South Africa is bidding to build the largest radio telescope ever built, the so-called Square Kilometer Array (SKA). It is easily among the most ambitious scientific infrastructure projects being considered in the world. Australia and South Africa are the only countries left in the running and a decision will be made in 2012. If SA does get the nod, it will need to attract foreign talent to help build the telescope and train local astronomers and engineers how to use and maintain it. The SKA Office is gearing up to do that and asked me to write a piece about what it is like to live and work in South Africa as an expat.

Safety and security: One of the very first questions a foreigner asks concerns safety. While the crime statistics in South Africa are high, we feel safe. And the stats seem to be slowly improving. If you heed local advice, use common sense and stay out of dangerous places and situations, you will be OK. Exit interviews done after the 2010 FIFA World Cup showed that visitors felt extremely safe and a significant percentage even felt safer than in their own home country.

Townships: Even well-to-do South Africans have a misconception about the townships. Some townships are better off than others. Some areas within a township are nicer than other areas in the same township. There is a growing lower middle class living in the townships. I have seen lawns in Khayelitsha, the largest township in Cape Town, that are greener than my front yard. A township is just the place where the average South African lives. They are viby, colourful and full of life and fun. To avoid going into the townships is to miss out on an important part of South African life. Do go in with locals at your side. You will feel extremely welcome.

Work permits: Home Affairs, responsible for work and residency permits and passports, still struggles to increase its efficiency. Let your employer hassle with the bureaucracy. Employers have mostly come to realize that spouses often want to work, so insist on having them also help with that. It is surprisingly easy to get a “scarce skills” work permit. Check what scarce skills are being sought after (it changes) and then interpret broadly. Another route to take is volunteering. There are scores of NGO’s and other worthy organizations in SA that are in dire need of volunteers. Volunteer for a day a week, show them what you can do and soon they may be offering to pay you. It won’t be much, but you will be doing important work. The really good news for spouses is that if you have a little bit of initiative and put your entrepreneur’s hat on, South Africa is a gold mine. If you have a skill that you can sell as a self-employed free-lancer, then it’s easy to set up shop as a sole proprietor. For the more ambitious, setting up your own company involves not too much money and not too much red tape.

Goods and services: You can get just about anything you want in the world. Retail is sophisticated and of high quality. If you can’t get it locally, the postal system will deliver it to you reliably. While salary levels are lower than in the States or Europe, so are prices even though 14% VAT will be added to just about everything you buy. Overall, the cost of living ends up being lower.

Banking, financial services, and insurance: On the whole, these services are comparable or better than their equivalent in the States or most countries of Europe. They are better for two reasons: (1) South Africans are a friendly lot and they succeed in making their call centres more tolerable than elsewhere and (2) financial governance in South Africa is healthily conservative so banks were not hugely affected by the meltdown of the banking sectors in Europe and the States. There is no local sub-prime crisis because banks refused to play along. It’s no problem getting money into SA, and although there are foreign exchange restrictions it is no problem getting it out again for foreigners. Income taxes are very reasonable and generally lower than they are in Western Europe. SARS, the South African Revenue Service, is unusually efficient and easy to deal with.

Medical services: World class, if you make sure that you are properly insured. Let your employer organize this for you. There are little or no waiting times to see a specialist, and little or no waiting times to have an operation. Doctors and dentists are very well trained and up-to-date. The cost of medical services is considerably lower than comparable services in Europe and the States.

Transportation: Aviation is world class and local low-fare airlines make flying between the urban areas affordable. Most airports were completely revamped for the 2010 World Cup and are in superb shape. Roads in the urban areas are excellent. Public transportation is still on the politician’s to-do list so you will need a car.

Schooling: Top schools at any level are first class.

Recreation: There is an incredible amount of things to do and see in South Africa. Art, theatre, movies, music, and comedy offerings are sophisticated. South Africans are sports fanatics. For those that want to work up a sweat, the infrastructure is excellent. The scenery, the sea, the mountains are exquisite and if you like the outdoors, whether on land or on the water, you will never want to leave. Children will love South Africa.

Food and drink: The food is excellent, to international standards and of very good value. Service in restaurants is extremely friendly and good. Township fare is somewhat more exotic, but delicious. South African wine is world class at bargain basement prices. Nowhere in the world will you get such good wine for so little money.

Foreigners: On the whole, South Africans are a very friendly and curious lot, and are very welcoming to foreigners. Problems with xenophobia that have received attention in the foreign press relate to illegal immigrants coming in from neighbouring (much poorer) African countries.

Conclusion: South Africa is a great place to live for foreign expats. While the country certainly has its challenges, there are endless opportunities for well-trained specialists. Nature has favoured SA in many unique ways and the country has a modern infrastructure without having lost its traditional roots. South Africans are friendly and, despite a tough 20th century, are optimistic about their future in the 21st and willing to work for it.

If you are considering a move to South Africa and you have a question about something I haven’t touched on, feel free to ask me.