How Russians live in South Africa. The first months of life in South Africa (Immigration to South Africa)

In a series of articles, the White race is under attack. Here's another interesting first-person account:

Hello! In 2 months I’m leaving to work in Randburg, which is in the vicinity of Johannesburg, South Africa. Unfortunately, I'm traveling alone. Husband in Australia. I entered into a 1-year contract with the Mintek company, the responsibilities are clear, but the conditions and specifics of life are absolutely incomprehensible. There is a lot of quite unpleasant stuff on the Internet. I would like to know something more specific so that I can be prepared. It’s somehow scary to travel alone to an unfamiliar country. Best regards, Olga

...

... the letter will be commented on by Elena Solomon from Australia, who lived in South Africa for some time.

Elena Solomon (Australia): Reply to the letter “Olga_Y: In two months I’m leaving to work in South Africa.”

Olga,
I lived in Randburg for almost 5 years, which is a slightly above average urban area of ​​Johannesburg.
Life in South Africa is unique, very cheap - compared to others developed countries, but at the same time, in one country there is both the “first world” (Western standards) and the “third world” (utter poverty). When this is all together, then, naturally, the mixture is explosive.
Blacks don't like whites because whites have been oppressing them for decades. Whites despise blacks (not all whites, but many) because blacks, in their opinion, are narrow-minded and lazy at work.
Outwardly, you won’t notice it right away; to do this, you need to live there for some time. Almost all whites are racists (they think blacks are second class).
Currently, blacks are squeezing whites - for 13 years now, since 1993, when blacks came to power. Whites make less money than blacks working the same job - because blacks have been "underprivileged" for years. It is harder for whites to find work - the company must have a certain percentage of black workers; if you are a white man, then it is even harder (a white woman is previously oppressed as a woman, preference is given to the oppressed).
There are also many Indians and “coloreds” in South Africa (this is a special nation, in itself - not a cross between whites and blacks, as you might think). All nations, in principle, stand on their own - in words everyone is equal, but there is a structure, whites are still the elite - although they are squeezed in terms of wages. There are a lot of politics related to race - even at the level of ordinary, everyday life.
Whites keep to themselves, communicate with other whites, with such communication the standards are the same as in any other western country. The houses are large and beautiful, almost all whites have servants living in the house. There are still many English and other nationalities in South Africa, although many emigrated after the blacks came to power. BEFORE the blacks came to power, it was heaven on earth for the whites, and they still remember it.
The coming of blacks to power was a good thing for the country politically and democratically, but economically, everything is slowly falling apart, because the blacks in power are really not very educated - the cook running the state (some ministers have 4th grade education).
The corruption is horrendous, bribes are taken at all levels, especially among blacks and coloreds (but they usually take bribes from their own nationality, blacks from blacks, Indians from Indians, and so on). Government agencies They work not very well, just like in Russia.
What you need to know is that in South Africa there is no walking on the streets and there is no public transport. Everyone drives cars. If someone doesn't have a car, they are forced to use minibuses, which often work like pirates (no license, no rights) and are generally considered part of the local small-scale mafia. There is no mafia as such in South Africa, black crime is very stupid - they will kill you first, and then they will see how much money you have in your wallet (and whether you have a wallet at all).
Crime in South Africa is appalling. In terms of murder and rape rates, South Africa ranks first in the world, a rape every 56 seconds, more than 50 murders a day. But the worst thing is rape, because blacks (some part) believe that if you have sex with a white woman or a virgin, AIDS will go away (among the black population the rate of AIDS infection is approximately 10-15%).
Cars are stolen right out of the hands of the owner, who may simply be asked to free the car, or shot, depending on what seems easier to them. There was a case where a pregnant woman was shot in the stomach because she did not get out of the car quickly enough. There was a case where an 8-year-old boy was shot because he did not want to give up his bicycle. There have been several rape cases involving girls as young as 8 months old (that's not a typo!) - and according to the newspaper, this is not the youngest rape victim.
This all, of course, is perceived as a nightmare, but it is a daily reality in South Africa.
My husband's brother was attacked by two blacks who wanted his car - he managed to lock himself in a concrete bunker, they shot through the door, but left after a few hours. He works as a telephone engineer who checks the equipment of telephone exchanges located in the mountains and remote places - these blacks were waiting for him on purpose, perhaps waiting for him for several days.
The wife of the same brother - her car was stopped on the road, one car was blocked in front, another in the back, and they wanted to pull her out of the car - she managed to turn around and drive away. Right on the road, in broad daylight. The scary thing is not that the car will be taken away - the car is insured, it's scary that they could easily kill or rape, which could also mean death - death from AIDS.
The husband of this woman's sister (my brother's wife) died 8 months after he was shot - he did not die immediately, but as a result of his wounds. Those blacks who shot him were caught - but released because he could not identify them (he was generally not himself after his wounds) - since the victim could not identify them, they were innocent.
If your wallet was just taken out in a store, then in order to stop your credit cards and checkbook, you need a report from the police, so that the bank stops your documents - you go to the police, fill out a report - they stamp it for you and give it back to you! You ask, why don’t you keep a copy for yourself? He says (black policeman): Why? (Silent scene.) Nobody asks you where and what happened - here is your stamped report, go to yourself.
I understand that this sounds wild - but what can you do, wild people, wild morals.
Previously, before 1993, whites lived on their own, separate from blacks, in their own areas - blacks lived on their own, in their own areas, this was the essence of the apartheid regime - separate living. All nations lived within their own culture, and everything was acceptable to everyone. There were also rich blacks, they could make money - only they lived separately, not with whites. Crime was virtually non-existent and the police were white. The borders were tightly closed. Now everyone lives where they want, everything is mixed up, and it’s a complete mess. The police don't catch mice. Nobody looks beyond the borders. Anarchy, like in Russia after perestroika.
There are about 10 million illegal immigrants in South Africa (for 40 million official citizens) - from different countries Africa, life in South Africa is still much better than in the average African country - and these illegal immigrants are mainly involved in crime - what else, they have no right to work, but do they need something to eat?
We only left South Africa because of crime. The country is very beautiful, a wonderful climate, a high standard of living (for those who work and are educated) - but living there is scary. You understand this especially when you live in a normal Western country (we now live in Australia) - when you live in South Africa, you don’t understand how terrible it is, but when you leave and then return (we were there for 4 weeks last year, visiting my husband’s relatives ) - then this is a shock.
In general: it’s possible to live in South Africa, but it’s scary.
Meet other Russians (the Russian church is in Midrand, between Randburg and Pretoria, very close to you), they will be able to explain more to you - although for them their life will seem normal, well, you need to be a little more careful, don’t go out out of the house in the dark, don't talk to black strangers, don't stop on the road, don't open your car windows, keep your car doors locked from the inside at all times - you can only walk in a gated community or mall(there are guards with machine guns standing there, protecting) - but of course, you can live, a person is not a dog, he gets used to everything.
Address of the Russian Church -

