Andrew Stegmann

Healthy Goodbyes for Healthy Starts – Expat Nest Article

“Goodbye…” It’s such a powerful and emotive word, isn’t it? And, as we will see, it’s more than just a word to signify a parting; it’s a way to complete a cycle. By saying healthy goodbyes we bring a sense of closure and ready ourselves for the new chapter in our lives. Here’s how we can do this, and why we should…

We are all familiar with farewells – expats especially so. Whether we’re the one leaving or the one who stays behind, we will always feel the sadness of a parting. Change, however, is the only constant. We will have many opportunities to say goodbye in our lives, and not just because we are expats. Saying goodbye is therefore a skill to practise and an emotional process to go through<

Saying goodbye sucks
This is especially true for expats, who have to say goodbye more than most! A common reaction to an upcoming goodbye is to become detached. Many expats will keep their distance from loved ones, whether friends, colleagues or family, before a relocation. We may shut off and try to avoid the goodbyes entirely.

A very good friend of mine, who I’d spent time with almost daily, did this as he was due to leave the Netherlands. He gave me a quick hug, and left. This wasn’t the goodbye I wanted and it left an uneasy sadness (perhaps for him too).

Why is goodbye so important?
Though we may avoid proper closure or not know how to handle it,going through the sadness of an ending is normal and healthy. “Goodbye” represents that closure and helps with a smoother transition.Closing the cycle gives you a strong foundation as you begin again.

A healthy goodbye also helps you to savour the good parts of your experience; it holds these as treasures from your previous chapter and into your new one. (These treasures can never be taken away from you.) This can give you strength; it can give you love. It can give you the power to continue when the transition is difficult.

Healthy goodbyes beyond the expat experience
They’re valuable in every meaningful relationship we have. For example, you may know your relationship is ending, but find yourself struggling to let go. This is tough, we know, but it’s better to find the strength to say goodbye, sooner rather than later, and to bring in that end. Why? Because your time is precious; it is a non-renewable resource. And you can only start over when it’s over.

If this sounds too painful, it can help to think of your emotions as the seasons: after winter, comes spring, comes summer, comes autumn…. How long you want to remain in winter is up to you to a great extent. What can you do to bring spring, without forcing it? You can take your time in the “winter” months – to reflect, to learn – and then you can say goodbye to winter and begin to lean into spring.

What else do we need for a healthy start?
We’ve discussed the pain – and importance – of goodbyes, but it also helps to look forward. Ask yourself:

  • “What else do I need for a healthy start?”
  • “What is important to me?”
  • “What matters the most to enable as peaceful a transition as possible?”

These transitional phases are difficult sometimes, but they can also be very exciting! There is the pain, yes, for something precious that is gone; there also is the beauty. But isn’t life a little bitter-sweet?

The original article can be read here – www.expatnest.com

Andrew Stegmann

Immigration – Focus on the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Located on the Congo River, Kinshasa is the Capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to over 80 million people, who inhabit a land considered to be one of the richest in terms of natural resources, including, but not limited to, raw minerals such as gold, copper, cobalt, and diamonds, in the world.

As such, many multi-nationals in these sectors are keen to create a presence in this mineral-rich nation and, as such, are required to send expatiate employees to this location as part of their skills-development agenda or as part of start-up operations.

The framework for legalising the stay of expatiate employees in the DRC is rather basic and local authorities wield much power in decision-making processes. There are two kinds of work permits that can be granted: Visa d’établissement de travail or “Vet”, which is a general work permit(the “General Work Permit” VET) and the Visa d’établissement de travail – catégorie spécifique or “VETS” whish is a skills-specific work permit.

All applications must be submitted in the DRC therefore it is imperative that you enlist the assistance of Relocation Africa in aiding you in this process.

If you have need of assistance in the DRC, please contact immigration@relocationafrica.com

Andrew Stegmann

Immigration changes in Africa: Morocco and Zambia

MOROCCO | Online Work Permit Submission Now Mandatory

Effective June 1, companies sponsoring foreign national employees for work permits are required to submit applications and track their progress using the Ministry of Labor and Professional Integration’s (MOL) Taechir online portal. Furthermore, the MOL has announced that it will no longer accept submission of manual work permit applications. Companies that have not used the online process in the past should register on the Taechir site immediately to obtain log-in credentials to avoid delay in submitting future applications.

This final MOL announcement making the electronic process mandatory brings no change in application requirements. The initial application submission is completed online and notification of adjudication or requests for additional documents are sent through email. However, subsequent paper submission of signed original forms and documents to the Department of Employment is still required.

The Moroccan online application system has been available now for over a year, and Pro-Link GLOBAL has already been successfully filing work permit applications through the platform. With these applications, we have already seen a significant improvement in processing times with most applications being adjudicated within two to three weeks.

ZAMBIA | New Stricter Employment Permit Guidelines Issued

Effective May 26, the Zambian Department of Immigration (DOI) has issued revised guidelines covering foreign nationals seeking employment permits to work in the country. The new stricter guidelines are in furtherance of the county’s Zambianization policy to increase local worker employment while still allowing companies access to needed foreign talent. The changes are of particular note to Zambia’s large mineral mining sector, which accounts for 75 percent of the country’s exports.

