “dumela” and shaking hands.
2. What languages are spoken in your country?
In Botswana the official languages are Setswana and English.
3. Do you use a twelve hour clock, or a twenty-four hour clock?
Both are used, but professionally we use the twenty-four hour clock.
4. What side of the road do people drive on? What do we need to know about driving in Botswana?
Botswanans drive on the left and pass on the right. Traffic in Botswana is not a major issue, but locals are known to take their time on the road.
5. How important is punctuality?
Punctuality is important but it’s not uncommon for locals to practice ‘African time’, being slightly late.
6. Which types of music are popular? Who are some of your most popular musicians?
In Botswana South African music and American pop music are common. DSTV plays a lot of the popular international music.
Botswana has a strong hip hop scene, and has aired a national hip hop radio show, Strictly Hip Hop, to promote the genre. Motswako, a genre of hip hop, originated in Botswana in the 1990s, and is also popular in South Africa.
Folk music is also popular in Botswana. Tswana music is primarily vocal, performed without drums and makes extensive use of string instruments, particularly the guitar. In the absence of drums, a clapping rhythm is used in music with a typical call-and-response vocal style. Culture Spears is a Tswana traditional Music group comprising 5 young artists who sing in the Setswana language: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdegk9V4bwA.
7. Are there any Traditional Dances?
The common dance styles in Botswana include borankana, phathisi, setapa, tsutsube, ndazola, Kalanga hosana, and chesa. Among other things, dance is used for storytelling. The Kuru Dance Festival takes place every two years in August, lasting up to three days.
Dikakapa is a traditional dance group formed in 2006, drawing inspiration from artists such as Seragantswana, Scar,Vee, Gong Master, and Extra Musica. Here is a music video of theirs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBNTay8kkw8.
8. What traditional Festivals are celebrated in your community?
Independence Day, commonly called Boipuso, is a national holiday observed in Botswana on September 30 of every year. The date celebrates Botswana’s Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on September 30, 1966.
Taking place in May, Letlhafula is an annual food festival, held to celebrate the harvest.
Founded in 2004, and taking place in March, Son of the Soil is an annual, themed, cultural festival that involves song, dance, food, and dress.
9. What are your seasons like?
The whole country has hot summers. The rainy season is short. The dry season lasts from April to October in the south and to November in the north. The south of the country is most exposed to cold winds during the winter period.
10. Tell us an interesting fact about your President?
Ian Khama is the eldest son of Botswana’s first president, Botswana-born Sir Seretse and Lady Ruth Khama, who was born in London, U.K. He was born in Chertsey, Surrey during the period in which his father was exiled to the United Kingdom due to the opposition by the colonial government and the emergent apartheid regime in South Africa to his marriage to a white woman.
He is a qualified pilot, and attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, where the British Army trains its officers.
Ian Khama is a member of the Board of Directors of the US-based organization Conservation International, which is also active in Botswana. Its goal is to protect nature as a source of food, fresh water, livelihoods and a stable climate.
11. What are Botswana’s major industries?
Botswana’s economy has been built on a foundation of diamond mining, prudent fiscal policies, international financial and technical assistance, and a cautious foreign policy. Its largest product export is diamonds, at 62% of overall exports, followed by nickel, copper, and gold. Outside the mining industry, Botswana also has a highly successful tourism industry, which accounts for almost 12% of the country’s GDP, and revolves around Botswana’s unique ecosystem, providing tourists with the opportunity to view a wide variety of animals including giraffes, rhino, buffalo, and one of the largest herds of free-ranging elephants in the world.
12. How do people spend their free time?
Many people spend their time socializing, shopping, and travelling around Botswana when they have free time. Excellent holidays can be had at the Chobe National Park, which provides great scenery, and wildlife viewing opportunities. Residents of Gaborone may climb to the top of Kgale Hill for an aerial view of the city, or spend some time at the Botswana Botanical Garden or the local Yacht Club.
13. What do people drink?
Alcohol: beer, spirits, wine. There are various traditionally produced alcoholic drinks. Bojalwa ja Setswana (the beer of Batswana) is brewed from fermented sorghum seeds. Other tribes, like Bakalanga, use lebelebele (millet). A commercially produced and packaged beer, Chibuku, brewed from either maize or sorghum, is a favourite drink particularly in the villages and towns.
Milk is fermented to make madila (sour milk), which is eaten on its own or added to porridge.
A favorite non-alcoholic homemade drink is ginger beer.
14. What is a popular local dish?
Mealie meal and red meat. Popular foods in remote areas include the morama bean, a huge underground tuber, and an edible fungus.
15. What do you pay for? (1 USD = approx. 10 BWP)
A cup of coffee: P23
A Coca Cola: P7
A 2-course meal for 2 people: P250
A loaf of bread: P9
A bottle of milk: P13
16. General Safety?
Botswana is generally a safe country. People should, as a general precaution, be aware of their surroundings, especially when walking around at night. Visitors should take care when walking with handbags and using cell phones while walking around. If possible, walk with someone else, rather than alone.
17. And in conclusion…
Famous (and sometimes infamous…) people from Botswana include:
Ian Khama, the current President. Khama has been the President of Botswana since 2008. After serving as Commander of the Botswana Defence Force, he entered politics and served as Vice-President of Botswana from 1998 to 2008, then succeeded Festus Mogae as President on 1 April 2008. He won a full term in the 2009 election, and was re-elected in October 2014.
Amantle Montsho, a female sprinter who specializes in 400 meter races. She represented her country at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics, reaching the final at the latter edition. She has also competed at the World Championships in Athletics and the IAAF World Indoor Championships, and is the former World Champion over the 400m, winning in a personal best time of 49.56 in Daegu.
Duma Boko, a lawyer and politician, who is currently the leader of the opposition in Botswana, at the helm of the Umbrella for Democratic Change. The UDC has 17 seats in the 63 seat National Assembly. Boko was born in Mahalapye, a rural town in Botswana, and relocated to Gaborone in 1987 for his law studies at University of Botswana, after which he continued to study at Harvard. When the Botswana National Front split in 2000, Boko became the leader of the newly-formed National Democratic Front. He went on to establish the UDC in 2012.