The emigration of Russian-speaking citizens to South Africa is growing steadily every year. This is explained by many factors, in particular historical ones. Russian travelers, scientists and settlers have long been treated well here, without identifying them with conquerors, like representatives of some other European powers.

Currently, Russians in South Africa are not uncommon. They come to the country to study, work, travel and often stay here for permanent residence. This is largely due to the fairly high standard of living in South Africa, intensive economic growth, major international conferences, the World Cup, the Olympics, student exchanges, and more loyal attitudes towards marriages between representatives of different races and religions.

Cape Town

According to statistics, immigration to South Africa among residents of the Russian Federation has remained at the same level for several years. About 80 people a month express such a desire. To bring this to life, you need to follow a certain sequence of actions:

1. Apply for a permanent residence permit.
2. Solve issues of social security. This is especially important if you plan to move an entire family, including young children.
3. Decide on business or employment.

Basic provisions

Citizens from Ukraine, Russia, Belarus in 2019 who plan to obtain a residence permit must meet certain requirements:

1. Have a medical certificate. Applies to all persons over 12 years of age.
2. Provide a certificate of no criminal record (for adults). Both documents are subject to requirements regarding the timing of their issuance - no more than six months before the date of filing the application. They must first be translated into English and notarized. Submission of certificates and medical certificates V in electronic format. To do this, they must be filled out in English and certified with the seal of the medical institution.
3. Children's travel card or certificate (for minors).
4. If necessary, certificates of marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, etc. are provided.
5. The passport is valid for at least 30 days after returning from a trip and the expiration of the permit.

How to obtain permanent residence in South Africa?

For those who are interested in emigrating to South Africa, they should understand that this process is quite lengthy and involves the preparation of a package of documentation. Find necessary information and recommendations can be found on the official website of the relevant Embassy in Moscow, Kyiv, Minsk.

