The Relocated South African | Emigration stories

Crime novelist, screenwriter and creative writing graduate James Fouché has swapped Cape Town for central China, where he's beginning a completely new chapter—not only in his career, but in his family's life.
After years of building businesses in South Africa, publishing crime novels and teaching online, James made the leap to China to teach English at a medical university. His wife and three homeschooled children will soon join him, turning what began as a solo adventure into a family relocation.
In this conversation, James shares what it's really like living in a part of China where almost nobody speaks English, adapting to a completely different culture, and preparing his family for one of the biggest moves of their lives.
We also dive into his career as a crime writer, why South Africa provides such rich storytelling material, China's remarkable pace of development, and why stepping outside your comfort zone can change your perspective forever.
It's an honest and fascinating conversation about creativity, family, and embracing the unknown.
"It's a big world out there. You're doing your kids a disservice if you keep them in a tiny triangle." — James Fouché
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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 – Introducing author James Fouché
03:22 – Growing up in Cape Town and becoming a writer
06:14 – Why he moved to China
08:30 – Turning South African crime into compelling fiction
13:48 – Releasing his latest novel Grey
16:22 – First impressions of living in China
18:31 – Preparing his family for the move
19:23 – Learning Chinese and overcoming the language barrier
21:30 – Teaching English at a Chinese university
22:58 – Adapting to Chinese food and culture
24:17 – Finding great coffee in central China
26:45 – China's emerging wine industry
28:29 – The surprisingly low cost of living
31:09 – Teaching at a medical university
32:51 – Chinese bureaucracy and work visas
35:51 – Healthcare and China's rapid development
38:39 – WeChat, Alipay and China's digital society
41:10 – What he misses most about South Africa
43:14 – Is China a long-term move?
45:01 – How living abroad changes your perspective
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Your documents should not slow down your new life.
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Connect with James Fouché
🌐 Website: www.jamesfouche.com
📘 Facebook: @JamesFoucheWrites
📷 Instagram: @JamesFoucheWrites

Connect with the podcast
Website: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Podcast: The Relocated South African — available on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
If James' story resonated with you, please share this episode with someone considering life abroad—or anyone curious about living and working in China.

After 25 years abroad, Retha Jacobs has built a life across three countries—but South Africa has never left her heart.

Growing up in Pretoria, Retha took the road less travelled. She skipped university after school, moved to London with friends, later completed degrees in Human Movement Science and Neuroscience, and eventually found herself in Poland—a country she knew almost nothing about before falling in love with its mountains, culture and people.

Over the past decade she's built businesses in tourism, coached squash, become fascinated by mushrooms, and embraced life in one of Europe's fastest-growing economies.
In this conversation, Retha shares what it's really like living in Poland, learning one of the world's most difficult languages, building a business as a foreigner, and why, after 25 years overseas, she feels an even stronger pull back to South Africa.

It's a fascinating look at a country few South Africans know—and a reminder that sometimes the longest journeys lead you back to your roots.

"Life is so short, and there are so many places to see and people to meet. Every country changes you." — Retha Jacobs
_______________________________________________________________
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 – Introducing Retha Jacobs
00:57 – From Pretoria to London
04:22 – Why she moved to Poland
06:57 – Learning the Polish language
10:25 – Neuroscience, entrepreneurship and curiosity
11:32 – Building a tourism business in Poland
13:48 – Poland's national sport: mushroom picking
17:10 – Mushrooms, neuroscience and PTSD research
19:55 – Squash, sport and staying active
23:56 – What makes Poland unique
27:47 – Cost of living in Poland
32:42 – Healthcare and quality of life
35:50 – Business, bureaucracy and taxes
37:39 – Residency, passports and Brexit
41:39 – Missing South Africa after 25 years abroad
44:33 – Advice for South Africans considering emigration
_____________________________________________________________
Your documents should not slow down your new life.
Apostil obtains, processes and couriers South African police clearances, apostille certificates, unabridged documents and more, directly to your door, anywhere in the world.
Fast, professional and stress-free.
Need your documents sorted? Visit Apostil here:
https://tinyurl.com/apostilcoza
Documents with convenience.
_______________________________________________________________
Connect with Retha Jacobs:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/retha-jacobs-470b7355/

Connect with the podcast:
Website: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Podcast: The Relocated South African — available on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
If Retha's story inspired you, please share this episode with someone considering a move abroad—or someone curious about life in Poland.

