The Relocated South African | Emigration stories

Rob Hersov spent 31 years building a life and career overseas, working with some of the biggest names in international business. Then, in 2017, he returned to South Africa with his family.

In this candid conversation, Rob reflects on leaving South Africa, his years in America and Europe, and why he believes life abroad can be romanticised. He explains what brought his family home, why he became an outspoken voice on South Africa's future, and why he believes many South Africans living overseas could one day return.

We also discuss personal safety, the realities facing ordinary South Africans, the country's economic prospects, and his advice to young people considering emigration.

“There is no place like home, but I'm telling you there's no place like South Africa.” — Rob Hersov
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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:
https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy
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Timestamps

00:00 Introduction
01:34 Growing up in South Africa and building an international career
02:59 From Italy and London to 31 years abroad
04:59 Why he chose not to return in the 1990s
08:04 Why America made such an impression
10:20 Is life abroad romanticised?
13:06 Bringing the family back to Cape Town
16:17 What surprised him about returning
18:34 Why he became an outspoken activist
22:07 Could South Africans abroad return and invest?
25:21 Safety and the realities of living in South Africa
28:13 His advice to young South Africans
29:11 What he would tell his younger self
31:09 Why he believes the future can be better

Connect with The Relocated South African

https://therelocatedsouthafrican.com/podcast/

If you enjoyed this conversation, follow The Relocated South African, share the episode with someone considering emigration, and join the conversation. Should South Africans build their futures abroad, return home, or find a way to do both?

Marc Christensen left Durban for the UK in 2001 with a simple plan: spend a couple of years overseas and then return home.
Twenty-four years later, he is still in Scotland.
After an initial spell in London, Marc discovered Glasgow and immediately felt that it reminded him of Durban. He packed a few bags, jumped on a bus and started again.
In this episode, Marc talks openly about:
Growing up in Durban and leaving South Africa at 21
His first experiences living overseas
Why London never felt like home
Discovering Glasgow and making the move north
Building a career from working in pubs to sales and IT
The guilt that came with being away when his mother died
Co-parenting his son after divorce
Running South African community groups in Scotland
Helping South Africans find work, accommodation and support
Why he believes immigrants shouldn't automatically "start from the bottom"
The cost-of-living difference between London and Scotland
Why he believes South Africans should look beyond London
Building a remote recruitment business connecting South African talent with international companies
Scotland's weather, safety and what has changed over the years
What he would tell a young South African considering leaving home
Marc's story is also about giving back. After building a life abroad, he is now using his experience and network to help other South Africans create opportunities for themselves.
"You've got one life and you've got to live it for you, not for other people."

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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 – building your future beyond borders.
Find out how Sable International can support your journey:
https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy
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TIMESTAMPS
00:01 – Welcome to Marc in Glasgow
02:18 – Growing up in Durban
03:58 – Leaving South Africa in 2001
04:58 – Getting British citizenship
05:25 – First experiences living overseas
06:51 – Arriving in London
08:30 – Discovering Glasgow
09:18 – Moving to Scotland with a few bags
10:51 – Finding work and building a life
12:06 – Moving from pub work into sales and IT
14:42 – Did he ever consider going back?
16:09 – Family, loss and the guilt of being away
18:19 – The emotional impact of emigration
20:05 – Building South African community groups in Scotland
22:30 – Why he doesn't want to commercialise the community
23:58 – The biggest mistakes South Africans make when relocating
24:10 – Why starting from the bottom can be a mistake
26:43 – The impact of relocation on relationships
28:34 – London versus Scotland: cost of living
30:12 – The cappuccino test
30:53 – His experience running a South African restaurant
32:38 – Starting a new business after leaving employment
35:00 – Building a remote recruitment business
36:35 – Connecting South African talent with international companies
39:12 – Giving back to South Africa
39:51 – Life and weather in Scotland
41:16 – Has Scotland become less safe?
44:03 – Haggis, black pudding and Scottish food
45:41 – Marc's advice to young South Africans

Connect with Marc
Simpatico Solutions
Email: marc@simpaticosolutions.co.uk
South Africans in Glasgow – Facebook
Official South Africans in Scotland – Facebook
Connect with The Relocated South African
Website: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Podcast: The Relocated South African — available on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
If Marc's story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African considering life abroad.

Sharon Constançon left South Africa after a hijacking changed the way she viewed her future.

Originally from Cape Town, Sharon had already built a successful career and business in South Africa when the security incident made her ask a simple question: if she couldn't safely travel two miles between her office and home, why was she living there?

She moved to the UK, where she has now spent more than two decades. Along the way she built a career with the South African Chamber of Commerce and went on to build not one, but two very different businesses.

Today Sharon runs Valufin, a foreign exchange and risk management business helping importers and exporters manage currency exposure, and Genius Boards, where she works with boards, CEOs and senior management on governance, board effectiveness and the dynamics that determine how organisations actually work.

But this conversation goes well beyond business.

We talk about growing up in South Africa, educating herself after being discouraged from pursuing further education, leaving South Africa, the importance of having family already in the UK, relationships and emigration, the realities of integrating into British life, why some South Africans struggle with being pigeonholed professionally, and what she misses most about home.

Sharon also shares her thoughts on the cost of living in the UK, the price of a £6.50 cappuccino, safety in South Africa, and whether she could ever see herself moving back permanently.

Her answer is revealing: she doesn't regret leaving, but she hasn't stopped being South African either.

Quote of the episode:
“Nothing is on a plate. Nothing is given to you on a plate.”
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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:

https://bit.ly/3R3g1sy

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TIMESTAMPS

00:11 – Welcome and introduction
01:17 – Winning the Away Game feature
02:49 – Growing up in Cape Town and Johannesburg
04:49 – Education, mobility and the UK connection
06:03 – The security incident that changed everything
07:57 – Returning to South Africa after ten years
09:03 – Having family already in the UK
11:15 – Helping South Africans through the Chamber
12:45 – Why some South Africans return to Cape Town
15:14 – Property and financial ties to South Africa
16:28 – Relationships and the reality of emigration
18:59 – Finding your South African community abroad
20:30 – Being South African in the UK
21:09 – Building two very different businesses
24:01 – Running a global team
25:45 – Governance and working with South Africa
27:21 – UK and South African governance
29:34 – Board accountability
31:45 – South Africans and the work ethic
34:19 – What Sharon misses from South Africa
36:48 – South African or British?
37:30 – The cost of living in the UK
39:33 – The £6.50 cappuccino
40:55 – Safety and returning to South Africa
42:55 – Would she do it again?
44:38 – How to connect with Sharon
44:58 – Closing thoughts

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Connect with Sharon Constançon:
LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/sharonconstancon

The Relocated South African
https://therelocatedsouthafrican.com/

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