This document is required if the duration of the trip exceeds 3 months. If the period is shorter, then it is quite possible to get by with a regular visa, and this does not in any way affect the purpose of the trip.

Procedure for renewing a permit

If you want to extend the temporary residence permit, you should take care of this in advance - no later than the 30-day expiration date of the document. You can contact any department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the territory of the Republic of South Africa. Simultaneously with filing the application, you must pay a state fee in the same amount and provide a photocopy of the previous document.

List of documentation for RVP:

• statement;
• international passport;
• confirmation of payment of state duty;
• color photo on a white background, 30x40 mm format;
• travel document (return) or deposit, which is paid in cash at the Consulate;
• vaccination certificate (if necessary, usually required when the applicant is entering from territories where yellow fever outbreaks have previously been recorded);
• written, notarized permission for the departure of a child (minor) with his father or mother;
• guarantees from the employer, in writing, regarding reimbursement of expenses in the event of deportation of the applicant and family members (if the purpose of the trip is work in South Africa for Russians).

Procedure for obtaining permanent residence

You can find all the latest information about obtaining permanent residence on the website of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of a given country. It should be understood that an important criterion for obtaining the coveted status is a significant contribution to the development of the country’s economy. You also need to write to the Minister of Internal Affairs, motivation letter, in which the applicant indicates why he should reside in the territory of this state. Registration of permanent residence is possible only after receiving a positive response.

As practice and statistical data show, the main reasons for refusal are:

• having a criminal record;
• inaccurate information in the application form;
• lack or insufficiency of personal financial resources;
• unreliable lifestyle;
• if the person has previously been deported from the state;
• membership in terrorist and extremist organizations that call for racial or religious intolerance and violence;
• the presence of dangerous infectious diseases.

Payment of the state fee is made when submitting the application. If the whole family moves, then no payment is made for the rest of its members.

Two main types of document

To obtain permanent residence in the future, two methods are used: various types document. First, direct residence permit (type 1). Issued to spouses and children of citizens of the Republic of South Africa, as well as foreign citizens who have lived in the state for a long time.

Second, type 2 residence permit. Individuals who have lived here for more than 5 years, highly qualified specialists, entrepreneurs who want to invest 250 thousand US dollars or more in the local economy (buy a business or open their own business), wealthy pensioners, refugees, and relatives of residents of the republic can apply for the award.

List of the most sought-after specialists

The South African Ministry of Internal Affairs today is likely to make a positive decision regarding candidates for residence permits and permanent residence if they fall into the following categories:

• entrepreneurs wishing to do business in the country;
• investors who are willing to invest a certain amount of personal finance into the economy;
• workers in in-demand specialties.

Familiarize yourself with the list of economic sectors where foreign influence is most acutely felt. Among the latter are:

• information Technology;
• agricultural sector;
• automotive industry;
• chemical and biological industry;
• mining;
• metalworking;
• textile industry;
• tourism.

Citizenship

People who have lived in the state for 5 years are eligible to receive South African citizenship. In some cases this period is 2 years (for the spouse of a South African). It should be taken into account that the country officially recognizes double citizenship, which many whites in South Africa use today, who do not want to give up, for example, Russian or Ukrainian.

Reading numerous reviews from our compatriots, we can draw the following conclusion - emigration to the Republic of South Africa has its pros and cons. And one of the main ones is: different standards of living between different segments of the population, in particular blacks and whites, fairly high crime and some other factors.

If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.

South Africa is a Southern African country with a population of 49 million people, ranking 25th in size in the world. The country's capital, Pretoria, is the fifth largest city with a population of over 2.3 million people. The largest industrial centers are Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban. There are large sea ​​ports Elizabeth, Durban, Cape Town and a well-developed railway network with a total length of over 22.2 thousand km. In the country as monetary unit The rand is equal to 100 cents. Other currencies are not accepted.

South Africa is the only African state that has avoided total impoverishment and retained a touch of colonialism. It is difficult to immigrate to South Africa. Local laws are trying in every possible way to push the white-skinned population out of the state. But the amazing opportunities provided for business development and quick enrichment attract hundreds of thousands of immigrants here every year. Suffice it to say that here a highly qualified specialist is worth his weight in gold. The salary of engineers, doctors, scientists, programmers, teachers is more than 2000 US dollars, while buying a house in a good area costs 100-150 thousand dollars. South Africa today is a “Weimar Republic”, where limitless opportunities open up for a good specialist, and he can live like a king. In addition, immigration to this country will cost much less than to any other.