Dr. Deepak Bhootra spent 15 years building a career in South Africa before taking that experience across Singapore, India and eventually the United States.
Born in India and raised around the world thanks to his father's work as a forensic pathologist, Deepak arrived in South Africa in the early 1990s and quickly discovered a country that would shape the rest of his life.
Today he's based in Houston, where he coaches business leaders, entrepreneurs and sales professionals around the world. But despite living on three continents, he still credits South Africa for much of his work ethic, leadership philosophy and outlook on life.
In this conversation, Deepak reflects on adapting to new cultures, earning trust, building a meaningful career, and why success is no longer measured by money—but by the lives you impact.
It's a thoughtful conversation about identity, purpose and what emigrants can teach the world.
"Success isn't about how much money you leave behind. It's about what people say about you when you're gone." — Dr. Deepak Bhootra
_______________________________________________________________
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 – Introducing Dr. Deepak Bhootra
01:06 – Life in Houston and surviving hurricanes
02:32 – How his family ended up in South Africa
06:12 – Falling in love with South Africa
07:38 – South Africans' unique sense of humour
10:09 – What South Africa taught him about work ethic
12:52 – Experiencing South Africa before democracy
17:02 – Leaving South Africa for Singapore
20:18 – Moving to India, then Houston
21:26 – Why South Africans succeed overseas
29:12 – Reinventing yourself after emigration
33:33 – Why trust is the foundation of success
37:42 – Leadership, balance and life beyond work
40:05 – How his definition of success changed forever
47:39 – "Grow Together. Rejoice Together."
51:00 – His message to South Africans living abroad
56:35 – Where to connect with Dr. Deepak Bhootra
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Your documents should not slow down your new life.
Apostil obtains, processes and couriers South African police clearances, apostille certificates, unabridged documents and more, directly to your door, anywhere in the world.
Fast, professional and stress-free.
Need your documents sorted? Visit Apostil here:
https://tinyurl.com/apostilcoza
Documents with convenience.

______________________________________________________________

Connect with Dr. Deepak Bhootra:
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deepakbhootra
Website: www.deepakbhootra.com

Connect with the podcast:
Website: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Podcast: The Relocated South African — available on Spotify and all major podcast platforms.
If Deepak's story resonated with you, please share this episode with another South African navigating life abroad.

Werner Trieloff left the Free State at 21, chased whiskey and languages through Scotland and London, then followed a Brazilian love story to Porto Alegre in 2008 with only enough Portuguese to order a beer. Nearly two decades later he runs a business connecting Africa, Brazil, Europe and the US — despite qualifying as a CA and never doing a single day of actual accounting since.

Jan and Werner get into Brazil's brutal tax bureaucracy (rules can change ten times a day), the WhatsApp group of 55+ South Africans in Porto Alegre swapping milk tart recipes, and why joining a local rugby club and a motorbike gang did more for Werner's integration than any expat community ever could.

"Life has got its way of bringing magic to you." — Werner Trieloff

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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
00:10 – Welcome to Werner in Porto Alegre
00:52 – Where Porto Alegre sits in Brazil
01:53 – Free State roots, early moves abroad
03:11 – Meeting a Brazilian in Austria
03:52 – Learning Portuguese from scratch
04:55 – Whiskey connoisseur talk begins
05:33 – Talisker 18 and Japanese Hibiki
06:05 – From CA to management accounting
06:52 – Hired without speaking Portuguese
11:14 – Business grounding without doing accounting
11:49 – South Africa, easiest entry to Africa
12:46 – Africa's cultures vary country to country
13:23 – Comparing Brazil and South Africa culture
13:53 – Brazil's brutal tax complexity
15:04 – South Africans in Brazil WhatsApp group
16:57 – Continental Brazil, huge regional differences
18:43 – Regional food differences across Brazil
20:43 – Braai with just salt, no spice
21:04 – Physical safety versus South Africa
22:57 – Corruption and policing realities
24:52 – Public healthcare system SUS explained
26:35 – Visas, red tape, bureaucracy
27:35 – Company registration much faster now
30:42 – Biggest sacrifice: distance from family
34:09 – Advice: find a local sport
36:42 – Wife's adjustment to South Africa
37:37 – Cost of living in Brazil
38:58 – Minimum wage and daily prices
40:20 – Comparing prices to Portugal, UK
41:05 – Housing costs, apartment living
41:56 – Would he ever return to SA?
43:21 – Raising bicultural kids in Brazil
44:55 – Advice to his 22-year-old self
46:06 – How to connect with Werner