Companies should take note that new guidelines – applicable to employment permits valid longer than six months – are a significant departure from past practice. Included in the changes are the following:

  • Applications – Applications for employment permits must be submitted in-country to the DOI in Lusaka prior to the foreign national arriving in Zambia. Sponsoring companies using third-party agents to submit applications must designate a single agent as authorized to act on their behalf for all employment permit applications.
  • Employment Permit Validity – Permits will no longer be valid for a standard two-year period. Rather, the length of the permit will be determined by the DOI on a case-by-case basis. Sponsoring companies must specify in the application the length of intended employment in Zambia for the foreign employee, and the DOI will then rule on the maximum length for which the permit will be issued. Points to be considered by the DOI are the industry in question, size and stage of the company’s development, and the scarcity of the worker’s skills.
  • Recruitment Efforts and Job Advertisement – Sponsoring companies must provide a summary showing evidence of local recruitment efforts, including two advertisements of the open position in leading Zambian newspapers.
  • Subcontractors – Companies that subcontract with foreign companies must provide information on their organizational structure and number of local and foreign workers employed by the subcontractor.
  • Zambianization Plan – Sponsoring companies will be required to submit a “succession plan” providing the names of local employees and a plan to train them to eventually replace the foreign worker.
  • Quarterly Labor Audits – The DOI’s Immigration Permits Committee (IPC) will conduct quarterly audits to verify the number of local and foreign workers employed by companies at any given time. The IPC will partner with other agencies, including the Ministry of Labor and Ministry of Mines, in their audits.
  • Required Documents – In addition to the above, the revised guidelines now contain a more extensive list of required documents to be submitted along with employment permit applications.

The official publication of the new Revised Guidelines for Employment Permit Issuance is available online here. The Zambian Home Affairs Minister had called a suspension of issuing employment permits to foreign nationals in February of this year, citing abuse on the current system. The suspension – purportedly to give officials time to implement the new revised guidelines – has now been lifted.

These changes are part of an ongoing movement to overhaul the Zambian immigration system, which is locally seen as inadequate for the global economy. Reportedly, plans are also underway to implement a new national biometric identification card system, rules for dual citizenship, and increased tourist visa options.

Source

Andrew Stegmann

Relocating to Botswana? Need some advice on schools, homes, etc?

Botswana, a landlocked country 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.

Capital: Gaborone
Dialing code: +267
Capital and largest city: Gaborone; 24°39.5′S 25°54.5′E / 24.6583°S 25.9083°E
President: Ian Khama
Currency: Botswana pula
Population: 2.262 million (2015) World Bank

International Schools in Botswana

Gaborone

Westwood International School
Address: Plot 22978 Mmankgwedi Road
P.O. Box 2446
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267 390 6736
Tuition Rates (US $): 14,317 – 24,823 per term

Primary through high school classes are offered at this premiere school. Courses are in English with ESL programs for students learning English. It is an International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) World School.

Broadhurst Primary School
Address: Plot 8578 Lenyaphiri Road
Broadhurst, Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267 397 1221
Tuition Rates (pula): 11,810,000 per term

The school uses a programme devised by UNESCO as its source material. The children are required to wear uniforms. Broadhurst Primary School is particularly well known for its sport.

Maru a Pula
Address: Plot 4725, Maruapula Way
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 267 391 2953
Tuition Rates (pula): 14,020 – 18,890 per year

Maru a Pula is an independent, co-educational, secondary school. It is a non-profit making institution. It offers a boarding option that is integral to the school. There is an afternoon SPE programme, which includes student participation in a wide range of service and physical and enrichment activities. Examinations offered are the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and the G.C.E. Advanced Level University Entrance exams (A Level).

Legae Academy
Address: P.O. Box 750
Mogoditshane, Botswana
Tel: (+267) 3924 313
Tuition Rates: Inquire at school

The Academy is fully registered with the Botswana Ministry of Education. The school is the sister school to Legae English Medium Primary School. It is a member of the AISA. It is a test center for University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) the Academy is internationally certified as an approved Oxford, Cambridge, and Royal Society of the Arts (OCR) examinations centre.

Northside School
Address: PO Box 897
Gaborone, Botswana
Tel: 00267 395 2440
Tuition Rates: Inquire at school

Northside Primary School is a private, international English school. The curriculum is driven by the International Baccalaureate Organization curriculum. Uniforms are required.

Accommodation in Botswana

Limited availability of accommodation suitable for expats in Africa has led to increased living costs in some key cities, although Botswana is relatively unaffected. In fact, Gaborone has been ranked among the cheapest of Africa’s cities for expats.

The suburbs of Gaborone include Broadhurst in the northeast, Naledi and Phakalane. Phakalane is built around a golf estate and is the preferred residential area for expatriates, although some people prefer to live closer to town, nearer to schools and workplace.

Other popular areas of Gaborone include The Extensions, which lie to the east of the railway line and radiate out from the Government Enclave. Extension 15 is near Riverwalk Mall (known as ‘The Village’), while Extensions 9 and 11 are probably the most expensive parts of Gaborone.

Gaborone West consists of the inner blocks to the west of the railway line, inside the Western Bypass. This area is sub-divided into Phases 1, 2, 4 and industrial.

Healthcare in Botswana

The public sector dominates the health system in Botswana, operating 98% of the health facilities. However, there is a huge gap in quality between public and private medical provisions, and expats are recommended to purchase private health cover for Botswana.

As in much of the rest of Africa, the public healthcare system mainly serves a lower-income bracket, while expats and those who can afford it use the private healthcare system.