The white-skinned population settled in certain areas and lives quite violently. Paradise nature and high prosperity serve as a tasty morsel for many of our compatriots.

High unemployment and the demographic situation force the country's authorities to impose strict restrictions on the entry of foreigners, but there are several promising categories of immigration that allow one to legally overcome the barrier.

Russians in South Africa are not uncommon. The province of KwaZulu-Natal is home to the famous violinist Elena Kerimova, a cellist from Novosibirsk and pianist Christopher Duigan, who organized the most popular philharmonic trio. Immigrants from St. Petersburg organized a center of folk healing and successfully heal the local population with magic and herbs.

There are several thousand Russian-speaking immigrants here. Foreigners in South Africa have temporary Temporary Resident (up to several years) or permanent status. There are 7 legal ways in which you can immigrate to the country:

• hiring on call from the employer (Work Permit Holder). In this case, the employer must prove to the authorities that there is no such specialist among the indigenous population for the vacant position.
• The easiest way to immigrate to the country is through investment (Own business). The most favorable conditions have been created for enterprising businessmen at all stages: from paperwork to arrangement. There are two ways for business immigration: through opening your own company or through a company that owns an enterprise. To open a business, you can use the intermediary services of an organization that has business plans in South Africa. The company draws up a business plan, registers the enterprise and opens an account with an authorized capital of at least R250,000. After this, the owner of the registered enterprise and family have the right to live and work in South Africa.
• As an independent financier (Financially independent). The immigrant must have significant funds in the amount of at least $300,000, and half must be invested in real estate or shares of the country.
• For family reunification (Sponsored persons). This option is acceptable for people who have close relatives in South Africa.
• Immigration of pensioners (Retired persons). The option is available if you have a good pension, which will be transferred to your country of residence.
• Marriage with a permanent resident.
• Family reunion. It makes sense to prepare documents if the spouse is a citizen of South Africa.

Where South Africa is described as something infernal. And so, about crime in South Africa. It (crime) is there. And there is a lot of it (crime). For example, I knew people who were robbed three times a week while walking across the street to a 24-hour supermarket located directly opposite their house. True, during my four visits to South Africa and one period of living there for several months, no one, for some reason, robbed me. Although I used it a lot public transport, visited eating establishments, and once at one in the morning I walked from Sea Point to the Gardens, those who know the Cape will appreciate the feat ;-).

Here, for example, are the scary streets of Durban, where you cannot go further than 100 meters from the embankment, according to the assurances of “experts”:

And here are the no less monstrous streets of Joburg, where all the whites were eaten a long time ago:

.

Or here is a branch of hell in the form of a local metro:

. Well, don’t forget about the former “apartheid capital” Pretoria, destroyed by cattle blacks and black freedom fighters:

.

The secret here is not that I’m all cool and covered with a double layer of Teflon. No, I’m an ordinary person, and you can rob me just like anyone else. The secret is that you have to fucking have your head on your shoulders and take reasonable precautions. In this regard, my nightly anabasis through the streets of Cape Town was a great stupidity, and it is not worth repeating. And if you see an unpleasant company that has paid attention to you, clearly superior in strength to you, and quickly leaving is not an option - come up yourself, ask something like “Dude, do you want a banana for 2 rand for the minibus, otherwise you forgot the loot at home?” or something else, most importantly, confidently and without fear on your face. Cattlenegers The natives, of course, are not people, they are also people, in a sense, and they simply do not go into the stage of aggression out of nowhere. Well, if you get caught by professional gopniks (which, I note, may well happen in both Moscow and Paris) - don’t twitch, give what you have. Therefore, you don’t need to carry a lot of this “what you have” with you in the evening and at night when moving on foot. In general, it is better to travel by taxi at this time.

If you follow basic precautions, the likelihood that something bad will happen to you is very, very small, so if possible, I highly recommend everyone to visit this beautiful country, while it has not yet gone the way of the rest of Africa.