_____________________________________________________________
Your documents should not slow down your new life. Apostil obtains, processes, and couriers South African police clearances, apostille certificates, unabridged documents, and more, directly to your door, anywhere in the world. Fast, professional, and stress-free. Need your documents sorted? Visit Apostil here - https://tinyurl.com/apostilcoza Documents with convenience.
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Connect with the podcast:
Website: www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com
Podcast: The Relocated South African — available on Spotify and all platforms

Werner's on LinkedIn (Werner Trieloff) if you want to reach out about business in Brazil or planning a trip there.

If this one hit home, send it to a fellow South African abroad — and follow the show wherever you listen.

Justin Levitt grew up in Welkom and Cape Town, toured the country as guitarist in rock band Red Tape Riot, then built a career in SEO.

In 2019 he followed a partner to the Netherlands, landing in Amsterdam just two weeks before COVID lockdown hit.

What followed was six unsettled years: a relationship that didn't survive lockdown isolation, a company sponsorship that evaporated when the business went bankrupt, and a year spent without a couch because he never knew if his contract would be renewed.

Justin talks candidly about finally getting permanent residency, the night in Paris when the Springboks won the 2023 World Cup semi-final, and why he's still proudly South African at heart.

"I don't know if I'm going to have my contract renewed. So, you know, I'll just live with the bare minimum until I really know." — Justin Levitt
____________________________________________________________
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:
00:26 – Guest intro: SEO specialist
00:37 – Growing up in Welkom, the Goldfields
01:04 – Welkom's famous traffic circle legend
01:41 – School, university, bands in Cape Town
03:22 – Landed in Netherlands, COVID hit
04:18 – Learning guitar, convincing parents
05:05 – Backing a solo artist, touring years
06:40 – Forming rock band Red Tape Riot
06:54 – Why music never became a career
08:06 – Jan's theory: SA diversity vs France
08:45 – Radio stations that once launched careers
10:35 – Still plays guitar daily
11:31 – What SEO actually means
13:38 – Expectations before leaving SA
14:53 – Netherlands isn't just a Dutch UK
15:31 – Better government, worse restaurants
15:59 – Afrikaans doesn't help much here
16:47 – Dutch switch to English instantly
17:10 – Dutch know little SA history
17:51 – Arrived days before lockdown
18:17 – Locked down in a small town
19:02 – Lockdown strain on relationship
20:06 – Dutch bureaucracy, organized online
21:25 – Working remotely through lockdown
22:17 – Never settled, five cities
23:56 – Relationship ended in 2022
24:50 – Biggest sacrifice: uncertainty
25:45 – No couch for a year
26:09 – No regrets despite the struggle
27:20 – Struggle as priceless life experience
28:57 – Dutch supermarkets' tiny meat sections
30:30 – Hard to crack Dutch friend groups
31:12 – South Africans seen as hardworking
32:29 – Strict 5pm cutoff culture
34:00 – Feels completely safe here
35:36 – Still proudly South African
38:31 – Who Holland suits best
40:24 – Surprised by SA's racial dynamics
40:51 – Advice: experience first, then leap
41:50 – Doesn't see himself moving back
42:08 – Realizing the weight he carried
42:42 – Misses family and biltong most
43:35 – Best night: Paris 2023 World Cup semi
_____________________________________________________________
Your documents should not slow down your new life.  Apostil obtains, processes, and couriers South African police clearances, apostille certificates, unabridged documents, and more, directly to your door, anywhere in the world. Fast, professional, and stress-free. Need your documents sorted?  Visit Apostil here -⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/apostilcoza⁠⁠ Documents with convenience.

_____________________________________________________________

Connect with the podcast:
Website: [www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com](https://www.therelocatedsouthafrican.com)
Podcast: The Relocated South African — available on Spotify and all platforms

Loved Justin's story? Share this episode with someone weighing their own move abroad.