The Relocated South African | Emigration stories

Dale Lyell grew up in Johannesburg, joined the Safmarine Merchant Navy after matric and spent years travelling the world on container ships, bulk carriers and even the QE2.
In 1998, Dale and his South African wife left South Africa for Canada. They arrived with no job waiting, very little support and no guarantee that things would work out.
What followed was a fascinating journey of starting again, finding community, building a new career and eventually establishing a successful technology business.
Dale talks openly about why he left South Africa, the reality of those early years, adapting to Canada, raising a son with South African roots and the safety mindset that many South Africans carry with them long after they leave.
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Sable International
For over 30 years, Sable International has helped South Africans navigate international relocation, including visas, second passports, tax, wealth planning, foreign exchange and studying abroad.

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TIMESTAMPS
00:13 — Welcome to Dale in Ontario, Canada
01:35 — Growing up in Johannesburg and joining Safmarine
02:51 — Life on container ships and the QE2
04:58 — Dale's Canadian connection
06:43 — Why he left South Africa in 1998
08:47 — Crime, safety and quality of life
10:10 — Arriving in Canada with no job
11:54 — Starting again without a support network
13:40 — Finding community through martial arts
16:23 — Integrating into Canadian society
18:36 — Finding work and building a career
20:47 — Dale's technology business
22:01 — From a chocolate factory to technology
24:45 — Doing business in Canada
25:46 — Healthcare in Canada
28:06 — Raising a son with South African roots
30:35 — Family left behind in South Africa
32:10 — Staying connected to home
34:02 — Getting used to safety in Canada
35:11 — The difference in everyday life
36:43 — Dale's love of travel
38:53 — Advice for South Africans considering emigration
42:28 — What he would do differently
43:24 — Expectations and the five-year cycle
45:27 — Never give up
45:33 — Canada vs South Africa
47:10 — Final thoughts

The Relocated South African
The show for navigating emigration from South Africa for a better future.
https://therelocatedsouthafrican.com/podcast/
If this episode resonated with you, please share it with another South African living abroad.

Quinton Pullinger’s story is anything but a straight line.
He grew up in Springs, South Africa, trained as a goldsmith, and then took an unexpected leap to Taiwan after seeing an advert to teach English. What he thought would be a one-year adventure became nearly nine years.
In Taiwan he learned Mandarin, built a career in the bicycle industry, travelled extensively and learned how to adapt to a completely different culture. He eventually moved into senior roles, including an eight-and-a-half-year journey with Brompton, before another opportunity took him to the UK in 2008.
Now, after 18 years in Britain, Quinton is asking a question many long-term South African expats eventually face: could South Africa become home again?
We talk about:
• Leaving South Africa with no long-term plan
• Arriving alone in Taiwan and surviving the first six months
• Learning Mandarin and adapting to a new culture
• Why negative expat thinking can hold people back
• Building an international career by saying “yes” to opportunities
• His journey through the bicycle industry and Brompton
• Starting again in the UK with no contacts
• Raising a family abroad and how that changes your risk profile
• The NHS and the UK cost of living
• Why Cape Town would be his choice if he returned to South Africa
• Whether a part-time “swallow” lifestyle could work
• His advice to his younger self: be more adventurous and take more risks
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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 to you – building your future beyond borders.
Find out how Sable International can support your journey: bit.ly/3R3g1sy
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:27 Weybridge and life near London
02:41 Growing up in Springs
06:00 The unexpected move to Taiwan
07:14 Learning Mandarin and surviving the first six months
09:16 Working and living in Taiwan
13:26 Returning to South Africa — and leaving again
15:10 Building a career in the bicycle industry
16:06 Why he eventually left Taiwan
18:13 Getting the opportunity to move to the UK
20:12 Meeting his wife and starting a family
21:08 Moving abroad alone
22:26 The danger of negative expat thinking
25:32 Values, friendships and identity abroad
26:08 A career built without a plan
29:44 Starting over in the UK
31:08 The mindset needed to make emigration work
33:49 Could South Africa become home again?
36:14 Why Cape Town would be his choice
37:33 Could a part-time return work?
39:33 South Africa, France or the UK?
40:14 The NHS and healthcare
42:32 The UK cost of living
44:08 What would he do differently?
46:21 How family changes your risk profile
47:17 Advice to his younger self
48:56 Staying true to your values
50:05 Final thoughts
Connect with The Relocated South African: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com

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.
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 to you – building your future beyond borders.
Find out how Sable International can support your journey:
https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy
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.
_______________________________________________________________
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
www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
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If Connor's story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African living abroad.