Russian emigrant to South Africa
My story
I have been living in South Africa for almost 6 years, I myself did not expect such a turn of events, I came as a tourist for a few weeks, but stayed forever. I fell in love with this country, and in this country they loved me, I married a wonderful man, not black, a normal white man, there are quite a lot of them here, why am I explaining this? Many of my friends in Russia immediately ask the question, how do they find out that I live in Africa: is your husband black? (a smile always appears on my face, I answer NO, MY HUSBAND IS WHITE)
In the first year of my life in South Africa, I was adapting to a new lifestyle, new friends, new acquaintances, a new culture for me, all this fascinated me, I was surrounded with love, care and respect, and communication was only on English language. I didn’t know about Russian-speaking people living in Cape Town; I only found out a year later that there is a Russian diaspora in South Africa, emigrants from many former republics USSR, and even has its own forum on the Internet. For almost a year I sat at home, grew cucumbers, tomatoes, flowers, studied the cooking of the country in which I stayed to live, but a Russian woman can’t sit at home for long, she needs to engage in self-realization, and I decided to finish the tourist guide course and work with Russian-speaking tourists, my I love activities madly, because I love the places where I live. And now more three years I'm doing what I love. This is very important when you enjoy your work!
My new life
My husband's family and friends received me with love and respect, for which I am very grateful. On Saturdays or Sundays, it is customary for a group of friends and relatives to gather at someone’s house, many of us have private houses, this is the lifestyle here, our friends are all family, they all have children, the atmosphere is fun, women sit on the veranda with glasses of local wine and lead their women's conversations, children are naughty and play in the garden, or flop in the pool on hot days, and men at the grill are preparing BRI. What is BRAY? This is cooking meat, fish, vegetables and fruits over coals, simpler than barbecue, but in South Africa it is called BRAY. After a late lunch, dessert is a must, everyone has a sweet tooth, especially men. Then we play different board games. It is not customary to talk about problems at such meetings; Saturday and Sunday are for rest and this is an iron rule! Of course, problems, if any, are discussed, but on the sidelines, and not for general discussion. At first I was surprised when my husband, upon returning home, reported about this or that acquaintance, and what problems there were this moment that one, but this wasn’t discussed during the day in front of everyone? It’s not customary to discuss and tell about your troubles on vacation; all this is done quietly on the sidelines, so as not to darken everyone’s day. Such friendly family gatherings are especially popular during RUGBY games, one of the most popular sports in South Africa.
You will be invited to such family meetings 2-3 weeks in advance.
On Fridays, it is customary for the whole family to go to a restaurant in the evening; in the hot summer period we go to the ocean shore, we have a choice: Atlantic or Indian Ocean, we are the lucky ones, or to wine-growing areas, to vineyard farms, where almost every one has an excellent restaurant and playgrounds for children.
Poverty
The stratification of the population by standard of living and wealth is immediately noticeable, by areas of residence, by grocery stores, cars. Very many people live in poverty, most of them are black, sad as it is, on the streets of cities, at crossroads you will always meet begging men, women, children. They also go from house to house and beg, there are many homeless people. But you can find a job in South Africa, whoever wants it works, excuse me, this is my subjective opinion, the average salary for a cleaner is up to $300 a month, or a dishwasher in a restaurant is about $200, I know for sure, our friends have a restaurant, and many people pay that way , I’m talking about city establishments, or housekeepers, also the average salary is 300-400 dollars a month, you ask: why do so many live in poverty? They live according to the principle of a commune, everything is common, everyone takes care of their neighbor, this principle is centuries-old, so it turns out that the family is large, but only, say, two people work, and the rest do not work,
Naturally, there is not enough money for normal living.
In general, black people are very sociable and interesting people.
The mentality of the new generation of blacks is changing a little, they are trying to get a good education, do not have many children, they understand what is better to give good life one or two children. But not everyone thinks so, which is a pity.
Crime
South Africa is a criminal country, and this is true, but like everywhere else, you need to know the rules of safety and behavior. IN dangerous areas do not drive in, do not walk in deserted places late in the evening, do not leave any things in sight in the car, in general do not provoke thieves, do not attract attention. We all have alarms and protection on the windows in our houses, for example, in Johannesburg, one of the most criminal cities in South Africa, the wealthier the area, the higher the fences around the houses and the more electrical wires, in Cape Town it is much calmer, but you go to the outback of the country , sometimes there are not even fences around houses, an indicator of low crime in a populated area.
Incidents during the championship are of course not good, but my tourists say that this happened in other countries. On the streets of our cities we have police all around: mounted, patrols, patrols on motorcycles.
Well, in general, living in South Africa is good for me, maybe because I’m happy? And if you are happy, then it doesn’t matter what country!